Unit 3 AP Psychology

Lifespan development

Study of human growth throughout life stages.

Nature and nurture

Influence of genetics and environment on behavior.

Continuous development

Gradual change over time in abilities.

Discontinuous development

Development occurs in distinct stages.

Teratogens

Substances causing developmental abnormalities in fetuses.

Fine motor coordination

Small muscle movements, like grasping.

Gross motor coordination

Large muscle movements, like walking.

Maturation

Biological growth processes influencing behavior.

Reflexes

Automatic responses to stimuli.

Rooting reflex

Infant's instinct to turn towards touch.

Visual cliff

Experiment testing depth perception in infants.

Critical periods

Specific time frames for optimal development.

Sensitive periods

Optimal times for certain developmental experiences.

Imprinting

Process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life.

Growth spurt

Rapid increase in physical growth during puberty.

Puberty

Developmental stage of sexual maturation.

Primary sex characteristics

Body structures directly involved in reproduction.

Secondary sex characteristics

Non-reproductive traits developing during puberty.

Menarche

First menstrual cycle in females.

Spermarche

First ejaculation in males.

Menopause

End of menstrual cycles in females.

Schemas

Mental frameworks for organizing information.

Assimilation

Integrating new experiences into existing schemas.

Accommodation

Modifying schemas to incorporate new information.

Sensorimotor stage

Piaget's stage where infants learn through senses.

Object permanence

Understanding objects continue to exist when unseen.

Preoperational stage

Piaget's stage of symbolic thinking and egocentrism.

Conservation

Understanding quantity remains the same despite changes.

Reversibility

Ability to mentally reverse actions or processes.

Animism

Attributing life-like qualities to inanimate objects.

Theory of mind

Understanding others have different thoughts and feelings.

Concrete operational stage

Piaget's stage of logical thinking about concrete events.

Systematic thinking

Logical reasoning applied to problem-solving.

Formal operational stage

Piaget's stage of abstract and hypothetical reasoning.

Abstract thinking

Ability to think about concepts beyond the concrete.

Hypothetical thinking

Reasoning about possibilities and hypothetical scenarios.

Scaffolding

Support provided to help learners achieve tasks.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Difference between what a learner can do alone and with help.

Crystallized intelligence

Knowledge accumulated over time, remains stable.

Fluid intelligence

Ability to solve new problems, declines with age.

Dementia

Major neurocognitive disorder affecting memory and thinking.

Phonemes

Smallest units of sound in language.

Morphemes

Smallest units of meaning in language.

Semantics

Study of meaning in language.

Grammar

Rules governing the structure of language.

Syntax

Arrangement of words to create sentences.

Cooing

Early vocalization in infants, producing vowel sounds.

Babbling

Infants producing consonant-vowel combinations.

One-word stage

Stage where children use single words to communicate.

Telegraphic speech

Two-word phrases conveying essential meaning.

Overgeneralization

Applying grammar rules in areas they don't apply

Ecological systems theory

Explains how the social environment one is in affects their development

Microsystem

Immediate environment affecting individual development.

Mesosystem

Interactions between different microsystems.

Exosystem

Indirect environmental influences on development.

Macrosystem

Cultural and societal influences on development.

Chronosystem

Changes in environment over time.

Authoritarian parenting

Strict parenting style with high demands.

Authoritative parenting

Balanced approach with warmth and structure.

Permissive parenting

Lenient parenting style with few rules.

Attachment styles

Patterns of emotional bonds between children and caregivers.

Secure attachment

Healthy emotional bond with caregivers.

Insecure attachment

Anxious or avoidant emotional bond.

Avoidant attachment

Indifference towards caregiver's presence or absence.

Anxious attachment

Clinginess and fear of abandonment.

Disorganized attachment

Lack of clear attachment behavior.

Temperament

Innate personality traits influencing behavior.

Separation anxiety

Distress when separated from primary caregiver.

Stranger anxiety

Fear of unfamiliar people in infants.

Parallel play

Children playing alongside each other without interaction.

Pretend play

Imaginative play involving role-playing scenarios.

Imaginary audience

Belief that others are constantly watching.

Personal fable

Belief in one's uniqueness and invulnerability.

Social clock

Cultural timetable for life events.

Emerging adulthood

Transition period from adolescence to adulthood.

Stage theory of psychosocial development

Erikson's theory outlining eight developmental stages.

Trust and mistrust

Infants develop basic trust if needs are met.

Autonomy and shame

Toddlers learn to exercise their will and do things independently, or else they begin to doubt their abilities.

Initiative and guilt

Preschoolers learn to start and direct creative tasks, or they may feel guilty about their efforts to be independent

Industry and inferiority

Children learn the pleasure of applying themselves to tasks, or they feel inferior

Identity and role confusion

Teenagers work at refining a sense of self by testing roles and then integrating them to form a single identity, or they become confused with who they are

Intimacy and isolation

Young adults form close relationships or feel isolated

Generativity and stagnation

mMddle-aged people discover a sense of contributing to the world, usually through family and work, or they may feel a lack of purpose

Integrity and despair

Reflecting on life, may feel satisfaction or regret

Adverse childhood experiences

Negative experiences impacting long-term health.

Identity Achievement

Arriving at a sense of self and direction after some consideration of alternative possibilities

Identity Diffusion

Lack of commitment and exploration to a specific identity.

Identity Foreclosure

Commitment without exploration to an identity, based on other's expectations.

Identity Moratorium

Active searching for an identity.

Racial/ethnic identity

Sense of belonging to a racial or ethnic group.

Sexual orientation

Attraction towards the same, opposite sex, or both. (etc)

Religious identity

Identification with a particular religion.

Occupational identity

Sense of self based on career.

Familial identity

Sense of belonging to a family unit.

Possible selves

Imagined future self-concepts.

Behavioral perspective

Focus on observable behaviors and learning.

Classical conditioning

Learning through association between stimuli.

Association

Linking two events or stimuli together.

Acquisition

Initial stage of learning a new behavior.

Associative learning

Learning that involves making connections.