Psych 4

Question 1

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

Answer 1

developmental psychology

Question 2

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

Answer 2

zygote

Question 3

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

Answer 3

embryo

Question 4

The developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

Answer 4

Fetus

Question 5

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

Answer 5

Teratoogens

Question 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

Answer 6

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Question 7

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 7

Habituation

Question 8

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

Answer 8

Maturation

Question 9

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

Answer 9

Cognition

Question 10

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

Answer 10

Schema

Question 11

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

Answer 11

Assimilation

Question 12

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

Answer 12

Accomadation

Question 13

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

Answer 13

Sensorimo For Stage

Question 14

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

Answer 14

Object Permanence

Question 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

Answer 15

Preoperational Stage

Question 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

Answer 16

Conservation

Question 17

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

Answer 17

Egocentrism

Question 18

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

Answer 18

Theory of Mind

Question 19

in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development from about 7 years 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 19

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 19

Formal Operational Stage

Question 20

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

Answer 20

Scaffold

Question 21

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 21

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Question 22

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

Answer 22

Stranger Anxiety

Question 23

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

Answer 23

Attachment

Question 24

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

Answer 24

Critical Period

Question 25

the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life

Answer 25

Imprinting

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

Answer 28

Adolescence

Question 29

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

Answer 29

Puberty

Question 30

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 30

Identity

Question 31

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

Answer 31

Social Identity

Question 32

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

Answer 32

Intimacy

Question 33

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

Answer 33

Emerging Adulthood

Question 34

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

Answer 34

Menopause

Question 35

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

Answer 35

Cross-Sectional Study

Question 36

research approach that follows a group of people over time to determine change or stability in behavior.

Answer 36

Longitudinal Study

Question 37

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

Answer 37

Neurocognitive Disorders

Question 38

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

Answer 38

Alzheimer’s disease

Question 39

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

Answer 39

Social Clock