Ch. 9 Vocab

Question 1

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

Answer 1

zygote

Question 2

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

Answer 2

embryo

Question 3

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

Answer 3

fetus

Question 4

literally “monster makers” agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm.

Answer 4

teratogens

Question 5

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

Answer 5

fetal alcohol syndrome

Question 6

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

Answer 6

habituation

Question 7

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

Answer 7

maturation

Question 8

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

Answer 8

cognition

Question 9

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

Answer 9

schema

Question 10

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

Answer 10

assimilation

Question 11

in developmental psychology, adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

Answer 11

accommodation

Question 12

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

Answer 12

sensorimotor stage

Question 13

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

Answer 13

object permanence

Question 14

in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from about 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

Answer 14

preoperational stage

Question 15

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

Answer 15

conservation

Question 16

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

Answer 16

egocentrism

Question 17

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

Answer 17

theory of mind

Question 18

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

Answer 18

autism spectrum disorder

Question 19

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

Answer 19

concrete operational stage

Question 20

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

Answer 20

formal operational stage

Question 21

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

Answer 21

stranger anxiety

Question 22

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

Answer 22

attachment

Question 23

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

Answer 23

critical period

Question 24

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

Answer 24

imprinting

Question 25

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

Answer 25

temperament

Question 26

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

Answer 26

basic trust

Question 27

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

Answer 27

self-concept

Question 28

the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female

Answer 28

gender

Question 29

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

Answer 29

aggression

Question 30

a set of expected behaviors for males or for females

Answer 30

gender role

Question 31

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

Answer 31

role

Question 32

our sense of being male or female

Answer 32

gender identity

Question 33

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

Answer 33

social learning theory

Question 34

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role

Answer 34

gender typing

Question 35

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

Answer 35

transgender

Question 36

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

Answer 36

adolescence

Question 37

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

Answer 37

identity

Question 38

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

Answer 38

social identity

Question 39

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

Answer 39

intimacy

Question 40

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

Answer 40

emerging adulthood

Question 41

the sex chromosome found in both men and women

Answer 41

X chromosome

Question 42

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

Answer 42

Y chromosome

Question 43

the most important of the male sex hormones. Both males and females have it, but the additional amount in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty

Answer 43

testosterone

Question 44

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

Answer 44

puberty

Question 45

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

Answer 45

primary sex characteristics

Question 46

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

Answer 46

secondary sex characteristics

Question 47

a life-threatening, sexually transmitted infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infections

Answer 47

AIDS

Question 48

an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one’s own sex (homosexual orientation), the other sex (heterosexual orientation), or both sexes (bisexual orientation)

Answer 48

sexual orientation

Question 49

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

Answer 49

menopause

Question 50

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

Answer 50

cross-sectional study

Question 51

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

Answer 51

longitudinal study

Question 52

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

Answer 52

social clock

Question 53

the first menstrual period

Answer 53

menarche

Question 54

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

Answer 54

developmental psychology