AP Psychology Exam Review Unit 6

Unit 6: Developmental Psychology

(How we grow and change physically, mentally, and socially over time)

🔄 3 Big Areas of Development

  1. Physical – body, brain, hormones, etc.

  2. Cognitive – thinking, memory, problem-solving

  3. Social – relationships, emotions, attachment, identity

👶 Prenatal Development

  • Zygote (0–2 weeks) → Embryo (2–8 weeks) → Fetus (9+ weeks)

  • Teratogens = harmful substances that hurt baby (ex: alcohol, drugs)

  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) = caused by alcohol; physical + mental issues

👶 Infant Reflexes

  • Born with survival reflexes:

    • Rooting (turn toward touch on cheek)

    • Sucking, grasping

    • Moro (startle), Babinski (foot curls)

👁 Sensory & Brain Development

  • Newborns prefer sights/sounds that are social (faces, mom’s voice)

  • Brain = fast growth in first 2 years (pruning: lose unused connections)

  • Maturation = natural biological growth

    Ex: babies crawl before walk — can't rush it

👨‍👩‍👧 Attachment

👨‍👨‍👦 Parenting Styles (Baumrind)

Style

Description

Outcome

Authoritative

strict but loving

confident, responsible kids

Authoritarian

strict, no warmth

obedient but anxious

Permissive

loving but no rules

impulsive kids

Neglectful

uninvolved

worst outcomes

🧠 Cognitive Development (Piaget)

Stage

Age

What Happens

Sensorimotor

0–2

explore world through senses

→ Object permanence develops (peek-a-boo = boring)



Preoperational

2–7

use language, egocentric, no logic

→ Lacks conservation (think taller glass = more juice)



Concrete Operational

7–11

think logically about concrete things

→ Understand conservation



Formal Operational

12+

abstract thinking, reasoning

🧠 Moral Development (Kohlberg)

  • Preconventional = avoid punishment/get reward

  • Conventional = follow rules to be “good”

  • Postconventional = personal ethics > rules

    Ex: break law to save a life

🧠 Psychosocial Development (Erikson’s 8 Stages)

Stage

Age

Conflict

1. Trust vs. Mistrust

Infancy

Can I trust people?

2. Autonomy vs. Shame

Toddler

I can do it myself

3. Initiative vs. Guilt

Preschool

Can I lead/play?

4. Industry vs. Inferiority

School age

Am I good at stuff?

5. Identity vs. Role Confusion

Teen

Who am I?

6. Intimacy vs. Isolation

Young adult

Can I love deeply?

7. Generativity vs. Stagnation

Midlife

Am I making a difference?

8. Integrity vs. Despair

Old age

Did my life matter?

🧬 Nature vs. Nurture

  • Nature = genes

  • Nurture = environment

  • Both interact constantly

👦 Adolescence

  • Brain's frontal lobe still developing → risky behavior

  • Puberty = sexual development, hormonal changes

  • Identity formation is key (Erikson's stage 5)

👵 Adulthood & Aging

  • Emerging adulthood = ~18–25, in-between phase

  • Middle adulthood = slower physical decline, menopause

  • Late adulthood = memory declines, but recognition > recall

Types of Intelligence:

  • Fluid intelligence = problem-solving, fast thinking → decreases with age

  • Crystallized intelligence = knowledge, facts → stays strong or increases