AP Psychology Unit 6

developmental psychology

branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout lifespan.
Focuses on: nature vs. nurture, continuity and stages, stability and change

zygotes

fertilized egg; it enters 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into embryo

fetus

developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

teratogens

agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

fetal alcohol syndrome

physical and cognitive abnormalities in kids caused by pregnant woman’s heavy drinking. In severe cases, signs includes small out-of-proportion head and abnormal facial features

habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated exposure to a stimulus

maturation

biological sequence

brain cells

on the day you were born, you had the most _________ you would ever have

frontal lobes

the brain area that experiences the most rapid growth, specifically during ages 3-6

association areas: thinking, memory, and language

the last cortical areas to develop

sit, crawl, walk, run

list the sequence of motor development in babies/young kids

four

the average age of earliest conscious memory is _ y/o

hippocampus and frontal lobes

in order to easier form memories, these brain structures need to mature

cognition

all mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

reason, stages

Piaget’s core idea: children _____________ differently than adults in “wildly illogical ways.” Child’s mind develops through a series of ________.
Our intellectual progression reflects an increasing struggle to make sense of our experience

schemas

concept or framework that organizes and interprets info

assimilation

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

accommodation

in sensation in perception, the process by which eye’s lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on retina
in developmental psychology; adapting our current understanding (schemas) to incorporate new info

sensorimotor stage

first stage in Piaget’s theory, birth to 2 y/o during which infants know world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

preoperational stage

second stage in Piaget’s theory, 2-6/7 y/o, during which child learns to use language but dones’t yet comprehend mental operations of concrete logic

concrete operational stage

third stage in Piaget’s theory, cognitive development (7-11 y/o) during which kids gain mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

formal operational stage

fourth stage in Piaget’s theory, begins at around 12 y/o, cognitive development during which people begin to think logically about abstract concept

object permanence

awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

conservation

principle which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning, that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain same despite changes in forms of objects

egocentric

in Piaget’s theory, preoperational stage, child’s difficulty taking another’s POV

theory of mind

people’s ideas about own and other’s mental states-about their feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and behaviors these might predict

Lev Vygotsky

this person emphasized how child’s mind grows through interaction with social environment

scaffold

framework that offers kids temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking

child’s zone of proximal development

zone b/t what a child can and can’t do-it’s what a child can do with help

social mentoring

how language is an important ingredient of ________ _________: provides building blocks for thinking

continuous

today’s researchers see development as more _______________ than Piaget

autism spectrum disorder

disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interactions, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

communication, viewpoint

source of ASD’s symptoms: poor ______________ among brain regions that normally work together to let us take another’s ____________________

infection and inflammation

how prenatal environment matters in the development of ASD: maternal _________ and ______________, psychiatric drug use, or stress hormones

underconnectivity

in brain structures of those with ASD, there’s ___________________________________, fewer than normal fiber tracts connecting the front of brain to back. Thus, there’s less of whole brain synchrony that integrates visual and emotional info

stranger anxiety

fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months

attachment

emotional tie with another person; shown in young kids by their seeking closeness to caregiver and showing distress on separation.

Harry and Margaret Harlow

experiment done by these people in which monkeys became distressed when blankets were taken away to be washed. Attachment to blanket contradicted idea that attachment associated with nourishment
blankets were rocking, warm, and feeding. human infants also become attached to these qualities

critical period

optimal period early in life of organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development

Konrad Lenz’s imprinting

person who discovered the process by which certain animals form strong attachments early in life
the ducklings in this experiment saw the first moving creature and follow them, attachment difficult to reverse

Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation

the person who came up with this procedure for studying child-caregiver attachment; child is placed in unfamiliar environment while caregiver leaves and then returns. child’s reactions observed

secure attachment

demonstrated by infants who comfortably explore environment =s in presence of caregiver, show only temporary distress when caregiver leaves, and find comfort in caregiver’s return

insecure attachment

demonstrated by infants who display either a clinging, anxious attachment or avoidant attachment that resists closeness

temperament

person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

Erik Erikson’s basic trust

this person came up with the idea that babies have a sense that world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers

adult relationships

many researchers now believe that our early attachments form foundation for our ______ ______________ and comfort with affection and intimacy

withdrawn, frightened

babies locked away at home under conditions of abuse or extreme neglect are often ___________, _____________, and speechless

unloved, unloving

in humans, the _________ may become the _____________

self-concept

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

Darwin

This person believed that self-awareness begins when we recognize ourselves in the mirror, which happens at 15-18 months

authoritarian

parenting style in which parents are coercive. Impose rules and expect obedience

permissive

parents unrestraining. Make few demands, limits, and use little punishment

negligent

parents uninvolved. Neither demanding nor responsive. Careless, inattentive, and don’t seek close relationships with kids

authoritative

confrontative. Demanding and responsive. set rules, but encourage open discussion and allow exceptions

westernized

these cultures raise their children to be independent

asian and african

these cultures value emotional closeness

sex

in psychology, biologically influenced characteristics by which people define male and female

gender

socially influenced characteristics by which people define boy, girl, man, and woman

aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally
men generally exhibit more of this behavior

relational aggression

act of aggression (physical or verbal) intended to harm a person’s relationship or social standing

Carol Gilligan

findings by this person suggested that females are more concerned with making connections

social relationships

woman’s brain wired in a way that enable __________ _____________ than a man’s

late adolescence

gender differences in both social connectedness and power are greatest in ______ ________________ and early adulthood because they are prime years for dating and mating

role

set of expectations about a social position, defining how those in position should behave

gender roles

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

gender identity

sense of being male, female, or some combination of 2

social learning theory

theory that we learn social behaviors by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

gender typing

acquisition of traditional masculine or feminine roles

gender typed

parents with traditional gender views were more likely to have __________ __________ children who shared their culture’s expectations about how males and females act

androgyny

displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics

transgender

umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth designated sex

Mark Rosenzweig and David Krech

these people found out that rats living in enriched environments (simulated natural environments) usually developed heavier and thicker brains

synapses

nature and nuture interact to sculpt our _______________

abusive, self-confident, competent

how parents matter: abused children become _______________, deeply loved but firmly handled children became _____________________ and socially _______________

fit in with our groups

at all ages, but especally during childhood and adolescence, we seek to ________________________

culture

the power to select a child’s neighborhood and schools gives some parents the ability to influence the ___________ that shapes child’s peer group

adolescence

transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence

G. Stanley Hall

this person discovered that the tension of adolescence between biological maturity and social dependence creates period of storm and stress

vitality

for many, adolescence is a time of _________ without the scares of adulthood, rewarding friendships, heightened idealism, and growing sense of life’s exciting possibilities

unused neurons

during adolescence, we lose _________ _________ in the brain

frontal lobes

as teens mature, their _______ _______continue to develop

hormonal surge, limbic system

puberty’s ______________ ________ and _________ ________________ development help explain teen’s occasional impulsiveness, risky behaviors, and emotional storms

25

frontal lobes continue maturing until age __

abstract reasoning

according to Piaget’s formal operations, adolescents can apply new _____________ ______________ tools to world around them

morally

to be a moral person is to think _____________ and act accordingly

Lawrence Kohlberg

this person proposed moral reasoning guides moral action

preconventional morality

Kohlberg’s first level of moral thinking, before the age of 9. Focuses on self-interest; obey rules to avoid punishment or gain concrete rewards

conventional morality

Kohlberg’s second level of moral thinking, early adolescence. Focus on upholding laws and rules to gain social approval or maintain social order

postconventional morality

Kohlberg’s third level of moral thinking, adolescence and beyond. Focuses on how actions reflect belief in basic rights and self-defined ethical principles

Johnathan Haidt

this person believes that much of our morality is rooted in moral intuitions (quick gut feelings, or affectively laden intuitions)

right thing

morality involves doing the _______ ________

self-discipline

a big part of moral development is the ______________________ needed to restrain one’s own impulses

Erik Erikson

this person believed that each stage of life has its own psychosocial task, a crisis that needs resolution

identity

sense of self, according to Erik Erikson, adolescent’s task is to solidify sense of self by testing and integrating various roles

social identity

the “we” aspect of our self-concept; part of our answer to “Who am I?” that comes from our group memberships

values, expectations

according to Erikson, some adolescents for their identity early by adopting their parent's’ ________ and _____________________

self-esteem

this falls during early to mid-teen years

intimacy

in Erikson’s theory, ability to form close, loving relationships; primary development task in young adulthood

pull away

as adolescents in western cultures seek to form their own identities, they being to ____ _______ from their parents

parental influence, peer influence

adolescence is typically a time of diminishing _________ _________ and growing _____ ________________