Vocab Set | Module 3.2 [Physical Development Across the Lifespan] | AP Psych Unit 3

Teratogens

Harmful agents or substances that can cause developmental issues or birth defects during prenatal development.

Example: Alcohol consumption during pregnancy leading to fetal alcohol syndrome.

Fine motor coordination

The ability to control small muscle movements, typically in the hands and fingers, to perform precise tasks.

Example: Writing with a pencil or buttoning a shirt.

Gross motor coordination

The ability to use large muscle groups to perform broad movements like walking, running, and jumping.

Example: A child running or climbing a jungle gym.

Maturation

The process of biological growth and development that occurs in a predictable sequence, largely influenced by genetics.

Example: A child’s ability to walk developing after a certain period of physical growth.

Reflexes

Automatic, involuntary responses to specific stimuli, present at birth and essential for survival and development.

Example: The rooting reflex, where a baby turns its head toward a touch on the cheek.

Rooting reflex

An automatic response in infants where they turn their head and open their mouth when their cheek or corner of their mouth is touched.

Example: A newborn turning toward a breast or bottle when its cheek is stroked.

Sexual Orientation

A person’s enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to individuals of the same gender, different gender, or both.

Example: A person identifying as gay, heterosexual, or bisexual based on their sexual attraction preferences.

Visual Cliff

A laboratory device used to test depth perception in infants and animals, featuring a surface that appears to drop off, but is actually covered by clear glass.

Example: An infant hesitating to cross the "cliff" when encouraged by their mother, showing an understanding of depth perception.

Critical Period

A specific time during development when an organism is most sensitive to certain environmental stimuli, and certain behaviors or abilities must develop.

Example: The critical period for language acquisition in early childhood, where children are especially receptive to learning a language.

Sensitive Periods

Timeframes during development when an individual is more responsive to certain environmental stimuli, but unlike critical periods, development can still occur outside these windows.

Example: A child being more open to learning multiple languages at an early age but still being able to learn a new language later in life, just with more effort.

Imprinting

A rapid and irreversible form of learning occurring at a particular stage of development, where an organism forms an attachment to a specific object or individual.

Example: Ducklings following the first moving object they see, often their mother, shortly after hatching.

Growth Spurt

A rapid increase in physical growth, typically occurring during adolescence, involving significant changes in height, weight, and body proportions.

Example: A teenager experiencing a sudden increase in height during puberty.

Puberty

The period of physical and hormonal changes during adolescence that lead to sexual maturity and the ability to reproduce.

Example: A teenager experiencing the development of secondary sexual characteristics, such as facial hair in boys and breast development in girls.

Primary Sex Characteristics

The physical features directly involved in reproduction, including internal and external genitalia.

Example: The development of ovaries in females and testes in males during puberty.

Secondary Sex Characteristics

The physical features that distinguish males from females but are not directly involved in reproduction, such as body hair, breast development, and voice changes.

Example: The growth of facial hair in males and the development of breasts in females during puberty.

Menarche

The first occurrence of menstruation in females, marking the onset of reproductive capability.

Example: A 12-year-old girl getting her first period, signifying the beginning of her ability to conceive.

Spermarche

The first ejaculation of sperm in males, indicating the onset of puberty and reproductive capability.

Menopause

The natural biological process marking the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles and fertility, typically occurring between the ages of 45 and 55.

Example: A 50-year-old woman no longer having her monthly periods, signaling the end of her reproductive years.