Chapter 9: Developmental Psychology

Question 1

developmental psychology

Answer 1

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

Question 2

zygote

Answer 2

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

Question 3

embryo

Answer 3

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

Question 4

fetus

Answer 4

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

Question 5

teratogens

Answer 5

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

Question 6

fetal alcohol syndrome

Answer 6

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

Question 7

habituation

Answer 7

decreasing responsiveness with repeated exposure to a stimulus

Question 8

maturation

Answer 8

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

Question 9

cognition

Answer 9

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

Question 10

schema

Answer 10

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

Question 11

assimilation

Answer 11

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

Question 12

accommodation

Answer 12

(1) in sensation and perception, the process by which the eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina. (2) in developmental psychology, adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

Question 13

sensorimotor stage

Answer 13

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

Question 14

object permanence

Answer 14

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

Question 15

preoperational stage

Answer 15

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

Question 16

conservation

Answer 16

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

Question 17

egocentrism

Answer 17

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

Question 18

theory of mind

Answer 18

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

Question 19

concrete operational stage

Answer 19

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

Question 20

formal operational stage

Answer 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

Question 21

scaffold

Answer 21

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

Question 22

autism spectrum disorder

Answer 22

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

Question 23

stranger anxiety

Answer 23

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

Question 24

attachment

Answer 24

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

Question 25

critical period

Answer 25

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

Question 26

imprinting

Answer 26

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

Question 27

strange situation

Answer 27

a procedure for studying child-caregiver attachment; a child is placed in an unfamiliar environment while their caregiver leaves and then returns, and the child’s reactions are observed

Question 28

secure attachment

Answer 28

demonstrated by infants who comfortably explore environments in the presence of their caregiver, show only temporary distress when the caregiver leaves, and find comfort in the caregiver’s return

Question 29

insecure attachment

Answer 29

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

Question 30

temperament

Answer 30

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

Question 31

basic trust

Answer 31

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

Question 32

self-concept

Answer 32

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

Question 33

sex

Answer 33

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

Question 34

gender

Answer 34

in psychology, the socially influenced characteristics by which people define boy, girl, man, and woman

Question 35

aggression

Answer 35

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

Question 36

relational aggression

Answer 36

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

Question 37

role

Answer 37

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

Question 38

gender role

Answer 38

a set of expected behaviors, attitudes, and traits for males or for females

Question 39

gender identity

Answer 39

our sense of being male, female, or some combination of the two

Question 40

social learning theory

Answer 40

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

Question 41

gender typing

Answer 41

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role

Question 42

androgyny

Answer 42

displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics

Question 43

transgender

Answer 43

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

Question 44

adolescence

Answer 44

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

Question 45

puberty

Answer 45

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

Question 46

identity

Answer 46

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

Question 47

social identity

Answer 47

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

Question 48

intimacy

Answer 48

in Erikson’s theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in young adulthood

Question 49

emerging adulthood

Answer 49

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

Question 50

X chromosome

Answer 50

the sex chromosome found in both males and females. Females typically have two X chromosomes; males typically have one. An X chromosome from each parent produces a female child

Question 51

Y chromosome

Answer 51

the sex chromosome typically found only in males. When paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child

Question 52

testosterone

Answer 52

the most important male sex hormone. Both males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs during the fetal period and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty

Question 53

primary sex characteristics

Answer 53

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

Question 54

secondary sex characteristics

Answer 54

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

Question 55

spermarche

Answer 55

the first ejaculation

Question 56

menarche

Answer 56

the first menstrual period

Question 57

intersex

Answer 57

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

Question 58

AIDS

Answer 58

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

Question 59

sexual orientation

Answer 59

our enduring sexual attraction, usually toward members of our own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other sex (heterosexual orientation); variations include attraction toward both sexes (bisexual orientation)

Question 60

menopause

Answer 60

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

Question 61

cross-sectional study

Answer 61

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

Question 62

longitudinal study

Answer 62

research that follows and retests the same people over time

Question 63

neurocognitive disorders

Answer 63

acquired (not lifelong) disorders marked by cognitive deficits; often related to Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury or disease, or substance abuse. In older adults, neurocognitive disorders were formerly called dementia

Question 64

Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 64

a neurocognitive disorder marked by neural plaques, often with onset after age 80, and entailing a progressive decline in memory and other cognitive abilities

Question 65

social clock

Answer 65

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