MODULE 7-16

Adolescence

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

Puberty

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

Primary sex characteristics

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

Secondary sex characteristics

Nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair

Menarche

The first menstrual period

Identity

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

Social identity

The "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "who am i?" That comes from our group memberships

Intimacy

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

Emerging adulthood

For some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to early twenties, bridging the gap between adolescence dependence and full independence and responsible adulthoof

Preconventional morality

Before age 9, most children's morality focuses on self-influence. They obey rules either to avoid punishment or to gain concrete rewards

Conventional morality

By early adolescence, morality focuses on caring for others and on upholding laws and social rules, simply because they are the laws and rules

Postconventional morality

With the abstract reasoning of formal operational thought, prople may reach a third moral level. Actions are judged "right" because they flow from people's rights or from self-defined, basic ethical principles

Spermarche

The first ejaculation

Moral reasoning

The thinking that occurs as we consider right and wrong. Developed by Lawrence Kohlberg

Individualism

Giving priority to one's own goals rather than to group goals

Social intuitionist

Moral feelings precede moral reasoning. Account by Jonathan Haidt

Delay gratification

To delay small gratifications now to enable bigger rewards later

Autonomy

Independence

Competence

Feeling able and productive

Search for identity

Erikson's idea that adolescents wonder "who am i as an individual? What do i want to do with my life? What values should i live by? What do i believe in?"

Initiative

An introductory act or step; leading action

Physical Changes in Middle Adulthood

Women decline in fertility, men decline in sperm count, testosterone, erection, women experience menopause.

Menopause

the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines. Around age 50, menstrual cycles

Physical changes in later life

Life expectancy declines, disease stickes, telomeres wear down,

Changes in sensory abilities

vision weakens, sound hearing ability decreases, reaction time decreases

Dementia and Alzheimer's

Caused by small strokes, tumors, alcohol dependence. First memory deteriorates, then reasoning. Loss of brain cells and a deterioration of neurons that produce the neruotransmitter vital to memory and thinking

Cross-sectional studies

comparing people of different ages

Longitudinal studies

restudying people over time

Terminal decline

in the last few years of life cognitive decline accelerates

Aspects of our dominate adulthood

forming intimacy (close relationships) and generevity (being productive and supporting future generations)

Sigmeund frued defined the adult as

someone who works and loves

social clock

the culturally preffered timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement

developmental psychology

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

zygote

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

embryo

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

fetus

The developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

teratogens

(Literally, "monster maker") Agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can research the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

fetal alcohol syndrome

(FAS) Physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heaving drinking. In severe cases, symptoms include noticeable facial misproportions (epigenetic effect)

habituation

Decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation

Behavior genetics

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

Heredity

Passing of traits from parents to offspring

Environment

every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us

Chromosomes

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

DNA

A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.

Genes

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; a segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein

Genome

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes

Identical twins

twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms

Fraternal twins

Twins who develop from separate eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment

Temperament

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

Heritability

The proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. The heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.

interaction

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

Molecular genetics

the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes

molecular behavior genetics

the study of how the structure and function of genes interact with our environment to influence behavior

Epigenetics

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

circadian rhythm

The biological clock; regular bodily (ex. temp and wakefulness) that occur on a 24-hour cycle

REM sleep

Rapid Eye Movement sleep; a recurring sleep stage during which vivid dreams commonly occur. Also known as paradoxical sleep, because the muscles are relaxed (except for minor twitches) but other body systems are active

alpha waves

The relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

sleep

Periodic, natural, easily reversible loss of consciousness -- as distinct from unconsciousness resulting from a coma, general anesthesia, or hibernation

NREM-1

Easy to wake, hallucinations, and hypnagogic sensations (jerk)

NREM-2

20 min of sleep, sleep spindles (bursts of rapid, rhythmic brain wave activity), clearly asleep (still can be awakened)

NREM-3

Slow delta waves at 30 min, hard to awaken --> back to NREM-2

hallucinations

The false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

delta waves

The large, slow train waves associated with deep sleep

insomnia

Recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times (narco "numbness") runs in family

sleep apnea

A sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessation of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings

night terrors

A sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares (NREM-3)

sleepwalking

Another NREM-3 sleep disorder where you get up and walk while sleeping

sleeptalking

Usually childhood disorders run in families (NREM-3) where you talk when you sleep

dream

A sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind. They are notable for their hallucinatory imagery, discontinuities, and incongruities, and for the dreamer's delusional acceptance of the content and later difficulties remembering it

manifest content

According to Freud, the remembered story line of a dream (as distinct from its latent, or hidden, content)

latent content

According to Freud, the underlying meaning a dream (as district from its manifest content)

REM rebound

The tendency for REM sleep sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation (created by repeated awakenings during REM sleep)

consciousness

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language)

selective attention

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

inattentional blindness

failing to see visible objects when our attention is directed elsewhere

change blindness

failing to notice changes in the environment; a form of inattentional blindness

inattentional deafness

failing to hear an auditory message when attention is elsewhere

change deafness

failing to notice change in auditory stimulus

dual processing

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

blindsight

a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

visual perception track

enables us to think about the world, to recognize things and to plan future actions

visual action track

guides our moment-to-moment movements

parallel processing

unconscious processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions; enables your mind to take care of routine business

sequential processing

processing one aspect of a problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems

What is the place of consciousness in psychology's history?

Since 1960, under the influence of cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive neuroscience, our awareness of ourselves and our environment -- our consciousness -- has reclaimed its place as an important area of research.

cocktail party effect

the ability to attend to one voice among a sea of other voices

psychoactive drug

a chemical substance that alters perceptions and moods

substance use disorder

continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption and/or physical risk

tolerance

the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect

addiction

compulsive craving of drugs or certain behaviors despite knowing adverse consequences

withdrawal

the discomfort and distress that follows discontinuing an addictive drug or behavior

depressants

drugs that reduce neural activity and slow body functions

alcohol use disorder

alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and a drive to continue problematic use

barbiturates

drugs that depress central nervous system activity, reducing anxiety but impairing memory and judgement

opiates

opium and its derivatives such as morphine and heroin; depress neural activity temporarily lessening pain and anxiety

stimulants

drugs that excite neural activity and speed up body functions

amphetamine

drugs that stimulate neural activity causing accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes

nicotine

a stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug in tobacco