AP PSYCH - UNIT 6 TERMS

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

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

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

monster maker; agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by pregnant woman’s heavy drinking

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation

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

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

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

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from about 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

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

in Piaget’s theory, the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view

people’s ideas about their own and other’s mental states -- about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

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

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

in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

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

an emotional tie with another person

an optimal period early in the life of an organism 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

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the questions, “Who am I?”

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

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

a set of expected behaviors for males and for females

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

our sense of being male or female

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

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role

an umbrella 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

the “we” aspect of our self-concept

in Eriksons’s theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood

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

the sex chromosome found in both men and women (females have two, males have one; an X chromosome from each parent produces a female child)

the sex chromosome found only in males (when paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child)

the most important of the male sex hormones

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

the body structures that make sexual reproduction possible (ovaries, testes, & external genitalia)

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

the first menstrual period

a life-threatening, sexually transmitted infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus; depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infection

an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one’s 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 reproduces declines

a study in which people of different ages are compared with 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