AP Psychology Developmental Vocabulary

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

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

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking. In severe cases, signs include a small, out-of-proportion head and abnormal facial features.

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

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner.

agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm.

the fertilized egg

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience.

the absence of conscious memories of events occurring before about age 3.5, in part because major brain areas have not yet matured.

in developmental psychology, adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information.

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas.

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors.

all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

the principle (which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects.

in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view.

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts.

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

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to about 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic.

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities.

people's ideas about their own and others' mental states--about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict.

an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers.

an optimal period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development.

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early life critical period.

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?"

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age.

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy.

our sense of being male or female.

a set of expected behaviors for males or for females.

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role.

the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female.

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished.

an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex.

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

the fatty tissue that forms around axons and speeds neurotransmission.

for some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood.

our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent's task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles.

in Erikson's theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood.

the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "Who am I?" that comes from our group memberships.

a life-threatening, sexually transmitted infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). AIDS depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infections.

the first menstrual period.

the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible.

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

nonreproductive sexual traits, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair.

an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one's own sex (homosexual orientation), the other sex (heterosexual orientation), or both sexes (bisexual orientation).

the most important of the male sex hormones.

the sex chromosome found in both men and women.

the sex chromosome found only in males.

a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another.

research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period.

the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines.

the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement.