myers ap psychology unit 9 vocab

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social changes throughout the lifespan

the fertilized egg, it enters a 2 week period of rapid growth and develops into an embryo

the developing human from 2 weeks through the second month

the developing human from the second month of pregnancy until birth

agents that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking. can cause head deformation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience

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

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

adapting our schemas to incorporate new information

0-2 years, during which infants know the world mostly in terms of sensory impressions and motor activities

the awareness that things continue to exist even when we do not perceive them

2-6 years, a child learns to use language but does not yet understand the mental operations of concrete logic

the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the form of objects

the preoperational child's difficulty taking another persons point of view

peoples ideas about their own and others mental states, and about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

a disorder that appears in childhood marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

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

12-adulthood, people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, starts at 8 months of age

an emotional tie with another person, shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress at separation

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

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life critical period

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy. formed during infancy by good experiences with good caregivers

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

the socially constructed roles and characteristics cy which a culture defines male and female

any physical or verbal behavior that intended to hurt or destroy

a set of expected behaviors for males or females

a set of expectations about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave

our sense of being male and female

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

the acquisition of a traditional masculine of feminine role

a term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex

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

our sense of self. an adolescent's task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles

the "we" aspect of our self-concept, the part of our answer to who we are that comes from group memberships

the ability to form close, loving relationships, a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood

a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood

the sex chromosome found in both men and women

the sex chromosome found in only men, when paired with an x chromosome, it produces a male child

the most important of male sex chromosomes. stimulates growth of sex organs n the fetus and male sex characteristics through puberty

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

the body structures that make reproduction possible

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

the first menstrual period

a life threatening STD caused by HIV that depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infection

an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either ones own sex, the other sex, or both sexes

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

a study in which people of different ages are compared to one another

research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period

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