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71 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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behavior genetics
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study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior
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environment
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every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us
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chromosomes
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coiled chain of DNA that contain the genes
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DNA (deoxyribonulceic acid)
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contains the genetic information
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genes
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biochemical units of heredity; a segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein
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genome
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complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes
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identical twins
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twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms
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fraternal twins
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twins who develop from seperate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment
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temperament
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a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity
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heritability
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the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes. The heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.
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interaction
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the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)
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molecular genetics
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subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes
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evolutionary psychology
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study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection
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natural selection
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principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those that lead to increased reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
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mutation
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random error in gene replication that leads to a change
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gender
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in psychology, the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female
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culture
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the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
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norms
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rules for accepted and expected behaviors
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personal space
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the portable buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies
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individualism
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giving priority to ones' own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group indentifications
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collectivism
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giving priority to goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly
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X chromosome
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the sex chromosome found in both men and women. Females have two X chromosomes; male have one. An x chromosome from each parent produces a female child
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Y chromosome
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the sex chromosome found only in males. When paired with an X chromosome from the mother
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testosterone
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most important of the male sex hormones. Both males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty.
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role
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set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
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gender role
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a set of expected behaviors for males or for females
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gender identity
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our sense of being male or female
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gender typing
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acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role
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social learning theory
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the theory that we learn social behavior by observing imitating and by being rewarded or punished
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zygote
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fertilized egg; 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo
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embryo
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the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second moth
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fetus
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developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
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teratogens
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agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
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fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
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physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant women's heavy drinking. In severe cases, symptoms include noticeable facial misproportions
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habituation
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decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner
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maturation
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biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
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maturation
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biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
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cognition
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all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing remembering and communicating
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schema
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concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
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assimilation
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interpreting our new experience in terms of our existing schemas
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accommodation
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adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information
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sensorimotor stage
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in Piaget's theory, the stage during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities (from birth to 2 years of age)
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object permanence
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the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
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preoperational stage
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in Piaget's theory, the stage during which a child learns to use language but doesn't yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic (from about 2 to 6/7 years of age)
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conservation
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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
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egocentrism
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in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view.
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theory of mind
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people's ideas about their own and others' mental states - about their feelings, perceptions and thoughts and the behaviors these might predict
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concrete operational stage
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in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events (from about 6/7 to 11 years of age)
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formal operational stage
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in Piaget's theory the stage of cognitive development during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts (normally beginning about age 12)
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autism
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a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction and understanding of others' states of mind
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stranger anxiety
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the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age
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attachment
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an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation
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critical period
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an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
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imprinting
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the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life
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basic trust
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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
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self-concept
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our understanding and evaluation of who we are
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adolescence
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the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence
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puberty
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the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing
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primary sex characteristics
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the body structures (ovaries, testes and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible
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secondary sex characteristics
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non-reproductive sexual characteristics such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality and body hair
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menarch
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the first menstrual period
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identity
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our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent's task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles
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social identity
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the 'we' aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to 'who am I' that comes from our group memberships
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intimacy
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in Erikson's theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood
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emerging adulthood
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for some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to early twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood
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menopause
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the time of natural cessation of menstruations; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines
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cross-sectional study
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a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another
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longitudinal study
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research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period
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crystallized intelligence
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our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills tends to increase with age
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fluid intelligence
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our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood
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social clock
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culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood and retirement
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