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Lifespan Development

Key Terms

Lifespan DevelopmentKey Terms

Key Terms

age of consent
minimum age at which an individual can legally make decisions to engage in sexual behavior
body image
our mental image or representation of our body
clique
close group of three to a dozen or so friends
crowd
large social grouping of many dozens or more members in the social milieu of adolescents
cultural heritage
adaptations to the natural and social world that have shared meaning and are passed from generation to generation
de-idealization
tendency of adolescents to see a mismatch between the values their parents proclaim, the rules they put forward, and the way imperfect parents lead their own imperfect lives
friendship
intimate, emotionally close relationship between two individuals
gender intensification hypothesis
prediction that conforming to gender roles is of heightened relevance during adolescence
gender nonconforming behavior
behavior that does not match society’s expectations for the individual’s assigned gender
heteronormativity
idea that heterosexuality is the norm or preferred sexual orientation and that opposite-sex people are best suited for sexual and marital relationships
identity
individual’s complete sense of who they are, including their traits, capabilities, interests, values, and social roles
identity achievement
realization and commitment to a coherent understanding of oneself and our relationship with society after exploring various identities
identity diffusion
identity status in which the individual has low commitment and does not actively seek an identity; most closely aligns with Erikson’s role confusion
identity foreclosure
identity status in which an individual has shown an early commitment to an identity without any prior exploration
identity moratorium
stage in which individuals are actively exploring various identities but not declaring an identity to be fully formed
identity versus role confusion
fifth stage of Erikson’s psychosocial development, which involves forming a stable and whole identity by first exploring various roles and identities
possible selves
various identities toward which adolescents may work in the future
relational aggression
practice of including or excluding others or otherwise threatening a sense of belonging such as by spreading gossip
rite of passage
socially or culturally explicit markers to recognize the transitioning adolescent’s progress and achievement of adult status in one or more dimensions
romantic relationship
bond psychologically distinct from mere liking and including components of affection, intimacy, exclusivity, and interdependence
stereotype threat
phenomenon where individuals experience anxiety or fear of confirming negative stereotypes about their social group, which can impair their performance in academic or other achievement-related tasks
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