AP Psych modules 43-51

Alex's version

Developmental psychology

examines physical, cognitive, and social development across lifespan

focus on:

• nature and nurture

• continuity and stages

• stability and changes

Lawrence Kohlberg

Moral judgments/development/reasoning

• preconventional morality, conventional morality, postconventional morality

• posed moral dilemmas

when does the ovary release a mature egg?

after puberty

sperm and egg fuse into

single cell

zygotes

fertilized eggs

• enters a 2w period of rapid cell division to develop into an embryo

cell division produces

100 identical cells in the first week (cells differ after that in structure and function)

germinal stage

zygote attaches to the uterine wall after conception

embryo

zygotes inner cells (2w after fertilization through the second month)

placenta

outer cells of zygote

• screens out harmful substances

• transfers nutrients and oxygen from mother to embryo

fetus

developing human organism

• 9w to birth

Baby forming order

1. zygote

2. embryo/placenta

3. fetus

teratogens

chemicals and viruses that reach the embryo/fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

lifelong physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by heavy drinking

• small out-of-proportion head and odd features

epigenetic effect from alcohol

leaves chemical mark on DNA (alcohol and smoking does this)

newborns automatic reflexes

root, sucking, startle reflex, grasping reflex

habituation

decreasing responsiveness with a repeated stimulus

maturation

biological growth process that allows orderly changes in behavior

• crawl before walk

what is developed in the brain last

association areas

infantile amnesia

inability to consciously recall memories from before 4

Jean Piaget

studied cognitive development

• sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational

• build schemas for experiences

• assimilate and accommodate

cognition

all the mental activities tied to thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

schemas

concepts or frameworks that organizes and interprets info

• used by maturing brain to put our experiences

assimilate

interpreting new experiences in terms of our existing schemas (before accommodation)

• 4 legged animal = dog

accommodation

adapting current schemas to incorporate information provided by new experiences

sensorimotor stage

babies take in the world through sensory impressions and motor activities

• birth - 2y

• stranger anxiety

• lack object permanence

object permanence

awareness that objects continue to exist even when not perceived

• birth - 6m lack this

preoperational stage

child represents things with words and images; using intuitive rather than logical reasoning

• 2-6/7y

• pretend play

• egocentrism

• theory of mind

• lack conservation

• doesn’t understand mental operations (imagining an action and mentally reversing it) of concrete logic

conservation

the principle that properties (mass, volume, & #) remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects

• lack before 6y

egocentrism

the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view

theory of mind

people’s ideas about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

• 7m

concrete operational stage

when kids gain the mental operations that let them think logically about concrete events

• 7-11y

• can grasp conservation/understand math transformations

formal operational stage

thinking logically about abstract concepts

• 12y - adult

• abstract logic

• potential for mature moral reasoning

• can ponder hypotheticals and deduce consequences

Lev Vygotsky

child’s mind grows through social interaction

• zone of proximal development (what can be done with help)

• scaffold

scaffold

framework that offers temporary support as children develop higher levels of thinking

• by giving new words and mentoring them

Autism spectrum disorder

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by large deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

• Prenatal environment source of ASD: infection/inflammation, drug use, stress hormones

• Brain structure source of ASD: interconnectivity of fiber tracts (causes less brain synchrony)

Asperger syndrome

• generally function at a high level, with normal IQ, an exceptional skill in an area

• deficient social and communication skills and a tendency to get distracted by stimuli

stranger anxiety

fear of strangers that infants display

• starts 8m

attachment

an emotional ties to another; survival impulse that keeps infants close to caregivers

Harry Harlow

attachment styles and monkey study

• washing blankets made monkey’s distressed/ fake mom

critical period

the optimal period in early life in which certain events must take place to produce proper development

• when familiarity attachments/imprinting form

imprinting

process of certain animals forming strong attachments during early life

sensitive period

when kids become attached

Mary Ainsworth

strange situation experiment

• sensitive, responsive mothers = secure attachment infants

strange situation

procedure for studying child-care giver attachment; child placed in unknown space while caregiver leaves and then returns and kids reaction is observed

secure attachment

infants comfortably exploring environments in presence of caregiver and find comfort in caregivers return

insecure attachment

clinging, anxious attachment or an avoidant attachment that resists closeness, infants less likely to explore

temperament

person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

• genetically influenced

• affects attachment style

• quickly apparent and stable

basic trust

sense that world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers

anxious attachment

constantly craving acceptance but are wary to signs of possible rejection

avoidant attachment

discomfort getting close to others and use avoidant strategies to remain distant

Romania Orphanages

kids deprived of healthy attachments

• led to: lower IQ, reduced brain development, abnormal stress responses, and more ADHD

self-concept

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

• 12y

self-awareness begins when we

recognize ourselves in a mirror

Diana Baumrind

parenting styles (authoritarian, permissive, negligent, and authoritative

authoritarian

coercive, impose rules and expect obedience, “because i said so”

• kids with less social skill and self-esteem and overreacting brain

permissive

unrestraining, few demands, limits and punishments

• kids are more aggressive and immature

negligent

uninvolved, neither demanding nor responsive, careless, inattentive, and don’t want a close child relationship

• kids with poor academic and social outcomes

authoritative

confrontative, demanding and responsive, can exert control by setting rules, encourage open discussion and allow exceptions

• kids with the highest self-esteem, self-reliance, self-regulation, and social competence

sex

the biologically influenced (chromosomes and anatomy) characteristics by which people define male and female

gender

the socially influenced characteristics by which people define man and woman

gender differences

girls- enter puberty earlier, live 5y longer, 2x risk of developing anxiety and depression, more socially connectedness

guys- 4x more likely to die by suicide, ASD, ADHD, more aggressive

aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally (mainly men)

relational aggression

act of aggression intended to harm relationships or social standings (more women)

role

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

gender roles

set of expected behaviors, attitudes, and traits for males or for females

gender identity

the personal sense of being male, female, or a combination

social learning theory

assumes we learn social behavior by observing and imitating gender-linked behaviors and by being rewarded or punished

• acquire our identity in childhood

gender typing

taking on a traditional male or female role

androgyny

blend of traditional male and female psychological characteristics

gender schemas

organize our experiences of male-female characteristics and help us think about our gender identity and who we are

gender expression

drops hints in language, clothing, interests, and possessions

transgender

people whose gender identity or expression differs from what is seen as typical of birth-designated sex

sexual orientation

the direction of one’s sexual attraction towards member of same or opposite sex

pruning process

use strengthens neural pathways and disused ones weaken

selection effect

kids seek out peers with similar attitudes and interests

gender dysphoria

profound distress over identity

life span perspective

development is life long

what is adolescence?

years spent morphing from child to adult, extending from puberty to independence

• starts with: physical changes

• ends with: social achievement of independent adult status

puberty

time of sexually maturing, during which a person can now reproduce

Both Piaget and Kohlberg proposed

that moral reasoning guides moral actions

moral reasoning

thinking that occurs as we consider right and wrong

moral intuitions

quick gut decisions or automatically moral judgments

delayed gratification

to decline small rewards now for bigger rewards

Preconventional

self-interest; obey rules to avoid punishment or gain concrete rewards. “If you save your dying wife, you’ll be a hero.”

• before 9y

Conventional

uphold laws and rules to gain social approval or maintain social order. “if you steal the drug for her everyone will think you’re a criminal”

• Early adolescence

Post-conventional

actions reflect belief in basic rights and self-defined ethical principles. “People have a right to live”.

• Adolescence and beyond

Explain: autonomy, initiative, competence

• independence

• taking charge

• feeling able and productive

identity

our sense of self, Erikson

social identity

the “we” part of our self concept; comes from our group memberships

infancy

-1y, trust vs mistrust

• basic trust is developed if basic needs are met

toddlerhood

1-3y, autonomy vs shame & doubt

• learn to do things for themselves or doubt their abilities

preschool

3-6y, initiative vs guilt

• initiate tasks & carry out plans or feel guilty about independent efforts

elementary

6y-puberty, competence vs inferiority

• pleasure of applying themselves or feel inferior

• discover interests

adolescence

teen-20s, identity vs role confusion

• test roles and form one identity or become confused about who they are

young adult

20-40y, intimacy vs isolation

• form close relationships and gain capacity for intimate love, or feel socially isolated

middle adult

40-60s, generativity vs stagnation

• sense of contribution to world or feel lack of purpose

late adult

60+y, integrity vs despair

• reflect of life, may feel satisfaction or failure

intimacy

ability to form close loving relationships

emerging adulthood

not yet achieved full independence as adults, feel “in between“

• 18y - mid-20s

genetic influence on gender psychology

different sex chromosomes (46)