Unit 6 - 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

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

Question 6

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

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

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

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 (ASD)

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 chromsome

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

spermache

Answer 55

[sper-MAR-key] the first ejaculation.

Question 56

menarche

Answer 56

[meh-NAR-key] 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.