UNIT 6 (CH 9) Flashcards
decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation
habituation
concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
schema
interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas
assimilation
adapting our current understanding (schemas) to incorporate new information
accommodation
Piaget’s theory - a child learns language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic (2 to 6-7)
preoperational stage
the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects
conservation
in Piaget’s theory, the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view
egocentrism
people’s ideas about their own and other’s mental states - about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict
theory of mind
Piaget’s theory - cognitive development during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events (6-7 to 11)
concrete operational stage
a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others’ states of mind
autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
the fear of strangers - happens around 8 months
stranger anxiety
an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation
attachment
an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism’s exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
critical period
the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life
imprinting
our understanding and evaluation of who we are
self-concept
the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female
gender
physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone
aggression
found in both men and women - females have 2 X chromosomes; males have one
X chromosome
only found in males - when paried with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child
Y chromosome
the most important of the male sex hormones
testosterone
the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible
primary sex characteristics
nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair
secondary sex characteristics
our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles
identity
the “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to “Who am I?” that comes from our group memberships
social identity
for some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to mid-20s, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood
emerging adulthood
the fertilized egg
zygote
the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month
embryo
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
fetus
agents that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
teratogens
physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
maturation
all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
cognition
Piaget’s theory - infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities (birth - 2)
sensorimotor stage
the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
object permanence
Piaget’s theory - cognitive development during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts (begins around 12)
formal operational stage
a person’s characteristics emotional reactivity and intensity
temperament
Erikson - a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy
basic trust
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
role
a set of expected behaviors for males and for females
gender roles
our sense of being male or female
gender identity
the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role
gender typing
we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished
social learning theory
the transition from childhood to adulthood - puberty to independence
adolescence
period of sexual maturation - capable of reproducing
puberty
the first menstraul period
menarche
Erikson - ability to form close, loving relationships - late adolescence and early adulthood
intimacy
the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines
menopause
a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another
cross-sectional study
research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period
longitudinal study
our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age
crystallized intelligence
our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood
fluid intelligence
the culturally perferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement
social clock
a framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking
scaffold
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
strange situation
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
secure attachment
demonstrated by infants who display either a clinging, anxious attachment or an avoidant attachment that resists closeness
insecure attachment
the biologically influenced characteristics by which people define males and females
sex
an act of aggression (physical or verbal) intended to harm a person’s relationship or social standing
relational aggression
displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics
androgyny
an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex
transgender
first ejaculation
spermarche
a condition present at birth due to unusual combinations of male and female chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy; possessing biological sexual characteristics of both sexes
Intersex
sexually transmitted infection caused by HIV, resulting in damage to the immune system - depletes the immune system. leaving a person vulnerable to inflection
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
our enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one’s own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other sex (heterosexual orientation)
sexual orientation
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
neurocognitive disorders
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
Alzheimer’s disease
