Comprehensive Guide to AP Psychology Unit 3: Developmental & Learning Sciences

Nature vs. Nurture

Debate on how genetic inheritance interacts with environmental experiences in human development.

Continuity vs. Stages

Continuity views development as gradual, while Stages view it as occurring in distinct steps.

Stability vs. Change

Debate on whether early personality traits remain consistent or change throughout life.

Cross-Sectional Study

A study method where participants of different ages are studied at the same time.

Longitudinal Study

A study method where the same participants are restudied and retested over a long period.

Zygote

The fertilized egg, which undergoes rapid cell division for about 2 weeks.

Embryo

The developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month.

Fetus

The developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth.

Teratogens

Agents that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Cognitive and physical abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking.

Reflexes

Innate, survival-based behaviors exhibited by newborns.

Maturation

Biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior without influence from experience.

Pruning

The process where unused neural connections decay while used ones are strengthened.

Critical Period

An optimal time in development for exposure to certain stimuli for normal development.

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation when individuals become capable of reproduction.

Limbic System

Brain region associated with emotions, developing faster than the frontal lobes during adolescence.

Early Adulthood

The stage of life characterized by peak physical performance.

Menopause

The cessation of menstruation in women during middle adulthood.

Telomeres

The tips of chromosomes that wear down, contributing to aging.

Schemas

Concepts or frameworks that organize and interpret information.

Assimilation

Interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schemas.

Accommodation

Adapting current schemas to incorporate new information.

Object Permanence

The awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived.

Egocentrism

A characteristic of preoperational children where they struggle to take another's point of view.

Animism

The belief that inanimate objects have feelings and intentions.

Theory of Mind

The understanding of one's own and others' mental states.

Conservation

Understanding that mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in form.

Reversibility

The ability to mentally reverse an operation.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The gap between what a child can do alone and what they can do with help.

Scaffolding

Temporary support aimed at helping a learner master a task.

Fluid Intelligence

The ability to reason quickly and abstractly, which tends to decrease with age.

Crystallized Intelligence

Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills that tend to increase with age.

Attachment

An emotional bond between an infant and their caregiver.

Contact Comfort

The preference for warmth and softness that proves more important than nourishment in attachment.

Imprinting

A strong attachment formed during a critical period, noted in birds.

Secure Attachment

A healthy attachment style characterized by distress on separation and seeking contact on reunion.

Insecure-Avoidant Attachment

An attachment style with little distress when the caregiver leaves and avoidance upon return.

Insecure-Anxious/Ambivalent Attachment

An attachment style characterized by intense distress when leaving and resists contact upon return.

Authoritarian Parenting

A style that imposes rules and expects obedience with low warmth.

Permissive Parenting

A style that submits to children’s desires with few demands; high warmth, low control.

Authoritative Parenting

A style that is both demanding and responsive; encourages discussion and explain rules.

Negligent Parenting

An uninvolved style, neither demanding nor responsive, leading to poor outcomes.

Trust vs. Mistrust

The first stage in Erikson’s theory, where needs are met consistently, leading to trust.

Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt

The second stage where toddlers learn to exercise their will.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

A key adolescent stage where individuals work on developing a sense of self.

Preconventional Morality

Moral reasoning based on self-interest and avoiding punishment.

Conventional Morality

Moral reasoning based on upholding laws and social approval.

Postconventional Morality

Moral reasoning that reflects belief in basic rights and ethical principles.

Latent Learning

Learning that occurs but isn't evident until there's an incentive to demonstrate it.

Learned Helplessness

A state where an individual learns they cannot avoid aversive events, leading to passive behavior.