AP Psychology Flashcards: Physical Development Across the Lifespan
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 19 cards to help you master important concepts.
A pregnant person's illness can affect their unborn child's later development. What principle does this illustrate?
This illustrates that maternal illness, like teratogens, can influence the physical and psychological milestones of the child during and after prenatal development.
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A pregnant person's illness can affect their unborn child's later development. What principle does this illustrate?
This illustrates that maternal illness, like teratogens, can influence the physical and psychological milestones of the child during and after prenatal development.
What is the significance of infant reflexes?
Infant reflexes, such as the rooting reflex, are indicators of on-track physical and psychological development.
How does prenatal physical development influence later behavior and mental processes?
Factors experienced before birth, such as teratogens and maternal illness, can influence the achievement of physical and psychological milestones later in life.
What is the rooting reflex?
The rooting reflex is an automatic response in infants that serves as an indicator of on-track physical and psychological development.
What is the adolescent growth spurt?
The growth spurt is a significant physical milestone in adolescence, occurring alongside puberty.
What is puberty?
Puberty is a key physical milestone of adolescence characterized by the development of primary and secondary sex characteristics.
Why is language acquisition a good example of a skill developed during a sensitive period?
Language has strong developmental effects and its acquisition is most profoundly influenced during the critical or sensitive periods of infancy.
What happens to sensory acuity in adulthood?
As part of the general physical decline in adulthood, sensory acuity (the sharpness of the senses) also tends to decrease.
What does an infant's behavior on the visual cliff apparatus demonstrate?
The visual cliff apparatus is used to demonstrate that infants have an early ability to perceive depth, a key milestone in mental processes.
What are teratogens?
Teratogens are factors that can negatively influence physical and psychological milestones during prenatal development.
What is the general pattern of physical development in infancy and childhood?
Physical development in infancy and childhood follows a general, predictable order, marked by milestones like achieving fine and gross motor coordination.
What are critical or sensitive periods?
Critical or sensitive periods are times in development, particularly infancy, that have strong effects on the acquisition of certain skills like language.
How do fine and gross motor coordination relate to childhood development?
The development of fine and gross motor coordination are key physical milestones that follow a general order during infancy and childhood.
How does physical development in adolescence apply to behavior and mental processes?
Adolescent physical milestones like the growth spurt and puberty directly impact psychological development and social behaviors.
What are the key physical declines that characterize adulthood?
Adulthood is characterized by a general decline in reproductive ability, mobility, and sensory acuity.
What are secondary sex characteristics?
Secondary sex characteristics are the non-reproductive physical traits that develop during puberty.
How does physical development in adulthood impact behavior and mental processes?
In adulthood, a general decline in reproductive ability, mobility, and sensory acuity influences an individual's behavior and mental state.
How does physical development in infancy apply to behavior?
As infants achieve physical milestones like motor coordination, their ability to behave and interact with the world expands, affecting mental processes.
What are primary sex characteristics?
Primary sex characteristics are the body structures directly involved in reproduction that develop during puberty.