Unit 9 Vocab Quiz #1

Developmental Psychology - a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development throughout the lifespan

Cross-Sectional Study - research that compares people of different ages at the same point in time

Longitudinal Study - research that follows and retests the same people over time

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

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - physical and cognitive function deficits in children caused by their birth mother’s heavy drinking during pregnancy. In severe cases, symptoms include a small, out-of-proportion head and distinct facial features

Habituation - decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation

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

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

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

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

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

Sex - in psychology, the biologically influenced characteristics by which people define male, female, and intersex  

Gender - in psychology, the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex

Intersex - possessing male and female biological sexual characteristics at birth

Aggression - any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally

Relational Aggression - an act of aggression (physical or verbal) intended to harm a person’s relationship or social standing

X chromosome - the sex chromosome found in females and males

Y chromosome - the sex chromosome typically found only in males

Testosterone - the most important male sex hormone

Estrogens - sex hormones, such as estradiol, that contribute to female sex characteristics and are secreted in greater amounts by females than by males

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