PSYCH UNIT 6

adolescense

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

accomodation

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

Assimilation

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

insecure attatchment

demonstrated by infants who display either a clinging, anxious attachment or an avoidant attachment that resists closeness

secure attachment

demonstrated by infants; an attatchment where a child feels comforted by the presence of their caregiver.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

Babinski reflex

Reflex in which a newborn fans out the toes when the sole of the foot is touched

biological sex

A set of biological attributes in humans & animals.

chromosome (x & y)

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes.

cognition

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

conservation

the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects

critical period

an optimal period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development

cross-sectional studies

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

crystallized intelligence

our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age

deprivation of attachment

the occurence of an infant's inability to form an emotional attachment to their mother/permanent mother substitute.

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

a period from about age 18 to the mid-twenties, when many in Western cultures are no longer adolescents but have not yet achieved full independence as adults

Epigenetics

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

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking.

fetus

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

fluid intelligence

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

gender expression

how a person publicly expresses their gender

gender identity

our sense of being male or female

gender roles

expectations regarding the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities of males and females

gender schema

mental structures that organize incoming information according to gender categories and in turn lead people to perceive the world in terms of gender

gender typing

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role

Generativity

the willingness to engage in acts that promote the wellbeing of oyunger generations as a way of ensuring the longterm survival of the species.

Habituation

an organism's decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it

human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

a virus that attacks the immune system

Imprinting

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life

infantile amnesia

the inability to remember events from early childhood

information processing

mental processes involved in acquiring, storing, & using knowledge.

Intersex

a condition present at birth due to unusual combinations of male and female chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy; possessing biological sexual characteristics of both sexes

intimacy

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

longitudinal study

research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period

Maturation

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

motor skills

ability to move our body and manipulate objects

menarche

the first menstrual period

menopause

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

moral development

growth in the ability to tell right from wrong, control impulses, and act ethically

moral intuition

quick gut feelings that precede moral reasoning

nature and nurture

how much a person's characteristics are formed by nature (genetics) or nuture (environment).

object permanence

the knowledge that an object exists even when it is not in sight

authoritarian parenting

style of parenting in which parent is rigid and overly strict, showing little warmth to the child

authoritative parenting

the parents are nurturing, responsive, and supportive, yet set firm limits for their children

permissive parenting

A parenting style characterized by the placement of few limits on the child's behavior.

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 activities

preoperational stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to 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

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

formal operational stage

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

postconventional morality

when ppl decide based on what they think is right rather than just following the rules of society.

preconventional morality

when ppl follow rules bc they don't want to get in trouble or they want to get a reward.

prenatal

period of time before birth

pruning process

the process in which the brain removes neurons & synapses that it does not need.

psychosocial development

pattern of change in emotions, personality, and social relationships

puberty

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

resilience

the personal strength that helps most people cope with stress and recover from adversity and even trauma

role

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave

rooting reflex

a baby's tendency, when touched on the cheek, to turn toward the touch, open the mouth, and search for food

scaffold

a framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking

Schema

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

self-concept

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?"

seperation anxiety

excessive worry & fear abt being apart from family members/individuals to whom a child is most attatched.

secondary sex characteristics

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

primary sex characteristics

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

sexual orientation

an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one's own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other sex (heterosexual orientation)

sexually transmitted infections

infections spread from person to person through sexual contact

social clock

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

Socialization

the process by which individuals internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of a given society and learn to function as members of that society

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

tend-and-befriend response

under stress, people (especially women) often provide support to others (tend) and bond with and seek support from others (befriend)

Testosterone

Male sex hormone

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.

Transgender

an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex

Zygote

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

zone of proximal development

In Vygotsky's theory, the space between what a learner can do without assistance and what a learner can do w/ guidance.

visual preference

tendency of infants to spend more time looking at one thing than another.

Continuity

development is a slow, continuous shaping process, stages may be quick or slow.

stages

clear cut stages as theorized by Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, & Erik Erikson.

stability and change

Which of our traits persist through life? How do we change as we age?

Conception and Gestation

gestation is the period of time between conception and birth when a baby grows and develops inside the womb.

*Teratogens negatively affect birth growth.

identity vs. role confusion

stage characterized by the question "who am I" (Erikson).

Erik Erikson

8-stage theory of development (introduced characteristics of adolescent identity crisis & adult's mid-life crisis.

Sigmund Freud

introduced personality theory (composed of 3 elements: the ID, the ego, the superego).

Harry Harlow

The Monkey Mother experiment (demonstrated the importance of love/affection, specifically contact comfort, for healthy childhood development.

Lawrence Kohlberg

study of moral development in children (3 stages: pre-conventional, conventional, post-conventional).

Jean Piaget

theory of cognitive development (4 stages: sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, formal operational).

Lev Vygotsky

sociocultural theory (social interaction plays a role in children's learning).

Albert Bandura

• Social learning theory (we learn social behavior by observing & imitating the behavior of others).

• Bobo doll experiment (demonstrated observational learning).