Psychology Ch 3

Front 1

Developmental Psychology

Back 1

branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span.

Front 2

Chromosomes

Back 2

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes.

Front 3

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

Back 3

a molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.

Front 4

Genes

Back 4

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA.

Front 5

Heredity

Back 5

the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

Front 6

Genome

Back 6

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all genetic material in that organism's chromosomes.

Front 7

Environment

Back 7

every external influence, from prenatal nutrition to social support in later life.

Front 8

Interaction

Back 8

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

Front 9

epigenetics

Back 9

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change.

Front 10

zygote

Back 10

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

Front 11

embryo

Back 11

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

Front 12

identical twins (monozygotic twins)

Back 12

twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that spits in two, creating two genetically identical siblings.

Front 13

Fraternal Twins (dizygotic twins)

Back 13

twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than non-twin brothers and sisters, but they share a prenatal environment.

Front 14

Fetus

Back 14

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth.

Front 15

Teratogen

Back 15

an agent, such as a chemical or virus, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

Front 16

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

Back 16

physical and mental 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

Front 17

Reflex

Back 17

A simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus

Front 18

Temperament

Back 18

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.

Front 19

Maturation

Back 19

biological growth processes leading to orderly changes in behavior, mostly independent of experience.

Front 20

Critical period

Back 20

a period early in life when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences is needed for proper development

Front 21

cognition

Back 21

all the mental activities associated with think, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Front 22

Schema

Back 22

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.

Front 23

Assimilation

Back 23

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas.

Front 24

Accommodation

Back 24

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

Front 25

Sensorimotor stage

Back 25

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.

Front 26

Object permanece

Back 26

The awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

Front 27

Conservation

Back 27

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 shapes.

Front 28

Egocentrism

Back 28

In Piaget's theory, the proportional child's difficulty taking another point of view.

Front 29

Theory of mind

Back 29

people's ideas about their own and others' mental states-about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict.

Front 30

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Back 30

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

Front 31

Concrete Operational Stage

Back 31

In Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events.

Front 32

Formal Operational Stage

Back 32

In Piaget's Theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts.f

Front 33

Stranger Anxiety

Back 33

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age.

Front 34

Attachment

Back 34

An emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver, and showing distress on separation.

Front 35

Basic Trust

Back 35

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.

Front 36

Adolesence

Back 36

the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence.

Front 37

Puberty

Back 37

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

Front 38

Identity

Back 38

our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent's task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and blending various roles.

Front 39

Social Identity

Back 39

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

Front 40

Intimacy

Back 40

in Erikson's theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in early adulthood.

Front 41

Emerging Adulthood

Back 41

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.

Front 42

Menopause

Back 42

the end of menstruation. In everyday use, it can also mean the biological transition a woman experiences from before until after the end of menstruation.

Front 43

Social Clock

Back 43

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