ap psych unit 3 development and learning

maturation

changes in behavior exclusively from physiological growth

development

changes in behavior from learning

SPICE: social, physical, intellectual, cultural, emotional

nature

hereditary traits

nurture

environmental influences on traits

stability

certain traits and behaviors remain constant throughout life

change

traits and behaviors are flexible and fluctuate throughout life

continous

change in individual occurs gradually

discontinuous

change divided clearly into unique stages

prenatal development - hormonal factors

hormonal issues with the mother predispose baby to improper fetal growth, brain, and nervous system development

prenatal development - environmental factors

physical environmental factors, such as teratogens, significantly impact prenatal development

teratogens

substances that interfere with fetal development

e.g. drinking when pregnant or pollution in the air

prenatal development - maternal illnesses

illnesses, such as diabetes, stds, or high blood pressure increase the risk of the baby being born with birth defects

prenatal development - genetic mutations

genetic mutations can occur in developing embryos after conception as a result of spontaneous errors occurring during cell division

fine motor coordination

ability to use small muscles in the hand, fingers, and eyes to produce precise, smooth movement

reflexes

survival techniques

rooting

reactions to environment for survival

e.g. touch baby’s hand they grasp firmly

gross motor coordination

using large muscles to make larger movements

critical periods

first five years of birth where brain is absorbent / able to take in info rapidly, and behaviors or abilities are acquired more easily

visual cliff

infants have depth perception

sensitive periods

optimal periods for specific capabilities to be developed

e.g. learning a second language is best done from 0-12 yrs of age

imprinting

learning and mimicking behaviors of caregivers

e.g ducks bond with and follow first moving object they see, usually their mother

growth spurt

rapid physical development

adolescent growth spurt is non-uniform

most active during first year and around puberty

puberty

period during which adolescents reach sexual maturity

menarche

first menstrual period

menopause marked end of menarche

spermarche

time in which male experiences first ejaculation

primary sex characteristics

physical features directly involved in reproduction, such as the development of the genitalia and sex organs.

secondary sex characteristics

features that develop during puberty, such as breast development and hair growth.

decremental model of aging

cognitive decline is inevitable with age

menopause

the natural cessation of menstruation and fertility in women, typically occurring in middle age, marking the end of reproductive years.

schema

mental framework that influences how one approaches situations

sensorimotor stage

birth - 2 years

Infants build their understanding of the world by coordinating sensory experiences (seeing, hearing) with physical motor actions (reaching, touching).

object permanence - sensorimotor

knowledge that objects still exist even when its hidden from sight

preoperational stage

2-7 years old

Children develop symbolic thought, imagination, and language but struggle with logical reasoning, conservation, and taking others' perspectives (egocentrism)

egocentrism - preoperational

inability to see world from another’s perspective

mental symbols - preoperational

ability to think about things symbolically

e.g. wooden blocks being substituted for monster trucks

theory of mind - preoperational

ability to produce / think of consequences for actions

animism - preoperational

giving human qualities to inanimate objects

e.g. feeding a teddy bear

concrete operational stage

8-12 years

children develop logical, concrete reasoning

conservation - concrete operational

knowledge that a quantity doesn’t change if altered

e.g. pouring same amount of water into different sized cups

reversibility - concrete operational

knowledge that things can be reversed

e.g. knowing that ice can turn into water and vice versa

formal operational stage

12+ years

ability to think abstractly, use deductive logic, and test hypotheses systematically

hypothetical and systematic thinking - formal operational

ability to formulate and test hypothesis

abstract thinking- formal operational

ability to think outside the box

e.g. debating, recognizing, and contemplating multiple ideas

metacognition- formal operational

awareness and understanding of one’s own thought process

cognitive theory

children acquire cognitive skills through collaborative dialogue

scaffolding - cognitive theory

breaking down information into pieces that are manageable for learners

zone of proximal development - cognitive theory

the gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance

The range of skills a student cannot yet perform alone but can accomplish with guidance

crystallized intelligence

accumulated knowledge

fluid intelligence

ability to reason abstractly

dementia

impaired ability o remember, think, or make decision that interfere with daily activities

phoneme

smallest distinct SOUNDS in a spoken language

e.g Cat: 3 phonemes (/k/, /æ/, /t/).

morpheme

smallest unit of structure / meaning of a sound

e.g prefixes, roots, suffixes

Submarine: 2 morphemes (sub- + marine).

semantics

rules by which we derive meaning

overgeneralization

children tend to apply standard grammar to irregular words

e.g. “run” → “runned”

syntax

rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences

nonverbal manual gestures

communicate and develop formal gestures

e.g. pointing or a thumbs up

babbling stage

infant spontaneously utter sounds

cooing

precursor to babbling,

e.g. “ah goo”, “da-da-da”

one word stage

children start to speak one word at a time where others are able to understand

e.g. “doggy” = “look at the dog”

two word stage

children start to speak in two word sentences

e.g. “sock red”

telegraphic speech

combination of words into simple commands where syntax is absent

e.g. “go car”