Unit 3 Part 1: Physical and Cognitive development

from the AP Classroom videos and the textbook

chronological development

developing from infancy to adult, developments happen in the same order, just at slightly different times for each person

continuous development

development and changes in individuals occur gradually

discontinuous development

development occurs in distinct stages

nature vs nurture

biology vs experience

stability and changes

a stable environment vs changing environment (both are essential for development)

maturation

the process of growth and development that humans go through

longitudinal study

studying the same group over a considerable span of time

cross sectional study

individuals from different cohorts are compared at the same moment in time

critical periods

an optimal period early in life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development

fine motor coordination

small, precise movements made with hands, fingers, feet, and toes

gross motor coordination

movement of large muscle groups (walking, running, jumping, etc.)

growth spurt

a rapid increase in height and weight during puperty

imprinting

when an animal or human forms a strong bonds or attachment during infancy

menarche

a girl’s first menstrual cycle, starting puberty

menopause

when a woman permanently stops having menstrual periods, meaning she can no longer reproduce

primary sex characteristics

the body parts directly involved in reproduction

puberty

the stage when a child’s body starts maturing into an adult body capable of reproduction

reflexes

automatic, involuntary movements or responses to stimuli

rooting reflex

when a baby turns its head and opens its mouth in response to being touched on the cheek, helping with breast feeding

secondary sex characteristics

traits that develop during puberty but aren’t directly involved in reproduction

sensitive periods

specific times in development when the brain is especially receptive to certain types of environment influences

spermarche

when boys are first able to produce sperm

teratogens

harmful environmental factors, like drugs, alcohol, or infections that can cause birth defects or other problems during pregnancy

visual cliff

an experiment used to test depth perception in infants

abstract thinking

the ability to think about concepts, ideas, or situations that aren’t physically present or concrete

accommodation

when a person adjusts their existing schemas to incorporate new information or experiences

animism

the belief that inanimate objects have feelings, thoughts, or intentions, often believed during childhood

assimilation

the process of incorporating new info into existing schemas

concrete operational stage

a stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development where children begin to think logically at around 7-11

crystallized intelligence

our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills increase with age

egocentrism

excessive interest in oneself and concern for one’s own welfare

dementia

loss of memory, language, and problem solving skills

fluid intelligence

being able to think abstractly and solve problems- increases with age until 20s/30s, then starts to decrease

formal operational stage

an increase in the ability to think in abstract terms- starts around 12

hypothetical thinking

imagining possibilities and exploring their consequences through a mental simulation

mental symbols

internal cognitive symbols that stand for external reality, allowing individuals to process and understand the world around them

object permanence

you know an object or person still exists even when they are hidden and you can’t see them

preoperational stage

children use symbols to represent words, images and ideas, egocentrism, thinking beyond the physical world

pretend play

when children pretend to be someone or something else (during the preoperational stage)

reversibility

the understanding that objects can be changed and then returned to their original form

scaffolding (Vygotsky)

a teaching method where support is given to students as they learn new concepts, gradually reducing help as they become more confident

sensorimotor stage

the first stage in Piaget’s theory, infants learn about the world through their senses and motor actions

systemic thinking

understanding how different parts of s system influence one another in a whole

theory of mind

the ability to understand that others have thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of their own

zone of proximal development

Vygotsky’s concept of the difference between what a learner can do without help vs what they can achieve with guidance

language

a system of symbols and rules used for meaningful communication

babbling

when infants produce repetitive sounds like ma-ma and da-da

cooing

the early stage of language development where infants produce soft repetitive vowel sounds

grammar

the set of rules governing the structure and use of language

LAD

(Language Acquisition Device) Chomsky’s hypothetical brain mechanism proposed to help children learn language naturally

morphemes

the smallest units of meaning in a language, like “un-” in undo

one-word stage

a stage in language development where children mostly speak in single words

overgeneralization of language rules

applying grammar rules too broadly, such as saying “goed” instead of went

phonemes

the smallest distinctive sound units in a language like “ch” “sh” and “a”

semantics

the aspect of language concerned with meaning

syntax

the set of rules for combining words into grammatically correct sentences

telegraphic speech

early speech stage when a child uses mostly nouns and verbs (“want juice”)

What is developmental psychology?

the branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social changes throughout the lifespan

Does nature or nurture have more of an effect?`

both nature and nurture matter to human development, instead the question is HOW they interact and both contribute to development

stage theory

model that people go through distinct phases of growth and follow a specific order from one stage to the next

Do personalities and behaviors stay consistent throughout our lives or do they change over time?`

both, some stay consistent and some change a lot

3 ways to study developmental psychology

nature/nurture, stability/change, continuous/discontinuous

What develops during the entire pregnancy?

the brain

How long after birth does the brain keep developing?

up to young adulthood

What is crucial for the healthy formation of the brain and spinal cord?

folic acid

What are teratogens?

agents that can cause birth defects or developmental abnormalities in a developing embryo or fetus when it is exposed to it during pregnancy

What thing are teratogens?

drugs, alcohol, infections, environmental chemicals

What does the extent of damage from teratogens depend on?

exposure, timing, and genetic susceptibility

critical/sensitive period for teratogens

1 trimester of pregnancy

what is maturation?

the orderly sequence of biological growth

is motor development sequential?

yes, it goes in the same order, but the timing of each step can vary

what are reflexes?

involuntary movements in response to stimulation

what reflexes are specific to babies?

sucking, rooting, grasp, babinski, moro, tonic neck, stepping

what are fine motor skills?

coordination of small actions

what are gross motor skills?

coordination of larger movements

what are major milestones in baby’s physical development?

raising head and chest, rolling over, sitting with support, sitting without support, crawling, and walking

What was the visual cliff experiment?

infants was places on a glass surface with the appearance of a drop-off; infants hesitated or refused to crawl over the “edge”; indicated their ability to perceive depth and biological readiness to perceive spatial relationships

adolescence

period that begins with puberty and ends with transition into adulthood

puberty

period of rapid growth and sexual maturation

when do girls typically begin puberty?

around age 10

when do boys typically begin puberty?

2 years after girls (around age 12)

what is the beginning of puberty marked by?

a physical growth spurt and changes, including the development of primary and secondary sex characteristics

primary sex characteristics

changes in the reproductive organs (testes for males, ovaries for females)

secondary sex characteristics

physical changes not directly linked to reproduction (breasts and body hair for females, lower voice and body/facial hair for males)

how does the brain develop during puberty?

the teenage brain undergoes significant changes both structurally and functionally. these changes are influenced by hormonal shifts, genetic factors and environmental experiences

What physical changes happen during adulthood?

• loss of muscle strength

• decline in hormones like testosterone

• decrease in physical activity

what happens to vision during adulthood?

loss of elasticity in the eye, making it harder to focus, especially on items that are close up

what happens to hearing during adulthood?

may become harder to hear higher frequency sounds and decreases ability to locate sounds

What physical changes happen in the brain?

the brain loses 5-10 of its weight between the ages of 20 and 90; white matter increases well into the 50s but decreases after that leading to slower processing

what type of intelligence increases in adulthood?

crystallized intelligence increases

what type of intelligence decreases in adulthood?

fluid intelligence decreases

what factors influence life expectancy?

biological, lifestyle, environmental, socioeconomic, and healthcare factors

continuity

describes development involving a gradual change in behavior and though processes

discontinuity

describes development involving distinct shifts in behaviors

assimilation vs accommodation

assimilation: taking in new information but not changing the schema, just placing new info into the schema (eg: seeing a new breed of dog and putting that into your dog schema)

accommodation: taking in new information and changing the schema to incorporate the new information (eg: seeing a wolf and changing your dog schema to include wolves)

What are Piaget’s 4 stages of development?

sensorimotor, preoperational concrete operational, formal operational

sensorimotor stage

babies explore the world using their senses and actions

what ages is the sensorimotor stage?

birth - 2

object permenance

the understanding that items continue to exist even when not sensed directly

separation anxiety

the normal distress that a young child experiences when away from the caregiver to whom they are attached