Unit 6 Developmental Psych

Question 1

developmental psych

Answer 1

branch of psych that studies physical, cognitive and social change throughout lifespan

Question 2

Explain the 3 key issues of developmental psychology

Answer 2

1. nature v. nurture
   (interrelationship b/w genetics and experience/learning)
2. Continuity v. stages
   (debate whether development is cumulative or structured)
3. Stability v. change
   (are humans more stable or adaptive?)

Question 3

zygotes

Answer 3

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

Question 4

embryo

Answer 4

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

Question 5

fetus

Answer 5

developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

Question 6

teratogens

Answer 6

literally “ monster makers” agents such as chemical and viruses that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

Question 7

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

Answer 7

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 8

habituation

Answer 8

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

Question 9

maturation

Answer 9

orderly sequence of biological growth relatively ininfluenced by experience

Question 10

schemas

Answer 10

concept or framework and organizes and interprets information

Question 11

sensorimotor stage

Answer 11

ranges from birth to age 2
infants know the world in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

Question 12

object permanence

Answer 12

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

Question 13

conservation

Answer 13

the principle that mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in shape

Question 14

egocentric

Answer 14

the preoperational child’s difficulty to taking another’s pov

Question 15

theory of mind

Answer 15

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

Question 16

preoperational stage

Answer 16

from 2-6/7 years during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete loci

Question 17

concrete operational stage

Answer 17

7-11 years of age
children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

Question 18

formal operation stage

Answer 18

beginning around age 12
people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

Question 19

scaffold

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Answer 20

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 21

Dishabituation

Answer 21

interest in novel events

Question 22

stranger anxiety

Answer 22

fear of strangers that infants commonly display beginning at 8 months

Question 23

attachment

Answer 23

emotional tie with another person
ex: shown in young

Question 24

critical period

Answer 24

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

Question 25

imprinting

Answer 25

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

Question 26

strange situation

Answer 26

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

Question 27

secure attachment

Answer 27

demonstrated by infants who comfortable 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 28

insecure attachment

Answer 28

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

Question 29

temperament

Answer 29

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

Question 30

self-concept

Answer 30

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

Question 31

aggression

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Social learning theory

Answer 32

we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and being rewarded/punished

Question 33

Gender typing

Answer 33

acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role

Question 34

adolescence

Answer 34

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

Question 35

puberty

Answer 35

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

Question 36

identity

Answer 36

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

Question 37

social identity

Answer 37

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

Question 38

intimacy

Answer 38

the ability to form close, loving relationships; primarily a task of young adulthood

Question 39

emerging adulthood

Answer 39

a period from about age 18 to mid 20s when in many Western cultures are no longer adolescents buy have not yet achieved full adult independence

Question 40

X chromosome

Answer 40

The sex chromosomes found in both males and females, females typically have two and males typically have one, when paired with another X it produces a female child

Question 41

Y chromosome

Answer 41

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

Question 42

testosterone

Answer 42

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

Question 43

primary sex characteristics

Answer 43

the body structures that make sexual reproduction possible

Question 44

secondary sex characteristics

Answer 44

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

Question 45

spermache

Answer 45

first ejaculation

Question 46

menarche

Answer 46

the first menstrual period

Question 47

intersex

Answer 47

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 48

sexual orientation

Answer 48

our enduring sexual attraction, usually towards members of our own sex or other sex; variations include attraction toward both sexes

Question 49

menopause

Answer 49

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

Question 50

cross-sectional studies

Answer 50

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

Question 51

longitudinal studies

Answer 51

research that follows and retests the same people over time

Question 52

neurocognitive disorder (NCD or formerly called dementia)

Answer 52

acquired disorders marked by cognitive deficits, often related to Alzheimer’s, brain injury/disease, or substance abuse

Question 53

social clock

Answer 53

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