Okay, so today I wanted to dig into “maturation” as it relates to AP Psychology. It’s one of those terms that sounds simple enough, but it’s good to really nail down the specifics, especially if you’re prepping for the exam or just curious about how we develop.
First, I grabbed my trusty AP Psych textbook. I like to start with the “official” definition, just to get a baseline. I flipped through the pages and found the section on developmental psychology – that’s where maturation usually lives.
My Process of Learning
- Read the Textbook Definition: I made sure I understood the textbook’s wording. Sometimes they can be a little dense, so I re-read it a couple of times. It basically talked about how maturation is a biological process – a sequence of growth that’s pretty much pre-programmed into our genes.
- Searched for online explanations: I am not a big fan of reading text book, so I searched online and tried to find easy understanding explaination.
- Looked for Examples: The definition is one thing, but examples really help it stick. I thought about things like a baby learning to walk. That’s not something we “teach” them in the same way we teach algebra. It just…happens, as long as they have a normal, healthy environment. That’s maturation in action!
- Compared it to Learning: I wanted to be clear on the difference between maturation and learning. Learning is about experience and practice, while maturation is more about that internal, biological unfolding. So, learning to ride a bike is learning, but getting taller and stronger so you can ride a bike is maturation.
- Made Some Notes: I jotted down some key phrases and examples in my notebook. This helps me process the information and have something to refer back to later.I like to put things into my own words, just for the benefit of understanding, using the format for example, “Maturation is like…[My Analogy]”
After going through these steps, I felt like I had a much better handle on maturation. It’s not just about “getting older”; it’s about the specific, genetically-driven changes that happen in a relatively fixed order. I realized how much of early development is driven by this process, its all about nature, not only nurture.
The final thing I have done, is to tell myself, go and review my notes in a few days, this is important for me to remember this stuff long-term, not just for a test, but for really understanding how we develop as humans.
