GCSE Psychology: Development & Attachment Revision

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Do babies attach only to whoever feeds them?

Development & Attachment is a core part of GCSE Psychology. Revise the key concepts and common mistakes below, then lock them in with the free games.

Key concepts

VygotskySocial constructivist stressing culture and language.

Zone of proximal developmentGap between what a child can do alone and with help.

ScaffoldingAdult support gradually removed as a child learns.

ConservationKnowing quantity stays the same despite shape change.

Concrete operationalStage 7-11: logical thought about concrete objects.

Formal operationalStage 11+: abstract and hypothetical reasoning.

Hughes' policemanTask showing 90% of 4-year-olds are not egocentric.

Object permanenceKnowing objects exist when out of sight.

ReadinessIdea that children learn when biologically prepared.

SchemaA mental framework that organises knowledge about the world.

AssimilationFitting new information into an existing schema.

What your exam board covers

Where Development & Attachment sits in each exam board's specification. Tap a board to see what it lists.

AQADevelopmentSpec 8182

Part of: Paper 1 — Cognition and behaviour

Source: AQA GCSE Psychology (8182) specification — Subject content, accessed 23 June 2026.

EdexcelTopic 1: DevelopmentSpec 1PS0

Early brain development (forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, cerebellum, medulla)
Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development and the four stages
Dweck's mindset theory (fixed and growth mindset)
Willingham's learning theory
Key studies: Piaget and Inhelder (1956); Gunderson et al. (2013)
Issues and debates: morality

Source: Pearson Edexcel GCSE Psychology (1PS0) specification, accessed 23 June 2026.

OCRDevelopmentSpec J203

Part of: Studies and applications in psychology 1

Source: OCR GCSE (9–1) Psychology (J203) specification, accessed 23 June 2026.

Learn Development & Attachment step by step

Free interactive mini-lessons: short screens, worked examples and quick checks. Pick your exam board:

Common mistakes to avoid

Questions where students often pick the tempting wrong answer — make sure you know the right one:

Do babies attach only to whoever feeds them?✗ Yes, attachment forms only with the feeder. ✓ No — comfort and responsiveness matter more than feeding.

Can early attachment affect later relationships?✗ No, early experiences have no later effect. ✓ Yes — early attachment can act as a template for later relationships.

Practise Development & Attachment — free games

Test yourself with these quick revision games for this topic:

▶ Two Truths, One Lie ▶ Reveal Race ▶ Connections Grid ▶ Falling Words ▶ Word Web

See all 22 games in the Revision Arcade →

Development & Attachment

Key concepts

What your exam board covers

Common mistakes to avoid

Practise Development & Attachment — free games

More GCSE Psychology topics