AP Psych Unit 3 Part 1

Nature vs nurture

How do genetic inheritance and experience influence our behavior

continuity vs stages

is development a gradual, continuous process or a sequence of separate stages

stability vs change

do our early personality traits persist through life or do we become different people as we age

longitudinal studies

research that follows and retests the same people over time

cross-sectional studies

research that compares people of different ages at the same point in time

teratogens

agents such as chemicals and viruses that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

Fetal alcohol syndrome

can result in congenital disabilities, behavior problems, and lower intelligence

habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation

sensorimotor stage

0-4 years, children learn through their senses and motor skills

object permanence

understanding that objects still exist when out of sight

pre operational stage

2-7, engage in pretend play

conservation

the idea that properties such as mass remain the same despite changes in form

egocentrism

inability to see any point of view other than their own

theory of mind

ability to infer others’ mental states

concrete operational stage

7-12, can think logically

reversibility

ability to recognize that numbers or objects can be changed and returned to their original condition

formal operational stage

12 and beyond, thinking expands from the purely concrete to encompass abstract thinking

zone of proximal development

range of tasks a learner can complete with guidance or support but not yet independently

scaffolding

skilled learner helps less skilled learner; decreases the amount of help as the learner becomes more capable

ecological systems theory

microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, chronosystem

microsystem

things that have direct contact with the child in their immediate environment

mesosystem

interactions between different microsystems in the child’s life

exosystem

formal and informal social structures that do not directly interact with the child, but impact their microsystem

macrosystem

cultural ideologies, attitudes, and social conditions that children are immersed in

chronosystem

predicted and unpredictable shifts and transitions over the child’s lifetime and aging itself

Erikson’s stage development theory

development occurs through a series of changes in the abilities of the ego

menarche

age of first menstrual period

identity diffusion

adolescents have not made commitments and are not actively exploring identity options

identity moratorium

adolescents are actively exploring their identity but have not yet made clear commitments, this stage often involves uncertainty or crisis

identity foreclosure

adolescents have made commitments without questioning or exploring alternatives (often based on parents’ beliefs or expectations)

identity achievement

adolescents have explored different identity options and made clear, personal commitments

fluid intelligence

our ability to reason speedily and abstractly

crystallized intelligence

our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills

gender socialization

process in which children learn gender roles

morphemes

smallest units of meaningful sounds in a language

phenomes

smallest units of distinctive sounds in a language

grammar

set of rules that enable us to communicate and understand others

syntax

the rules for combining or arranging words into grammatically sensible sentences

semantics

the set of rules that we use to determine meaning from morphemes, words, or sentences

overgeneralization

applying grammar rules in instances they don’t apply