Psych Exam 4
culture-bound symptoms
eating disorders--seen primarily in middle and upper class women in westernized societies. koro--a disorder primarily seen in southeast Asia in which men have a fear that their penis will shrink inside their bodies and they'll die.
longitudinal study
evaluates the same group of people at different points in their lives. (evaluating a group of people when they're 20, again when they're 40 and again when they're 60) --disadvantage: takes way longer --advantage: you can actually measure change as a function of age.
environment
every non-genetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us.
environmental influences
ex: different peer groups, different experiences. **parents do treat children differently. For example, they tend to treat the 1st born differently than they treat the last born. They also tend to treat boys and girls differently.
social anxiety disorder
fearing being in a place that invites public scrutiny.
zygote
fertilized eggs. After 2 weeks of rapid cell division, they develop into embryos.
schemas
general knowledge base of info. **Ex: when we think of a classroom, we picture a smart board, desks, etc.)
adolescence
corresponds to the ages between puberty and adulthood (adulthood is harder to define because it varies from individuals) roughly between ages 13-20.
developmental sequence
crying, babbling, words, telegraphic speech, rich vocabulary
identical twins (monozygotic twins)
develop from a single fertilized egg that splits into two, creating two genetically identical organisms.
fraternal twins (dizygotic twins)
develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than ordinary brothers and sisters, but they share a prenatal environment.
biopsychosocial perspective
disorders are caused by a combo of both nature and nurture, not just genetics, but also social or cultural (environmental) dynamics. There are certain behaviors that are very normal in one culture but very abnormal in another. **EX: abnormal to hear voices in our cultural vs. very normal in native american culture.
medical perspective
disorders have a physical cause--a disorder is caused by some sort of medical, biological, genetic explanation. **Can easily be examined by adoption studies or twin studies.
adoption studies
compare identical twins who were raised together vs. apart. --Together: we can assume that nurture plays a bigger role --Apart: we can assume that nature plays a bigger role.
teratogens
"monster maker" agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm. --alcohol is one of these agents and a reason why women are advised not to drink alcohol during pregnancy.
over-diagnosis
**EX: ADD--disservice to those really suffering--drugs can have long-term effects.
perceptual abilities
--vision is limited, but develops quickly. --hearing and auditory preference: motherese; parentese: "baby talk"--babies enjoy listening to this. --as we get older, we lose the ability to distinguish between sounds. Babies are better at this.
emerging adulthood
a period from about age 18 to the mid-twenties, when many people in Western cultures are no longer adolescents, but have not assumed full adult responsibilities and independence.
temperament
a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.
basic trust
a sense that the world is predictable and reliable. Erik Erikson theorized that infants blessed with sensitive, loving caregivers form a lifelong attitude of trust rather than fear.
conventional level
moral dilemmas are solved in ways that reflect the law of the land or norms set by parents or society. **I'm not going to steal the candy because it's against the law to steal.
post-conventional level
most complex. Based on abstract principles such as justice and the value of life. **Ex: stealing medicine for your loved one who will die without it.
projective test
much less structured--give the patient room to respond in their own way. **EX: rorschach inkblot test
genetic influences
Ex: "Jim twins" twins that were adopted into two different families and both families named their son Jim (didn't know that their child had a twin brother). --The twins both ended up marrying women of the same name and then divorced that woman and both married new women, both named Betty. --They named their son the same 1st and middle name. **Identical twins who were raised apart are almost as similar as those who were raised together.
DNA
a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes.
bipolar disorder
a disorder in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania (formerly called manic-depressive disorder).
autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
a disorder marked by social deficiencies and repetitive behaviors. Children that suffer with this disorder have difficulty communicating and interacting with others. They become rigidly focused on the things that interest them.
mania
a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state in which dangerously poor judgement is common.
Alzheimer's disease
a neurocognitive disorder marked by neural plaques, often with an onset after age 80, and entailing a progressive decline in memory and other cognitive abilities.
neurocognitive disorders (NCDs)
aka dementia. Acquired disorders marked by cognitive deficits; often related to Alzheimer's disease, brain injury/disease, or substance abuse.
cognition
all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.
attachment
an emotional tie with another person. A powerful survival impulse that keeps children close to their caregivers. Infants become attached to those--typically their parents--who are comfortable and familiar and they show distress during times of separation.
critical period
an optimal period when certain events must take place in order to facilitate proper development.
self-concept
an understanding and assessment of who we are. All of our thoughts about ourselves that answer the question "who am I?". --by the age of 12, most children have developed this.
Oscar and Jack
another example of genetic influences on behavior. Oscar and Jack were identical twins who were separated at birth and then reunited in their 40s. They found that they had very similar traits. --Ex: both flushed toilets before using them.
Kohlberg's stages of moral development
argued that during adolescence we go through a change in moral development.
Chomsky
argued that we have an innate ability to learn language (biological view). He also argued that there is a critical period in our life in which we can acquire language. After this period has past, it is much harder to learn language.
reflexes
automatic, unlearned responses to stimuli. **Ex: at a doctor the knee jerk reflex. (rooting-when you touch a babies cheek, they automatically turn their head and search for a nipple, sucking, swallowing, grasping, stepping) --around 3 months, most of these reflexes disappear and things start to change.
taste and smell
babies exhibit clear responses to pleasant and unpleasant odors and tastes.
formal operational stage
begins at age 12. Children begin to think logically and systematically about more abstract concepts.
Skinner
believed that children learn language by imitating their parents and being reinforced.
neuropsychological test
can measure brain abnormalities. **Ex: FMRI, MRI
twin-study method
identical and fraternal twins examined in same environments. Studies have found that identical twins are just more similar to each other than fraternal twins in all aspects. Ex: if one identical twin suffers from depression, the other twin is more likely to also suffer from depression. --Identical: one egg, one sperm --Fraternal: 2 eggs, one sperm--fraternal twins, genetically speaking are no more similar than normal siblings.
assimilation
incorporating information to fit existing schemas. Taking something new and putting it into what you already believe.
relationships with peers
increased conformity during teenage years. Relationships with friends become much more important during adolescence and we're exposed to lots of peer pressure.
1st attachment
intense, exclusive bond with our primary caregiver
psychological assessment
interviews, objective tests, projective tests, neuropsychological tests
object permanence
knowledge that an object continues to exist after it disappears. **Babies who have not developed this yet love peek-a-boo. --by 8 months, infants begin exhibiting memory for things no longer seen and will look for a hidden toy.
sensorimotor stage
lasts from 0-2 years of age. Infants take in the world through their senses and actions--through looking, hearing, touching, mouthing, grasping. --as their hands and limbs begin to move, they learn to make things happen.
concrete operational stage
lasts from 7-11 years old. Children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events. --conservation achieved.
pre-operational stage
lasts from ages 2-7. Children are now able to represent things with words and images but still too young to perform mental operations (such as imagining an action and mentally reversing it). Ex: **they assume that everyone can see what they see and that everyone is thinking what they're thinking. --the babies are egocentric --lack of conservation: the physical properties of an object do remain the same despite any superficial changes in operation. **Ex: water in different shaped glasses--even though the babies saw the water being poured into a different class, they still didn't understand that the amount of water remained the same.
objective test
measures very specific traits--simple pen and paper tests given to a representative sample of a population and a person to compare them to.
prospective memory
memory for a future action. **Ex: remembering to go to the grocery store later and get milk. **Age related decline
accommodation
modifying existing schemas to fit new information. Changing what you believe so that new information will fit in.
pre-conventional level
moral dilemmas are resolved in ways that satisfy self-serving motives. Young children are only able to solve dilemmas at this level. --all about receiving a reward or avoiding a punishment **Ex: I'm not going to steal candy because I don't want to get into trouble.
abnormal behavior
not black and white. Statistically defined by 3 criteria: 1. deviant/atypical--statistically unusual-deviates from the norm 2. maladaptive--any behavior that interferes with your ability to function on a day-to-day basis 3. something that is personally upsetting--if you find your behavior troubling **decisions must be made on a case to case basis because the line between normal and abnormal is fuzzy.
egocentrism
occurs during the pre-operational stage. Babies are unable to adopt the perspective of other people.
major depressive disorder
occurs when at least 5 signs of depression last two or more weeks. The symptoms must cause near-daily distress or impairment and not be attributable to substance use or other medical or mental illness. --deep despair, loss of interests, weight gain/loss, insomnia or hypersomnia, fatigue, lowers your immune system, feelings of worthlessness. --women experience this more than men--men are also less likely to seek help.
effects of the labels
once you're labeled, it tends to affect how others see you and it can be very hard to get rid of.
identity
our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent's task is to solidify a sense of self by trying out different "selves" in different situations.
theory of mind
people's ideas about their own and others' mental stages--about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict. **Ex: with time, children come to understand what made a playmate angry, when a sibling will share, and what might make a parent buy them a toy.
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
physical and cognitive 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. --the fetal damage may occur because alcohol has an epigenetic effect: it leaves chemical marks on DNA that switch genes abnormally on and off.
strange situation test
places a child in a room, their mother and a female stranger take turns coming into the room. A child with secure attachment felt comfortable exploring when their mother was in the room but felt extremely upset when the mother left. When she came back they were excited to see her. Children with insecure attachment got angry when their mother came back. --most of us luckily form secure attachments
preference paradigm
presents 2 images side by side and whichever image the baby prefers, they will stare at longer. **Ex: when present with an image of a face and a non-face image, the baby will stare at the image of the face for longer because they like faces best.
fluid intelligence
reflects the ability to think quickly and in an abstract manner. **declines with age
crystalized intelligence
reflects the accumulation of verbal skills and factual knowledge. **doesn't decline with age, in fact it can get even stronger with age.
recovery
renewed interest in a picture--shows that the baby can discriminate between stimuli.
Harlow's monkeys
separated monkeys from their mothers and raised them in cages with made-up mothers--they clung to the terry cloth mother even though the hard metal one provided them their food. --we now know that premature infants do much better when they're exposed to human contact. **Grey's anatomy example: Alex held the premature baby close to his skin to keep her alive.
rumination
staying focused on a problem; compulsive fretting. Overthinking about our problems and their causes.
Piaget
studied the way that children think, problem solve, behave, etc.
relationships with parents
tension arises during the teenage years
social identity
the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to the question "who am I?" that comes from what groups we are a part of.
intimacy
the ability to form emotionally close relationships; a primary developmental task in young adulthood.
genes
the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins.
genome
the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes.
interactive influences
the contributions of both genetics and environment are important. **Ex: identical twins are generally treated more similarly: parents dress them the same, name them similarly (same first letter, same sound, etc). **Parents pass down both genetics and environment
nature vs. nurture debate
the contributions of genetics vs. environment are not either or; but rather some of each. **Main question is how much does each factor contribute to one's development.
social clock
the definition of the "right time" to leave home, get a job, marry, have children and retire--varies from era to era and culture to culture.
fetus
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception until birth.
embryo
the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month. (the zygote's inner cells).
heritability
the extent to which variation among individuals can be attributed to their differing genes. The ______ of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.
stranger anxiety
the fear of strangers that infants commonly display. This begins around 8 months of age. **Ex: children cry and reach for their caregivers when greeted by a stranger.
separation anxiety
the fear reaction to the absence of the primary caregiver. --babies must develop object permanence before they develop this.
maturation
the orderly sequence of biological growth--decrees many of our commonalities.. This sets the basic course of development and experience (nurture) adjusts it. **Ex: we stand before we walk. We use nouns before adjectives.
conservation
the principle that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape. --babies don't develop this until the concrete operational stage.
imprinting
the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during early life. **Konrad Lorenz's duckling experiment: he tested what would happen if he was the first creature ducklings were exposed to when they hatched. They ended up following him around, becoming attached to him.
developmental psychology
the study of behavior from conception to death (throughout entire lifespan).
epigenetics
the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change.
molecular behavior genetics
the study of how the structure and function of genes interact without the environment to influence behavior.
behavior genetics
the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.
molecular genetics
the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes.
habituation
the tendency for your attention to a specific stimulus to lesson over time. **Ex: when a baby gets bored of a picture of a cat, he will look everywhere else besides at the picture of the cat.
puberty
the time when we mature sexually and become able to reproduce.
adolescence
the years spent morphing from a child to an adult--starts with physical beginnings of sexual maturity and ends with the social achievement of adult status.
critical period hypothesis
there is a critical period in our life in which we can acquire language. After this period has past, it is much more difficult to learn language. **Ex: the case of Genie: she never spoke or was spoken to, therefore, she never learned language.
chromosomes
threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes.
telegraphic speech
very simple, 2 or 3 word phrases in which the essentials are produced. Ex: "More milk"
sexuality
we become sexually mature during our teenage years. Just because we are physically maturing faster doesn't mean we are emotionally mature. Mentally, we are still maturing at the same speed as we always have.
menopause
when menstruation ends and a woman's ability to reproduce declines. Occurs usually around age 50.
cross-sectional design
you measure different people of different ages at the same time period. **Ex: 20 year olds outperform 60 year olds on a math test but we can't conclude that this is due to age alone. There are so many other contributing factors. For ex: the 60 year olds haven't been in school for decades while the 20 yr olds are just out of school or still in it. --advantage: less time consuming --disadvantage: all you can do is measure the differences between age groups. You can't measure change as a function of age.