Unit 3 Vocabulary

Development Across the Lifespan — vocab list + interactive games to reinforce mastery.

Master Vocabulary List (Unit 3)

Simple static list first, then games. Definitions are concise and AP-safe.

A. Developmental Themes

• Developmental psychology: The study of physical, cognitive, and social change across the lifespan.
• Nature vs nurture: The debate over the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to development.
• Stability vs change: The question of whether traits persist or change across the lifespan.
• Continuity vs stages: Whether development is gradual and continuous or occurs in distinct stages.
• Critical period: A limited time during development when certain experiences are essential for normal development.
• Sensitive period: A time when the brain is especially receptive to certain experiences, though development can still occur later.
• Experience-expectant development: Brain development that depends on universal human experiences.
• Experience-dependent development: Brain development shaped by individual, unique experiences.

B. Prenatal Development and Infancy

• Zygote: The fertilized egg that enters a two-week period of rapid cell division.
• Embryo: The developing human organism from about two weeks to eight weeks after fertilization.
• Fetus: The developing human organism from nine weeks after conception to birth.
• Teratogens: Harmful agents that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development.
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Physical and cognitive abnormalities caused by prenatal alcohol exposure.
• Habituation: Decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation.
• Rooting reflex: An infant’s tendency to turn its head toward touch.
• Attachment: An emotional bond between infant and caregiver.
• Secure attachment: An attachment style characterized by trust and comfort with closeness.
• Temperament: A person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.

C. Childhood Development

• Schema: A concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.
• Assimilation: Interpreting new information using existing schemas.
• Accommodation: Modifying existing schemas to incorporate new information.
• Object permanence: Awareness that objects continue to exist when out of sight.
• Theory of mind: Understanding that others have mental states different from one’s own.
• Conservation: The principle that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape.

D. Adolescence

• Puberty: The period of sexual maturation.
• Primary sex characteristics: Body structures necessary for reproduction.
• Secondary sex characteristics: Nonreproductive sexual traits.
• Prefrontal cortex: Brain area responsible for decision-making and impulse control.
• Limbic system: Brain region involved in emotion and reward.
• Identity: One’s sense of self.
• Identity crisis: A period of exploration and questioning during adolescence.

E. Adulthood and Aging

• Emerging adulthood: A transitional phase between adolescence and full adulthood.
• Menopause: The natural cessation of menstruation.
• Crystallized intelligence: Accumulated knowledge and skills.
• Fluid intelligence: Ability to reason speedily and abstractly.
• Social clock: Culturally preferred timing of life events.

F. Gender and Sexual Orientation

• Sex: Biological characteristics such as chromosomes and reproductive anatomy.
• Gender: Social and cultural roles, behaviors, and expectations.
• Gender identity: One’s internal sense of gender.
• Gender expression: External presentation of gender.
• Sexual orientation: Enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction.
• Continuum: A range rather than discrete categories.

This round uses a subset for speed. Great for pair work.

On mobile: tap a term chip, then tap a bucket to place it.

Teacher Support

Note: everything here runs locally in the page. No student data stored. Refresh = clean slate.