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

basic trust

Answer 2

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is pre- dictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by ap- propriate experiences with responsive caregivers.

Question 3

zygot

Answer 3

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

Question 4

self-concept

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Embryo

Answer 5

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

Question 6

gender

Answer 6

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

Question 7

fetus

Answer 7

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after concep- tion to birth.

Question 8

aggression

Answer 8

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy.

Question 9

teratogens

Answer 9

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

Question 10

gender role

Answer 10

a set of expected behaviors for males or for females.

Question 11

FAS

Answer 11

a set of mental and physical disorders that can include mental retardation, brain dysfunction, physical abnormalities, learning disabilities, and psychological disorders. FAS occurs as a result of prenatal exposure to alcohol.

Question 12

role

Answer 12

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

Question 13

habituation

Answer 13

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

Question 14

gender identity

Answer 14

our sense of being male or female.

Question 15

maturation

Answer 15

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

Question 16

transgender

Answer 16

an umbrella term describing people whose gen- der identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex.

Question 17

cognition

Answer 17

all the mental activities associated with thinking, know- ing, remembering, and communicating.

Question 18

adolescence

Answer 18

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

Question 19

schema

Answer 19

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

Question 20

identity

Answer 20

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 21

assimilation

Answer 21

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas.

Question 22

social identity

Answer 22

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

Question 23

accommodation

Answer 23

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information.

Question 24

intimacy

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Sensorimotor stage

Answer 25

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 activities.

Question 26

emerging adulthood

Answer 26

for some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between ado- lescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood.

Question 27

Object permanence

Answer 27

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived.

Question 28

Y chromosome

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Preoperational stage

Answer 29

in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from about 2 to about 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use lan- guage but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of con- crete logic.

Question 30

X chromosome

Answer 30

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

Question 31

conservation

Answer 31

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 32

testosterone

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Egocentrism

Answer 33

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

Question 34

puberty

Answer 34

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

Question 35

theory of mind

Answer 35

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

Question 36

primary sex characteristics

Answer 36

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

Question 37

autism spectrum disorder

Answer 37

a disorder that appears in child- hood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors.

Question 38

menarche

Answer 38

the first menstrual period.

Question 39

concert operational stage

Answer 39

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.

Question 40

aids

Answer 40

(acquired immune deficiency syndrome) 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 41

formal operational stage

Answer 41

in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which peo- ple begin to think logically about abstract concepts. (p. 483)
fovea the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster.

Question 42

sexual orientation

Answer 42

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

Question 43

stranger anxiety

Answer 43

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

Question 44

menopaus

Answer 44

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

Question 45

attachment

Answer 45

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

Question 46

cross sectional study

Answer 46

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

Question 47

critical period

Answer 47

thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, assesses the source, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.

Question 48

longitudinal study

Answer 48

research in which the same people are restud- ied and retested over a long period

Question 49

imprinting

Answer 49

the process by which certain animals form strong at- tachments during an early life critical period.

Question 50

social clock

Answer 50

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

Question 51

temperament

Answer 51

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.