Chapter 3

Question 1

research that compares people of different ages at the same point in time

Answer 1

cross-sectional study

Question 2

research that follows and retests the same people over time.

Answer 2

longitudinal study

Question 3

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

Answer 3

chromosomes

Question 4

a molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

Answer 4

DNA

Question 5

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA

Answer 5

genes

Question 6

the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

Answer 6

heredity

Question 7

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

Answer 7

genome

Question 8

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

Answer 8

interaction

Question 9

the study of the molecular ways by which environments can influence gene expression

Answer 9

epigenetics

Question 10

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

Answer 10

zygote

Question 11

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

Answer 11

embryo

Question 12

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

Answer 12

fetus

Question 13

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

Answer 13

teratogens

Question 14

physical and mental 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 14

fetal alcohol syndrome

Question 15

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus

Answer 15

reflex

Question 16

a person’s characteristics emotional reactivity and intensity

Answer 16

temperament

Question 17

biological growth processes leading to orderly changes in behavior, mostly independent of experience

Answer 17

maturation

Question 18

a period early in life when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences is needed for proper development

Answer 18

critical period

Question 19

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

Answer 19

schema

Question 20

interpreting our new experiences in terms of existing schemas

Answer 20

assimilation

Question 21

adapting our current surroundings (schemas) to incorporate new information

Answer 21

accommodation

Question 22

In piaget’s theory, the stage (from birth to nearly 2 years of age) at which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities.

Answer 22

sensorimotor stage

Question 23

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived (usually develop this by 8 months)

Answer 23

object permanence

Question 24

in piaget’s theory the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years of age) in which a child learns to use language but cannot yet perform the mental operations of concrete logic

Answer 24

preoperational stage

Question 25

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 shapes.

Answer 25

conservation

Question 26

In piaget’s theory, the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view

Answer 26

egocentrism

Question 27

in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 7 to 11 years of age) at which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events.

Answer 27

concrete operational stage

Question 28

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

Answer 28

formal operational stage

Question 29

in Vygotsky’s theory, a framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking.

Answer 29

scaffold

Question 30

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

Answer 30

theory of mind

Question 31

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

Answer 31

stranger anxiety

Question 32

an emotional tie with others; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to caregivers and showing distress on separation

Answer 32

attachment

Question 33

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 33

basic trust

Question 34

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

Answer 34

adolescence

Question 35

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

Answer 35

puberty

Question 36

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

Answer 36

identity

Question 37

the “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answers to “who am I” that comes from our group membership

Answer 37

social identity

Question 38

in Erikson’s theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary development task in early adulthood.

Answer 38

intimacy

Question 39

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

Answer 39

emerging adulthood

Question 40

the end of menstruation. In everyday use, it can mean the biological transition a woman experiences from before until after the end of it.

Answer 40

menopause

Question 41

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

Answer 41

social clock