AP Psych Unit 3.1, 3.2A, 3.2B Vocabulary

A comprehensive vocabulary review of key terms and concepts across developmental psychology, prenatal development, reflexes, physical maturation, and lifespan changes for AP Psychology Units 3.1, 3.2A, and 3.2B.

Developmental psychology

The branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span.

Nature and nurture

The developmental theme concerning how inherited biology and life experience jointly shape who a person becomes. Also called: nature versus nurture, nature-nurture.

Continuity and stages

The developmental theme concerning whether change is gradual and cumulative or occurs in distinct steps. Also called: continuity versus stages.

Stability and change

The developmental theme concerning which traits persist across the life span and which are transformed by experience. Also called: stability versus change.

Maturation

Biological growth processes that unfold in an orderly sequence largely independent of experience.

Critical period

A limited window early in life during which certain experiences must occur for normal development to proceed.

Sensitive period

An optimal but not exclusive window during which a person is especially receptive to particular experiences.

Cross-sectional research

Comparing people of different ages at the same point in time, which is efficient but vulnerable to generational confounds.

Longitudinal research

Following the same individuals over years, which tracks true change but is costly and prone to attrition.

Cohort effect

A difference between age groups caused by shared historical experience rather than by aging itself.

Zygote

The fertilized egg, which begins rapid cell division during the first two weeks after conception.

Embryo

The developing human organism from about two weeks through the second month after conception.

Fetus

The developing human organism from about nine weeks after conception until birth.

Teratogens

Agents such as viruses, drugs, or chemicals that can reach the developing organism and cause harm.

Fetal alcohol syndrome

A cluster of physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by heavy alcohol use during pregnancy. Also called: FAS, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Rooting reflex

A newborn's automatic tendency to turn the head toward a touch on the cheek and open the mouth to search for a nipple.

Sucking reflex

A newborn's automatic sucking response to an object placed in the mouth.

Grasping reflex

A newborn's automatic closing of the fingers around an object pressed into the palm. Also called: palmar grasp reflex.

Moro reflex

A newborn's startle response of flinging out the arms and then drawing them back when startled or feeling a loss of support. Also called: startle reflex.

Babinski reflex

A newborn's automatic fanning of the toes when the sole of the foot is stroked.

Habituation

Decreased responding to a stimulus after repeated exposure, used to study infant perception and memory.

Synaptic pruning

The process by which unused neural connections are eliminated, making the brain more efficient.

Motor development

The orderly emergence of physical skills such as rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking.

Growth spurt

A period of rapid physical growth, most notably during infancy and again in adolescence.

Adolescence

The transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from the onset of puberty to independence.

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation during which a person becomes capable of reproducing.

Primary sex characteristics

The body structures directly involved in reproduction, including the reproductive organs and external genitalia.

Secondary sex characteristics

The nonreproductive sexual traits that develop at puberty, such as body hair, voice change, and breast development.

Menarche

A girl's first menstrual period.

Spermarche

A boy's first ejaculation.

Emerging adulthood

The period from the late teens to the mid-twenties in some cultures, bridging adolescent dependence and full independence.

Menopause

The natural cessation of menstruation and of a woman's reproductive capacity.

Dementia

A progressive loss of cognitive functioning severe enough to interfere with daily living. Also called: neurocognitive disorder.

Life expectancy

The average number of years a person in a given population is expected to live.

Prefrontal cortex maturation

The gradual development of the brain's judgment and impulse-control region, which continues into the mid-twenties.