AP Psychology -- 3.1 - 3.5: Developmental Psychology + Gender + Cognition and Communication Development, Quizlet

Continuous development

Gradual and cumulative growth throughout life.

Developmental Psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

Discontinuous development

Development occurs in distinct stages or phases.

Lifespan development

Study of human growth from birth to death.

Nature and nurture

Influence of genetics and environment on development.

Stability and Change

Which of our traits persist through life? How do we change as we age?

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

Adolescence

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

Critical periods

Specific times when certain skills must develop.

Developmental milestone

Key skills achieved at specific ages.

Gross motor coordination

Large muscle movements, like walking or jumping.

Fine motor coordination

Small muscle movements, like writing or buttoning.

Growth Spurt

The relatively sudden and rapid physical growth that occurs during puberty. Each body part increases in size on a schedule: Weight usually precedes height, and growth of the limbs precedes growth of the torso.

Imprinting

A primitive form of learning in which some young animals follow and form an attachment to the first moving object they see and hear.

Maturation

Biological growth processes leading to development.

Menarche

First menstrual period in females.

Menopause

End of menstrual cycles in females.

Prenatal influence

Effects of environment on fetal development.

Primary sex characteristics

Physical features directly related to reproduction.

Puberty

Period of sexual maturation and physical changes.

Reflexes

Automatic responses to stimuli.

Rooting reflex

Infant's instinct to turn towards touch on face.

Secondary sex characteristics

Features developing during puberty, not directly involved in reproduction.

Sensitive periods

Optimal times for certain developmental processes.

Spermarche

First ejaculation in males.

Teratogens

Substances causing developmental malformations.

Visual Cliff

a lab device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals

Gender

the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female

Sex

the biological distinction between females and males

Sexual Orientation

an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one's own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other sex (heterosexual orientation)

Abstract thinking

Ability to think about concepts beyond concrete realities.

Accommodation

Modifying existing schemas to incorporate new information.

Animism

Belief that inanimate objects have feelings.

Assimilation

Integrating new experiences into existing schemas.

Concrete operational

Stage where children think logically about concrete events.

Conservation

Understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape.

Crystallized intelligence

Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills.

Dementia

Decline in cognitive function due to disease.

Egocentrism

Inability to see perspectives other than one's own.

Fluid intelligence

Ability to reason and solve novel problems.

Formal operational

Stage where abstract reasoning becomes possible.

Hypothetical thinking

Ability to think about possibilities and hypothetical scenarios.

Mental symbols

Representations of objects or concepts in the mind.

Object permanence

Understanding that objects continue to exist even when unseen.

Preoperational stage

Stage where children use language but lack logical reasoning.

Pretend play

Imaginative play where children act out roles.

Puberty

the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing

Reversibility

Understanding that actions can be reversed.

Scaffolding

Support given to help learners achieve tasks.

Schema

Cognitive framework for organizing information.

Sensorimotor stage

Stage where infants learn through sensory experiences.

Theory of mind

Understanding that others have different thoughts and feelings.

Zone of proximal development

Difference between what a learner can do alone and with help.

Babbling

Early stage of language development with repetitive sounds.

Cooing

Early vocalization of infants, producing soft vowel sounds.

Grammar

System of rules governing language structure.

Language

System of communication using sounds, symbols, or gestures.

Morphemes

Smallest units of meaning in language.

One-word stage

Stage where children communicate using single words.

Overgeneralization

Applying grammatical rules too broadly.

Phonemes

Distinct units of sound in language.

Semantics

the set of rules by which we derive meaning from morphemes, words, and sentences in a given language; also, the study of meaning

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

Telegraphic speech

the kind of verbal utterances in which words are left out, but the meaning is usually clear