ELITE COMPREHENSIVE
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) PSYCHOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING COMPREHENSIVE
REVIEW GUIDE
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY • LEARNING
THEORY • CONDITIONING • SOCIAL LEARNING
SPRING EXAMINATION MAY 2026
Chronological development
• A method of organization that describes events in the order in which they
occurred
Lifespan development
• the field of study that examines patterns of growth, change, and stability in
behavior that occur throughout the entire life span
Nature and nurture
• the debate of weather you are shaped by your environment or genes
1
Page
, Continuous development
• view that development is a cumulative process: gradually improving on
existing skills
Discontinuous development
• view that development takes place in unique stages, which happen at
specific times or ages
teratogens
• agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus
during prenatal development and cause harm
Fine motor coordination
• involves small muscle groups
• usually includes finger dexterity and/or skilled manipulation of objects with
the hands
Gross motor coordination
• Ability to coordinate large muscle movements as in running, walking, skipping, and
throwing.
2
Page
, Maturation
• biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior,
relatively uninfluenced by experience
Reflexes
• specific patterns of motor response that are triggered by specific patterns of
sensory stimulation
Rooting reflex
• a baby's tendency, when touched on the cheek, to turn toward the touch,
open the mouth, and search for the nipple
Visual cliff
• a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young
animals
Critical periods
• Periods in the developmental sequence during which an organism must
experience certain kinds of social or sensory experiences in order for
normal development to take place
3
Page
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) PSYCHOLOGY
DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING COMPREHENSIVE
REVIEW GUIDE
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY • LEARNING
THEORY • CONDITIONING • SOCIAL LEARNING
SPRING EXAMINATION MAY 2026
Chronological development
• A method of organization that describes events in the order in which they
occurred
Lifespan development
• the field of study that examines patterns of growth, change, and stability in
behavior that occur throughout the entire life span
Nature and nurture
• the debate of weather you are shaped by your environment or genes
1
Page
, Continuous development
• view that development is a cumulative process: gradually improving on
existing skills
Discontinuous development
• view that development takes place in unique stages, which happen at
specific times or ages
teratogens
• agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus
during prenatal development and cause harm
Fine motor coordination
• involves small muscle groups
• usually includes finger dexterity and/or skilled manipulation of objects with
the hands
Gross motor coordination
• Ability to coordinate large muscle movements as in running, walking, skipping, and
throwing.
2
Page
, Maturation
• biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior,
relatively uninfluenced by experience
Reflexes
• specific patterns of motor response that are triggered by specific patterns of
sensory stimulation
Rooting reflex
• a baby's tendency, when touched on the cheek, to turn toward the touch,
open the mouth, and search for the nipple
Visual cliff
• a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young
animals
Critical periods
• Periods in the developmental sequence during which an organism must
experience certain kinds of social or sensory experiences in order for
normal development to take place
3
Page
