FCPS AP Psych Unit 6
Conception - a single sperm cell (male) penetrates the outer coating of the egg (female) and fuses to form one fertilized cell - the beginning of new life
Prenatal period: the period of pregnancy that begins with conception and ends 9 months later with birth.
zygote - implants itself in the uterine wall, where growth occurs through rapid cell division. Zygotic period (germinal period) - about 2 weeks
embryonic stage - organ development beings as cells continue to divide, replicate, and create new growth (2 weeks - 2 months) After a month the heart begins to beat and the lungs, eyes, palate, and CNS develop
fetal stage - the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth. Fetal continues to grow and gain weight during the last two months…at the end of a normal 38 week (9 ½ month) pregnancy, fetus typically weighs around 7 lbs and is about 20 inches in length
Teratogens - agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm (drugs, AIDS, STDS, rubella, etc)
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) - physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking. In severe cases, signs include a small, out-of-proportion head and abnormal facial features
Down Syndrome - occurs when a zygote receives an extra chromosome at the moment of conception…causes intellectual disability (usually in the mild to moderate range)
Rooting reflex – automatic turn of head when cheek is touched
Sucking reflex – suck anything that touches lips
Startle reflex – infant flings arms, fans fingers and arches back in response to sudden noise
Babinski reflex – toes fan out when out edge of sole of foot is stroked
Nature is what we think of as pre-wiring and is influenced by genetic inheritance and other biological factors.
Nurture is generally taken as the influence of external factors after conception, e.g., the product of exposure, life experiences and learning on an individual.
Maturation - biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
Temperament - a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity (Easy - Good-natured, easy to care for, adaptable, Difficult - Moody and intense, react to new situations and people negatively and strongly. Slow-to-warm-up - Inactive and slow to respond to new things, and when they do react, it is mild)
Stranger Anxiety - the fear of strangers that infants commonly display (8 months)
Attachment - an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation
Imprinting - the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life critical period
Critical period - an optimal period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development
Secure Attachment - classified by children who show some distress when their caregiver leaves but are able to compose themselves knowing that their caregiver will return
Insecurely Attached - Child is unable to be comforted or is violent or distant upon return, may be insecurely attached.
Avoidant Attachment - is formed in babies and children when parents or caregivers are largely emotionally unavailable or unresponsive most of the time. Will have trouble trusting people in the future.
Anxious Attachment - may have a hard time feeling secure in relationships. As young children, they may cling to caregivers or become inconsolable when a caregiver leaves
Ainsworth - Observed what she called the strange-situation behavior to investigate forms of attachment bonds between one-year olds and mothers
Lorenz - Studied goslings (baby geese) to study attachment as important to humans and other species as well. He developed imprinting.
Harlow - studied attachment with monkeys. What attachment based on provided food (breastfeeding) or contact comfort - physical comfort provided by caregiver
Baumrind - Created the parenting styles
Authoritarian - Characterized by high demandingness with low responsiveness.
Permissive - Characterized by low demandingness with high responsiveness.
Authoritative - Characterized by high demandingness with huge responsiveness
Neglecting - Characterized by low demand and low responsiveness
Habituation: a decrease in responsiveness with repeated stimulation. Ex. a baby no longer being excited by a toy.
Schema: a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.
Assimilation: the process of absorbing new information into an existing schema.
Accommodation: the process of adjusting old schemas or developing new ones to incorporate new information.
Object permanence: the understanding that objects and people continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched. Develops in the sensorimotor stage.
Egocentrism: the inability to consider another person’s point of view. Ex. thinking daddy wants a toy truck for his birthday because that is what you would like. Found in the preoperational stage.
Animistic thinking: believing that inanimate objects have feelings. Found in the preoperational stage.
Conservation: the understanding that two equal quantities remain equal even thought their form or appearance is rearranged. Ex. understanding that your sandwich is the same size if it is cut into halves or quarters.
Theory of mind: is the ability to attribute mental states (beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc.) to oneself and others and to understand others have beliefs, desires, and intentions that are different from one's own.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: disorders that are typically characterized by social deficits, communication difficulties, stereotyped or repetitive behaviors and interests, and in some cases, cognitive delays.
Jean Piaget - Theorized that what a child is able to do intellectually depends on the development of the brain and on cognition levels
Vgotsky - believed that children learn according to their own schedule
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): Gap (difference) between what a child can do w/o help & what he can do only w/support (scaffolding).
Puberty: the physical beginnings of sexual maturity.
Primary sex characteristics: the organs needed for reproduction (ovaries in the female, testes in the male, and external genitalia).
Secondary sex characteristics: non-reproductive traits (enlargement of the hips and breasts in females, facial hair and deepening voice in males, the development of pubic and underarm hair in both females and males).
Adolescent egocentrism - belief that their experiences are unique and that their parents or others could not possibly understand what they are going through
Personal fables - stories created by teens that tell about their lives that are idealized and special and that make them feel invincible
Imaginary audience - being the center of attention of a group that listens to their ideas and beliefs
James Marcia - focused on teenage identity
Identity Diffusion - no sense of having choices; he or she has not yet made (nor is attempting/willing to make) a commitment
Identity Foreclosure - willing to commit to some relevant roles, values, or goals for the future. NO identity crisis. conform to the expectations of others regarding their future
Identity Moratorium - In crisis, exploring choices, but has not made a commitment to these choices
Identity Achievement/Formation - Completed identity crisis and has committed to identity/value
Menopause: The natural time in a woman's life when her menstrual cycles end.
Morality: accepted moral standards: standards of conduct that are generally accepted as right or proper.
Preconventional morality: Before age 9, children show morality to avoid punishment or gain reward.
Conventional morality: By early adolescence, moral judgments are based on compliance w/society’s rules & values.
Postconventional morality: People develop personal standards of right & wrong, morality defined in terms of abstract principles of justice.
Carol Gilligan - believed that Kohlberg’s theory fails to account for differences between males & females. She argued that there needed to be a masculine voice “logical and individualistic” and feminine “care perspective”.
Sex - either of the two categories (male or female) into which most organisms are divided
Gender - typed is what you learn or do in order to be masculine of feminine and it can be through your own cognitive processes, but it's often times through the observation of others
gender roles – expectations about the way men and women behave. Vary across cultures as well as over time
gender identity – sense of being male or female (how you identify yourself)
gender-typed – acquisition of masculine or feminine role (how you acquire your gender identity…what you do or learn in order to be masculine or feminine)