Unit 9 vocab Flashcards
the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month
embryo
the fertilized egg
it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo
zygote
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
fetus
agents, such as chemicals and viruses, 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. In severe cases, syptoms include noticeable facial misproportions
fetal alcohol syndrome FAS
decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner
habituatioin
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
a concept or framework that organizes and interprets info
schema
interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas
assimilation
adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new info
accomodation
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
sensorimotor stage
the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
object permanece
in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from 2 to about 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
preoperational stage
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 form 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 others’ mental states- about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict
theory of mind
in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6/7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events
concrete operational stage
in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
formal operational stage
a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others’ states of mind
autism
the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age
stranger anxiety
an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing ditress 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
a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity
temperament
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
basic trust
our understanging and evaluation of who we are
self-concept
in psych, the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female
gender
physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone
aggression
the sex chromosome found in both men and women
X chromosome
femals have 2 males have 1
an X from each parent produces a female
the sex chromosome found only in males
Y chromosomes
when paired with an x from the mother it produces a male
the most important of the male sex hormones. stimulates the growth of male sex organs in the fetus and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty
testosterone
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought ot behave
role
a set of expected behaviors for males or for femals
gender role
our sense of being male or female
gender identity
the acquisition of traditional masculine or feminine role
gender typing
the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished
social learning theory
the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence
adolescence
the period of sexual maturation during which a person becomes capable of reproducing
puberty
the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduciton possible
primary sex characteristics
nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality and body hair
secondary sex characteristics
the first menstrual period
menarche
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
in Erikson’s theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescense and early adulthood
intimacy
for some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood
emerging adulthood
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 lond period
longitudinal study
our acculumated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age
crystallized intelligence
our abillity to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood
fluid intelligence
the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement
social clock
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
developmental psych
