ap psych: unit 5 development

developmental psychology

branch of psych studying physical, cognitive, and social changes throughout a lifespan

zygote

the fertilized egg

embryo

developing human organism from 2 weeks -> 2 months

fetus

developing human organism from 9 weeks -> birth

teratogens

agents reaching the embryo or fetus during prenatal development that cause harm

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

abnormalities in kids due to a pregnant women drinking

habituation

decreasing responsiveness with a lot of exposure to a certain stimulus

maturation

biological growth processes that can enable changes in behavior that are uninfluenced by experience

cognition

all mental associations related to thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

schemas

concept that can organize and interpret information

assimilate

being able to interpret new experiences relating to our existing schemas

accommodate

being able to adapt current understandings or schemas to add in new information

sensorimotor stage

the stage (birth -> 2 years old) where infants view and know the world from their sensory impressions and motor activities (Piaget’s theory)

object permanence

having the awareness that things can continue to exist or occur even though they aren’t perceived

preoperational stage

stage (2-> 6-7 years old) where a kid learns to use words and language but can’t understand concrete logic

conservation

idea that properties like mass, volume, and number stay the same even though there are changes in the forms of objects

egocentric

a preoperational child facing difficulty when understanding another’s point of view or ideas (Piaget)

theory of mind

people’s ideas about their own and others’ mental states

concrete operational stage

stage (7 -> 11 years old) that children gain mental operations causing them to think logically about events (Piaget)

formal operational

stage (beginning at 12 years old) that people start to think logically about concepts that are more difficult to understand

scaffold

framework that can offer kids short-lived support as they develop higher levels of thinking and processing

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

disorder appearing in childhood that is identified by deficiencies in communicating and socially interacting with others, and by fixed interests and repeating behaviors

stranger anxiety

fear of strangers than infants show a lot that begins at 8 months old

attachment

emotional tie with another person that is shown in young kids that seek closeness to their caregiver and show distress with separation

critical period

early period in an organism’s life when exposure to stimuli or experiences causes normal development

imprinting

process where certain animals can form strong attachments during early stages of life

strange situation

procedure for studying child-caregiver attachment

secure attachment

infants who are comfortable while exploring in presence of their caregiver, only show temporary distress when the caregiver leaves, and find comfort when they return

insecure attachment

infants who show either a clinging, anxious attachment or an avoidant attachment that doesn’t like closeness

temperament

a characteristic of emotional reactivity and intensity

basic trust

sense that the word is predictable and trustworthy, and is formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with good caregivers (Erikson)

self-concept

all thoughts and feelings about ourselves to answer the question of “who are we?”

sex

biologically influenced characteristics that define males and females

gender

socially influenced characteristics that define boys, girls, men, and women

aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intending to harm someone both physically or emotionally

relational aggression

act of aggression to harm a person’s relationship or social standing

role

set of expectations or norms about a social position that defines how those in a position should or have to behave

gender roles

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

gender identity

sense of being male, female, or a combo of the two

social learning theory

we learn social behavior by observing, imitating, being rewarded, and being punished

gender typing

acquiring a traditional masculine or feminine role

androgyny

displaying both traditional masculine and feminine characteristics

transgender

describing people whose gender identity or expression is not the same from their sex at birth

adolescence

transition period from being a child to being an adult, extending from puberty to independence

puberty

sexual maturation, during which a person becomes able to reproduce

identity

our sense of self (adolescent’s task to make sure their sense of self is solidified by testing and integrating new roles)

social identity

the “we” aspect of our self-concept, the idea of group memberships

emerging adulthood

18 years old -> mid-20s when people are no longer adolescents but haven’t had reached full independence

menopause

a time period of natural cessation of menstruation and illustrates how biological changes in a women relate to how her ability to reproduce declines

cross-sectional studies

research comparing people who are of a different age but at a some point in time

longitudinal studies

research that can follow and retest the same people over time periods

neurocognitive disorder

acquired disorders that come out because of cognitive deficits (related to alzheimer’s, brain injury, or substance abuse)

alzheimer’s disease

neurocognitive disorder marked with neural plaques, often after eighty years old, and having a decline in memory and other brain activities

social clock

culturally preferred timing of important social events (marriage, parenthood, and retirement)

trust vs. mistrust

(both → 1 yr) if needs are dependently met, infants develop a sense of basic trust

autonomy vs. shame and doubt

(1 → 2 years) toddlers learn to exercise will and do things for themselves, or they doubt their abilities

initiative vs. guilt

(3 → 5 yrs) preschoolers learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans, or they feel guilty about efforts to be independent

competence vs. inferiority

(6 → puberty) children learn pleasure of applying themselves to tasks, or they feel inferior

identity vs. role confusion

(teen years → 20s) teenagers work at refining a sense of self by testing roles and them integrating them to form a single identity, or they become confused about who they are

intimacy vs. isolation

(20s → early 40s) young adults struggle to form close relationships and to gain the capacity for intimate love, or they feel socially isolated

integrity vs. despair

(60s and up) when reflecting on his or her life, the older adult may feel a sense of satisfaction or failure