Studied by 13 people
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
Note 
Flashcard (68)