Unit 3 AP PSYC Terms

Developmental Psychology

The study of how behavior and mental processes change and remain stable across the human lifespan.

Chronological Development

The study of development in the order it typically occurs over time, such as infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

Stability and Change

A key theme in developmental psychology that examines which traits remain consistent and which change throughout life.

Nature and Nurture

A central debate in psychology that exposes the relative influence of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) on development.

Continuous Development

The view that development occurs gradually and smoothly over time.

Discontinuous Development

The view that development occurs in distinct stages or steps.

Cross-Sectional Development

A research design that compares individuals of different ages at one point in time to understand developmental changes.

Longitudinal Research

A research design that follows the same group of individuals over an extended period of time to observe changes in stability in development.

Teratogens

Harmful agents, such as drugs or viruses that can cause damage to a developing fetus and affect physical or psychological development.

Maternal Illness

Health conditions experienced by a pregnant person that can negatively impact parental development.

Genetic Mutations

Changes in DNA that can influence physical and psychological development, sometimes causing developmental disorders.

Hormonal Factors

Chemical messengers in the body that regulate growth and development and can influence physical development before and after birth.

Environmental Factors

External influences, such as nutrition or exposure to toxins, that can impact development.

Fine Motor Coordination

The development of small muscle movements, such as grasping objects or writing.

Gross Motor Coordination

The development of large muscle movements, such as crawling, walking, or running.

Reflexes

Automatic responses present at birth, such as rooting reflex, that indicate healthy neurological development.

Rooting Reflex

An infant’s automatic turning of the head toward the touch on the cheek, typically in search of a nipple.

Visual Cliff

A research tool used to study depth perception in infants, demonstrating early perceptual abilities.

Critical Period

A specific time in development when certain skills or abilities are most easily learned and most strongly influenced by the environment.

Sensitive Period

A time when a person is particularly receptive to learning certain types of information or skills.

Imprinting

A behavior is some non-human animals in which they from strong attachments to the first moving object they see, usually for survival.

Adolescent Growth Spurt

A rapid period of physical development in early adolescence marked by fast increases in height, muscle mass, and changes in body composition.

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation during which a person becomes capable of reproduction.

Primary Sex Characteristics

The body structures involved in reproduction, such as the ovaries and testes.

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Physical traits that emerge during puberty but are not directly involved in reproduction, such as body hair and voice changes.

Menarche

A female’s first menstrual period, marking the start of reproductive ability.

Spermarche

A male’s first ejaculation, marking the onset of reproductive ability.

Adulthood

The stage of life after adolescence, characterized by physical stability followed by gradual declines in sensory and physical abilities.

Menopause

The end of reproductive ability in women, marked by the stopping of menstrual cycles.

Reaction Time

The speed at which a person responds to a stimulus, which tends to slow down with age.

Sex

The biological classification of individuals as male or female based on physical and genetic characteristics such as chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs.

Gender

The set of roles, behaviors, and identities that a society considers appropriate for individuals based on their perceived sex.

Gender Socialization

The process by which individuals learn the gender roles and expectations of their culture through influences like family, peers, media, and education.

Gender Schema Theory

A theory that suggests children form mental frameworks (schemas) about gender based on their experiences, which guide how they interpret and remember gender related information.

Schemas

Mental frameworks used to organize and interpret information.

Assimilation

The process of adding new information into existing schemas without changing the schema.

Accommodation

The process of changing existing schemas to incorporate new information.

Sensorimotor Stage

Piagets first stage of cognitive development (birth to about 2) when infants learn through sensory input and motor activity; object permanence develops during this stage.

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not seen.

Preoperational Stage

Piaget’s second stage (about 2-7) when children begin to use language and mental symbols but struggle with logical reasoning; features include animism, egocentrism, and difficulty with conservation and reversibility.

Animism

The belief, common in the pre operational stage, that inanimate objects have human feelings and intentions.

Egocentrism

The inability to see a situation from another person’s point of view.

Conservation

The understanding that quantity remains the same even when the shape of appearance changes.

Reversibility

The understanding that objects can be changed and then returned to the original state.

Theory of Mind

The ability to understand that others have thoughts, feelings, and perspectives different from one’s own.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget’s third stage (about ages 7-11) when children begin think logically about concrete events but have difficulty with abstract reasoning.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget’s fourth stage (beginning around 12) when individuals gain the ability to think abstractly, systematically, and hypothetically.

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

A theory that emphasizes how social interaction and cultural context influence cognitive development.

Scaffolding

Support provided by more knowledgeable individuals that helps a learner complete tasks within their zone of proximal development.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The range of tasks a learner can perform with guidance but not yet independently.

Crystallized Intelligence

The ability to use knowledge and experience: tends to remain stable or improve with age.

Fluid Intelligence

The ability to think quickly and solve new problems without relying on prior knowledge; tended to decline with age.

Dementia

A group of cognitive disorders marked by memory loss, confusion, and decline in thinking skills, often occurring in older adulthood.

Language

A shared system of arbitrary symbols in rule-governed and allows people to communicate an infinite number of ideas.

Phonemes

The smallest units of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another.

Morphemes

The smallest units of meaning in a language, such as prefixes, suffixes, or simple words.

Semantics

The meanings of words and phrases in a language.

Grammar

The set of rules that govern how words are used and arranged in a language.

Syntax

The rules that govern the structure and order of words in sentences.

Generativity

The ability of language to produce an infinite number of new and meaningful combinations of words.

Cooing

The early stage of language development, usually around 6-8 weeks old, when infants produce vowel-like sounds.

Babbling

A stage in a language development, usually around 6-8 weeks old, when infants produce consonant vowel-like sounds.

Babbling

A stage in language development usually around 4-6 months old, where infants produce repetitive consonant vowel combinations ex. ba-ba

One-Word Stage

A stage in language development, usually around 12 months, when children begin to use single words to represent entire ideas or requests.

Telegraphic Search

A stage in early speech where toddlers use two or more words to form simple sentences, often leaving out less important words (ex. want juice)

Overgeneralization

A language error made by children when they apply grammatical rules too broadly (ex. runned instead of ran)

Nonverbal Manual Gestures

Physical actions, such as pointing, that are used to communicate before or alongside spoken language.

Ecological Systems Theory

A theory of development that explains how different levels of environmental systems influence an individual’s growth.

Microsystem

In ecological systems theory, the closest system to the individual, consisting of people and groups with direct interactions, such as family, school, and peers.

Mesosystem

The connections and interactions between different parts of a person’s microsystems ex. how family and school interact.

Exosystem

In ecological systems theory, external settings that affect the individual indirectly, such as a parent’s workplace or community services.

Macrosystem

In ecological systems theory, the broader cultural and societal influences that affect an individual and their surroundings, such as beliefs, values, and laws.

Chronosystem

In ecological systems theory, the system that reflects the role of time, including life transitions and historical events that influence development.

Parenting Styles

Patterns of behavior and attitudes that caregivers use in raising children.

Authoritarian Parenting

A strict parenting style characterized by high demands and low responsiveness, often emphasizing obedience.

Authoritative Parenting

A parenting style that combines high expectations with warmth and responsiveness, often emphasizing obedience.

Authoritative Parenting

A parenting style that combines high expectations with warmth and responsiveness, often linked to positive outcomes.

Permissive Parenting

A parenting style that is lenient and indulgent, offering little discipline or control.

Attachment Styles

Patterns of emotional bonding between infants and caregivers.

Secure Attachment

A healthy attachment style where the child feels comforted by and connected to the caregiver.

Insecure Attachment

A form of attachment marked by uncertainty or anxiety. Contains four sub-types.

Avoidant Attachment

A type pf insecure attachment where the child avoids closeness and does not seek comfort from the caregiver, often due to consistent emotional unavailability.

Anxious Attachment

A type of insecure attachment where the child is clingy, overly dependent on the caregiver, and shows distress when separated often due to inconsistent caregiver responses. D

Disorganized Attachment

A type of insecure attachment where the child shows confused or contradictory behavior toward the caregiver, often linked to fear, trauma, or neglect.

Temperament

A child’s natural emotional activity and intensity, which can affect how they form attachments.

Comfort Over Food (Monkey Studies)

Research showing that infant monkeys preferred soft, comforting caregivers over those that only provided food, highlighting the role of comfort in attachment.

Parallel Play

A type of play where young children play near each other without directly interacting.

Pretend Play

A type of imaginative play where children create scenarios and roles, often solving social interaction.

Adolescent Egocentrism

A heightened self-focus seen in teenagers, often involving belief that others are constantly observing or judging them.

Imaginary Audience

The belief in adolescence that others are always watching and evaluating one’s behavior.

Personal Fable

The belief held by some adolescents that their experiences are unique and that no one else can understand them.

Social Clock

The culturally preferred timeline for major life events, such as finishing school, starting a career, getting married, or having children.

Emerging Adulthood

A transitional period in some cultures between adolescence and full adulthood, often marked by exploration of identity and independence.

Adult Attachment

Emotional bonds formed in adulthood, often influenced by childhood attachment styles and typically seen unromantic or close supportive relationships.

Psychological Development Theory

Erik Erikson’s theory that individuals go through eight stages across the lifespan, each involving a specific psychosocial conflict that must be resolved.

Trust vs. Mistrust

The first stage in psychosocial development theory, where the child develops trust if caregivers provide reliability and care.

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

The second stage in psychosocial development theory, where children develop a sense of personal control and independence.

Initiative vs. Guilt

The third stage in psychosocial development theory, where children assert power and control trough planning and initiative activities.

Industry vs. Inferiority

The fourth stage in psychosocial development theory, where children develop pride and competence in their abilities or feel inferior.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

The fifth stage in psychosocial development theory, where individuals explore and form their personal identity or become confused about their future roles.