Name: ___________________
Date: ____________________
AP Psychology Study Guide
Developmental Psychology (Ch. 4)
Directions: Answer the following questions in preparation for your unit test.
 All questions should be answered in complete sentences.
 Your answers should be hand written in your journal.
 A copy of this study guide should be stapled to the front of
your packet when you hand it in.
The completed study guide is due the day of your exam.
Developmental Psychology Unit Test Date: ___________________________
1. What is developmental psychology?
2. Briefly describe the three key issues debated by developmental psychologists.
3. a. Describe longitudinal and cross-sectional research.
b. Explain 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages of each
4. Describe 3 changes or characteristics of physical development at each of the following stages of life:
1. Prenatal
2. Infancy/childhood
3. Adolescence
4. Adulthood
5. Define the following terms and provide examples of each:
1. Maturation
2. Critical period
3. Teratogen
6.
a. Define attachment.
b. Describe Harry Harlow’s experiments on attachment in young monkeys, and his research findings.
c. In 3 to 4 sentences, explain why the debate regarding the ethical nature of Harlow’s research.
d. Describe the behavior of infants with each of the following attachment types:
i. Secure
ii. Anxious/ambivalent
ii. Avoidant
7. Describe the following parenting styles:
1. Permissive
2. Authoritative
3. Authoritarian
8.
a. What is cognition?
b. What is cognitive development?
c. Define schema, assimilation, and accommodation. Provide a real-life example of each term.
d. Describe Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development, including children’s abilities and limitations at
each stage.Your response should include the following terms where appropriate: object permanence,
egocentric, animism, artificialism, conservation, theory of mind.
e. What are the criticisms of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development?
9.
a. Describe the Heinz dilemma.
b. What is moral reasoning?
c. Describe Kohlberg’s theory of moral development, including all 3 stages of the theory.
d. What are the criticisms of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development?
10.
a. What are psychosocial stages?
b. Describe Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. Include all 8 stages of his theory.
c. Describe the criticisms of Erikson’s theory.
d. Describe 3 myths of psychosocial development.
11. Describe Adulthood’s ages and stages.