AP Psychology- Unit 9 Developmental Psychology Vocabulary

Developmental psychology

Study of physical, cognitive, and social change across the lifespan.

Zygote

Fertilized egg; first 2 weeks of development.

Embryo

Developing human from approximately 2 to 9 weeks after conception.

Fetus

Developing human from 9 weeks until birth.

Teratogens

Harmful agents (drugs, alcohol, viruses) that can damage the developing embryo or fetus.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Physical and cognitive abnormalities caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy.

Habituation

Decreased response to a repeated stimulus.

Maturation

Biological growth processes that produce orderly changes, largely independent of experience.

Cognition

All mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

Schema

Concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.

Assimilation

Interpreting new information using existing schemas.

Accommodation

Adjusting schemas to fit new information.

Sensorimotor stage

(Birth to 2 yrs) Knowing the world through senses and actions.

Object permanence

Awareness that objects continue to exist even when not visible.

Preoperational stage

(2 to 7 yrs) Symbolic thinking, but lacking logical operations.

Conservation

Understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape.

Egocentrism

Difficulty seeing the world from another’s point of view.

Theory of mind

Understanding that others have thoughts and feelings different from one’s own.

Concrete operational stage

(7 to 11 yrs) Logical thinking about concrete events.

Formal operational stage

(12+ yrs) Abstract, hypothetical, and deductive reasoning.

Scaffolding

Temporary support that helps a child master a task (Vygotsky).

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction and repetitive behaviors.

Stranger anxiety

Fear of unfamiliar people, common around 8 months.

Attachment

Emotional bond between infant and caregiver.

Critical period

Time when an experience must occur for normal development.

Imprinting

Rapid attachment during a critical period (Lorenz).

Strange Situation

Procedure to study attachment by observing responses to separation and reunion.

Secure attachment

Child feels safe exploring, distressed when caregiver leaves, soothed upon return.

Insecure attachment

Child is anxious or avoidant toward caregiver.

Temperament

Infant’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.

Basic trust

Erikson’s stage where infants learn whether the world is predictable and safe.

Self-concept

Understanding and evaluation of who we are.

Sex

Biological characteristics (chromosomes, hormones, anatomy).

Gender

Socially constructed roles and expectations.

Aggression

Physical or verbal behavior intended to harm.

Relational aggression

Harm through social exclusion or manipulation.

Role

Set of expectations about behavior in a social position.

Gender role

Expected behaviors for males and females in a culture.

Gender identity

Personal sense of being male, female, both, or neither.

Social learning theory

Learning through observation and imitation (Bandura).

Gender typing

Acquisition of traditional masculine or feminine roles.

Androgyny

Displaying both masculine and feminine traits.

Transgender

Gender identity differs from sex assigned at birth.

Adolescence

Transition period from childhood to adulthood.

Puberty

Period of sexual maturation.

Identity

Sense of self; Erikson’s key adolescent task.

Social identity

Sense of self derived from group memberships.

Intimacy

Close, meaningful relationships (young adulthood).

Emerging adulthood

Transitional period from late teens to mid-20s.

X chromosome

Sex chromosome present in both males and females.

Y chromosome

Sex chromosome that triggers male development.

Testosterone

Primary male sex hormone.

Primary sex characteristics

Reproductive organs.

Secondary sex characteristics

Traits appearing at puberty (voice, body hair).

Spermarche

First ejaculation in males.

Menarche

First menstrual period.

Intersex

Condition involving atypical sex characteristics.

AIDS

Disease caused by HIV that damages the immune system.

Sexual orientation

Enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction.

Menopause

Natural end of menstrual cycles.

Cross-sectional study

Comparing different age groups at one time.

Longitudinal study

Studying the same group over time.

Neurocognitive disorders (NCDs)

Disorders involving cognitive decline.

Alzheimer’s disease

Progressive NCD affecting memory and thinking.

Social clock

Cultural expectations for life events.

Sigmund Freud

Psychosexual stages; unconscious influences development.

Jean Piaget

Cognitive development stages.

Lev Vygotsky

Sociocultural theory; scaffolding; ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development).

Harry Harlow

Attachment and contact comfort in monkeys.

Margaret Harlow

Co-researched attachment studies.

Konrad Lorenz

Imprinting in animals.

Mary Ainsworth

Strange Situation; attachment types.

Erik Erikson

Psychosocial development stages.

Diana Baumrind

Parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive).