cueprepAP Psychology Unit 6: Developmental Psychology — Complete Review
Unit 6 covers human development across the lifespan, from prenatal development through aging and death. You'll study the major stage theories that describe how people develop physically, cognitively, socially, and morally — with special emphasis on childhood and adolescence since these are most heavily tested.
Cognitive development centers on Piaget's four stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational) and the key concepts within each: object permanence, egocentrism, conservation, and abstract reasoning. You'll compare Piaget with Vygotsky's sociocultural theory (zone of proximal development, scaffolding) and information-processing approaches.
Social and emotional development covers Erikson's eight psychosocial stages, Harlow's attachment research, Ainsworth's Strange Situation and attachment styles (secure, avoidant, anxious-ambivalent, disorganized), Kohlberg's stages of moral development, and parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, uninvolved). The unit also addresses adolescent identity formation, adulthood, and the physical and cognitive changes associated with aging.
Key Concepts
Piaget's Stages
Four stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor (0–2, object permanence), preoperational (2–7, egocentrism), concrete operational (7–11, conservation), and formal operational (12+, abstract thought).
Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory
Emphasizes social interaction and culture in cognitive development. The zone of proximal development (ZPD) is the gap between what a child can do alone and with help; scaffolding bridges it.
Attachment Theory
Harlow's monkeys showed contact comfort matters more than feeding. Ainsworth's Strange Situation identified secure, avoidant, and anxious-ambivalent attachment styles.
Erikson's Psychosocial Stages
Eight stages from trust vs. mistrust (infancy) through integrity vs. despair (late adulthood). Each stage presents a crisis that shapes personality development.
Kohlberg's Moral Development
Three levels: preconventional (self-interest), conventional (social norms and laws), and postconventional (universal ethical principles). Based on reasoning, not the moral decision itself.
Parenting Styles
Baumrind identified authoritative (high warmth, high control — best outcomes), authoritarian (low warmth, high control), permissive (high warmth, low control), and uninvolved (low warmth, low control).
Teratogens
Environmental agents (alcohol, drugs, radiation, viruses) that can harm prenatal development, especially during critical periods in the first trimester.
Adolescent Development
Marked by puberty, identity formation (Erikson's identity vs. role confusion), increased peer influence, and development of formal operational thinking.
Key Terms & Vocabulary
46 terms you need to know for Unit 6. Use our flashcards to memorize them with spaced repetition.
Study Unit 6 with Flashcards
Master Developmental Psychology using spaced repetition — the science-backed method that puts concepts in long-term memory with less study time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AP Psychology Unit 6 about?
Unit 6 covers developmental psychology — the study of how people grow and change across the lifespan. Major topics include prenatal development, Piaget's cognitive stages, Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, attachment (Harlow, Ainsworth), Erikson's psychosocial stages, Kohlberg's moral development, parenting styles, and aging.
How much of the AP Psychology exam is Unit 6?
Unit 6: Developmental Psychology accounts for approximately 7–9% of the AP Psychology exam.
What are Piaget's four stages of cognitive development?
The four stages are: sensorimotor (birth–2 years; object permanence), preoperational (2–7 years; egocentrism, lack of conservation), concrete operational (7–11 years; logical thinking about concrete objects, conservation), and formal operational (12+ years; abstract and hypothetical reasoning).
What are the four attachment styles?
Ainsworth's Strange Situation identified three main styles: secure (explores freely, distressed at separation, comforted at reunion), avoidant (little distress at separation, avoids caregiver at reunion), and anxious-ambivalent (very distressed at separation, ambivalent at reunion). Later research added disorganized attachment (inconsistent, confused behavior).