AP®︎ Psychology: Topic 3.2 Flashcards
Master key terms and definitions for Topic 3.2 of AP Psychology – Physical Development Across the Lifespan to help you prep for quizzes and the AP exam.
Teratogen
An environmental agent, such as alcohol, nicotine, certain medications, chemicals, or radiation, capable of disrupting prenatal development
An environmental agent, such as alcohol, nicotine, certain medications, chemicals, or radiation, capable of disrupting prenatal development
A range of growth, physical, nervous-system, cognitive, and behavioral impairments caused by prenatal alcohol exposure
A chromosomal condition caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21 and associated with characteristic physical development and varying intellectual and developmental disability
The biologically guided process of growth that produces orderly behavioral changes relatively independently of specific training
Development that proceeds from head to toe, with control of the head and upper body emerging before control of the legs
Development that proceeds from the center of the body outward, with control of the arms emerging before precise control of the hands and fingers
Skills using large muscles and whole-body movement, such as sitting, walking, running, jumping, and balancing
Skills requiring precise control of small muscles, especially in the hands and fingers, such as grasping, drawing, and writing
An automatic, unlearned response to a particular stimulus
An infant’s automatic turning toward a touch on the cheek and opening of the mouth, helping the infant locate food
An infant’s automatic sucking response when an object touches the mouth, assisting feeding
An infant’s automatic extension and then inward drawing of the arms after a sudden loss of support or startling event
An infant’s automatic gripping response when an object or finger is placed in the palm
A transparent, supported apparatus with apparent shallow and deep sides that measures infants’ depth sensitivity through their willingness to cross
A limited developmental window during which a necessary experience must occur for a capacity to develop typically
A flexible developmental window during which an organism is especially responsive to certain experiences, though later development remains possible
A rapid, biologically prepared following behavior in which some young animals attach to the first conspicuous moving object encountered early in life
A period during adolescence of rapid increases in height, weight, and overall body size
The period of sexual maturation during which reproductive capability and primary and secondary sex characteristics develop
Reproductive body structures directly involved in reproduction, such as the ovaries, uterus, testes, and penis
Physical traits associated with sexual maturation but not directly required for reproduction, such as breast development, body hair, and voice changes
The first menstrual period, marking a milestone within female pubertal development
The first ejaculation, marking a milestone within male pubertal development
The normal adult transition marking the end of menstrual cycles and natural reproductive capacity as ovarian function declines
Age-related difficulty focusing on nearby objects caused by reduced flexibility of the eye’s lens
Age-related hearing loss that often affects high-frequency sounds first
