1 - Development

Question 1

What is development

Answer 1

changes and continuities that occur within the individual between conception and death

Question 2

What is maturation

Answer 2

biologically-timed unfolding of changes within the individual according to that individual’s genetic plan

Question 3

What is learning

Answer 3

relatively permanent changes in our thoughts, behaviours, and feelings because of experiences

Question 4

What is interactionist perspective

Answer 4

maturation and learning interact during development

Question 5

What are the methods of studying infants

Answer 5

habituation procedure
event-related potentials (ERP)
high-amplitude sucking method
preference method

Question 6

What does the habituation procedure test

Answer 6

abiltliy to detect novel stimuli

tests repiratory rate
- dishabituation: increase in responsiveness to a stimulus that is somehow different from habituated stimulus
- habituation: decrease in responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated presentation

Question 7

What does event related potentials test

Answer 7

how brain reacts to stimulus

using electrodes on cap –> detect changes of electrical activity across neurons in the brain (changes in region of interest)

Question 8

What does the preference method test

Answer 8

Which 2 stimuli likes more

looking chamber –> look simultaneously –> measures the direction they are looking
- equal attention? = used after researchers know infant can discriminate 2 stimuli
- infants prefer lots of patterns and faces

Question 9

What is competence-performance distinction

Answer 9

the individual may fail a task not because lack cognitive abilities but because unable to demonstrate those abilites

Question 10

What are the developmental research designs
Describe them

Answer 10

longitudinal design: same individuals are studied repeatedly over some subset of their life
cross sectional design: different age groups are studied same point in time
- drawback –> can’t distinguish age effects from generational effects, doesn’t directly assess developmental change (makes inferences)

longitudinal + cross-sectional

Question 11

What is a genotype

Answer 11

an individuals inherited genes

Question 12

What is a phenotype

Answer 12

expression of an individuals genotype in terms of observable characteristics

Question 13

What are the patterns of genetic expression

Answer 13

1. simple dominant-recessive inheritance
2. polygenic inheritance
3. codominance
4. sex-linked inheritance

Question 14

What is simple-dominant recessive inheritance

Answer 14

expression of a trait is determined by single pair of alleles

homozygous: 2 identical alleles of a particular gene
heterozygous: 2 different alleles of a particular gene

Question 15

What is polygenic inheritance

Answer 15

expression of a trait is determined by the interaction of multiple genes

no single gene can account for most complex behaviours

Question 16

What is codominance

Answer 16

expression of trait determined equally by 2 dominant alleles
- ie. blood type

Question 17

What are sex-linked inheritance

Answer 17

expression of a trait determined by genes on the X or Y chromosome

sex-linked recessive gene disorders less common in females

Question 18

What is the canalization principle

Answer 18

within a psecies, genotype restricts phenotype to a small number of possible developmental outcomes

some developmental processes are buffered against environemental variability

Question 19

What is the range of reaction principle

Answer 19

genotype establishes a range of possible phenotypes in response to different kinds of individual life experiences

Question 20

What are the types of genotype/environment correlations

Answer 20

passive
evocative
active

Question 21

What is a passive genotype/environment correlation

Answer 21

the environment that parents chose to raise their children in was influenced by their parent’s own genes
- will likely compliment child’s genes

Question 22

What is evocative genotype/environment correlation

Answer 22

traits that we have inherited affect how otheres react to and behave towards us

Question 23

What is active genotype/environment correlation

Answer 23

our genotype influences the kind of environments that we seek

Question 24

Describe the amount of influence each genotype/environment correlations have with age

Answer 24

active: small to significant
evocative: same significance
passive: significant to minimal

Question 25

What is the critical period

Answer 25

window of opportunity within an individuals development in which particular environmental stimulation is necessary in order to see permanent changes in specific abilities
- can lead to overstimulation
- could affect adoption
- could affect public policy on child intervention

Question 26

What is experience-expectant brain growth

Answer 26

our brains have evolved to expect a certain amount of environmental input –> our brains develop normally
- sufficient stimulation required
- normal development

Question 27

What is experience-dependent brain growth

Answer 27

our brains develop according to our own personal experiences (subtle changes)
- unique stimulation
- beyond normal development

Question 28

What is sensitive periods

Answer 28

developmental periods during which a specific type of learning takes place most easily
- less rigid than critical periods
- flexibility in timing and type of stimulation required for normal development