| A | B |
|---|
| Temperament | a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity |
| 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 |
| Self-concept | all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “Who am I?” |
| Gender | in psychology, the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female |
| Aggression | physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone |
| 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 |
| Y chromosome | the sex chromosome found only in males. When paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child |
| 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. |
| Role | a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave. |
| Gender role | a set of expected behaviors for males or for females |
| Gender identity | our sense of being male or female. |
| Gender typing | the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role |
| Social learning theory | the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished |
| Adolescence | the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence |
| Puberty | the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing. |
| Primary sex characteristics | the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible |
| Secondary sex characteristics | nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair. |
| Menarche | the first menstrual period. |
| 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 |
| Social identity | the “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to “Who am I?” that comes from our group memberships |
| Intimacy | in Erikson’s theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood. |
| Emerging 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. |
| Menopause | the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines |
| Cross-sectional study | a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another |
| Longitudinal study | research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period |
| Crystallized intelligence | our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age |
| Fluid intelligence | our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood |
| Social clock | the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement |
