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| 267996747 | behavior genetics | the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior | |
| 267996748 | environment | every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us | |
| 267996749 | chromosomes | threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes | |
| 267996750 | DNA | a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes | |
| 268015536 | genes | the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; a segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein | |
| 268015537 | genome | The complete instructions for making an organism,consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes. | |
| 268015538 | identical twins | twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms | |
| 268015539 | fraternal twins | twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment. | |
| 268015540 | temperament | a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity | |
| 268015541 | heritability | 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. | |
| 268015542 | interaction | the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity) | |
| 268015543 | molecular genetics | the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes | |
| 268015544 | evolutionary psychology | the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection | |
| 268015545 | natural selection | the principle that, among the range of inherited trait variations, those contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations | |
| 268015546 | mutation | a random error in gene replication that leads to a change | |
| 268015547 | gender | in psychology, the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female | |
| 268015548 | culture | The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next. | |
| 268032718 | norm | an understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. Norms prescribe "proper" behavior | |
| 268032719 | personal space | The buffer zone we like to maintain around our bodies. | |
| 268032720 | individualism | giving priority to one's own goals over group goals, and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications | |
| 268032721 | collectivism | giving priority to the goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly | |
| 268032722 | aggression | physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone | |
| 268032723 | X chromosome | the sex chromosome found in both men and women. females have two x chromosomes; males have one. An x chromosome from each parent produces a female child | |
| 268032724 | Y chromosome | The sex chromosome found only in male. When paired with an x chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child. | |
| 268032725 | testosterone | the 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 | |
| 268032726 | role | A set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave. | |
| 268032727 | gender role | a set of expected behaviors for males and for females | |
| 268032728 | gender identity | our sense of being male or female | |
| 268032729 | gender typing | the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role | |
| 268032730 | social learning theory | the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished | |
| 268032731 | zygote | the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo. | |
| 268032732 | developmental psychology | a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span | |
| 268032733 | embryo | the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month | |
| 268043007 | fetus | the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth. | |
| 268043009 | teratogens | agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm | |
| 268043011 | fetal alcohol syndrome | physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking. In severe cases, symptoms include noticeable facial misproportions | |
| 268043013 | habituation | decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner | |
| 268043015 | maturation | Biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience. | |
| 268043017 | cognition | All the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering and communicating. | |
| 268043019 | schema | a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information | |
| 268043021 | assimilation | interpreting one's new experience in terms of one's existing schemas | |
| 268043023 | accommodation | adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information | |
| 268049158 | sensorimotor stage | 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 | |
| 268049159 | object permanence | the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived | |
| 268049160 | preoperational stage | in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to 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 | |
| 268049161 | conservation | 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 | |
| 268049162 | egocentrism | in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view | |
| 268049163 | theory of mind | People's ideas about their own and other's mental states- about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict. | |
| 268049164 | concrete operational stage | 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 | |
| 268049165 | formal operational stage | in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts | |
| 268049166 | autism | a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others' states of mind | |
| 268055875 | stranger anxiety | the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age | |
| 268055876 | attachment | an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation | |
| 268055877 | critical period | an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development | |
| 268055878 | imprinting | the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life | |
| 268055879 | basic trust | 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 | |
| 268055880 | self-concept | all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?" | |
| 268063806 | adolescence | the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence | |
| 268063807 | puberty | the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing | |
| 268063808 | primary sex characteristics | the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible | |
| 268063809 | secondary sex characteristics | nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair | |
| 268063810 | menarche | the first menstrual period | |
| 268063811 | identity | our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent's task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles | |
| 268063812 | social identity | the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "who am I?" that comes from our group memberships | |
| 268063813 | intimacy | in Erikson's theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood | |
| 268063814 | emerging adulthood | 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 | |
| 268063815 | menopause | the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines | |
| 268063816 | cross-sectional study | a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another | |
| 268063817 | longitudinal study | research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period | |
| 268063818 | crystallized intelligence | Our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age. | |
| 268063819 | fluid intelligence | Our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood | |
| 268063820 | social clock | the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement |
