AP Psych Unit 9 Vocab

accommodation

accommodation

adapting our current understandings (schema) to incorporate new information

adolescence

the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence

assimilation

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

attachment

an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation

autism

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others’ states of mind

basic trust

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers

cognition

all mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

concrete operational stage

in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

conservation

the principle (which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects

critical period

an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism’s exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development

cross-sectional study

a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another

developmental psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

egocentrism

in Piaget’s theory, the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view

embryo

the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month

emerging adulthood

for some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood

fetal alcohol syndrome

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking. In severe cases, symptoms include noticeable facial misproportions.

fetus

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

formal operational stage

in Piaget’s theory, stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

gender identity

our sense of being male or female

gender role

a set of expected behaviors for males or for females

gender typing

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role

habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure a visual stimulus. their interest wanes and they look away sooner

identity

our sense self; according to Erikson, the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles

imprinting

the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life

intimacy

in Erikson’s theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood

maturation

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experienced

menarche

the first menstrual period

menopause

the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines

object permanence

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

preoperational stage

in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from 2 to about 6 or 7 years of age), during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

primary sex characteristics

the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible

puberty

the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing

schema

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

secondary sex characteristics

non-reproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair

self-concept

our understanding and evaluation of who we are

sensorimotor stage

in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activites

social identity

the “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to “Who am I?” that comes from our group memberships

social learning theory

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

stranger anxiety

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age

temperament

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

teratogens

agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

theory of mind

people’s ideas about their own and others’ mental states—-about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

x chromosome

the sex chromosome found in both men and women. Females have two X chromosomes; males have one. An X chromosome from each parent produces a female child.

y chromosome

the sex chromosome found only in males. When paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child

zygote

the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo

fluid intelligence

our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood

social clock

the right time/culturally preferred timing to do social events like marry or have kids

crystallized intelligence

our gathered knowledge and verbal skills. This tends to increase with age

longitudinal study

research where the same people are restudied and retested over a long period of time