3A Heredity and Environmental Factors

Question 1

Psychological development

Answer 1

Changes in an individual’s cognitive, emotional and social abilities from infancy to old age.

Question 2

Cognitive development

Answer 2

thoughts and mental processes

Question 3

Emotional development

Answer 3

Feelings

Question 4

Social development

Answer 4

External environment/ interaction/relationship with others

Question 5

Hereditary factors

Answer 5

biological influences on development that result from the genetic information passed from biological parents to their offspring

Question 6

Genes

Answer 6

the basic units of heredity that contain genetic information and form a section of DNA

Question 7

Heredity (inheritance)

Answer 7

passing on of genes or genetic information from parents to their offspring.

Question 8

Genotype

Answer 8

all the genes that a person has inherited from their biological parents

Question 9

Phenotype

Answer 9

how a person’s genes are expressed

Question 10

Environmental factors

Answer 10

the different external influences within a person’s environment that can affect their development.

Question 11

Possible environmental factors

Answer 11

Emotional environment
Socio-cultural environment
Learning environment
Prenatal environment
Physical environment

Question 12

Examples of Emotional Environments

Answer 12

Support and encouragement.
Attachment
Relationships
Comfort

Question 13

Examples of Socio-cultural environment

Answer 13

Family’s religious beliefs and faith
Difference in household income
Culture (workplace, home, school, sport , etc.)
Social norms

Question 14

Examples of learning environment

Answer 14

quality of education
Sensory and stimulation
Play

Question 15

Examples of Prenatal environment

Answer 15

mother’s nutrition
while pregnant,
alcohol/drug use,
exposure to toxins

Question 16

Examples of Physical environment

Answer 16

exposure to
pollutants, disease,
extreme temperatures,
nutrition,
accidents/injuries

Question 17

Why is it important for psychologists to study development throughout the life span

Answer 17

• understand how humans learn,
  mature and adapt over time.
• psychologists can provide explanations for our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
• if psychologists are aware of the changes
  that might be expected at different stages of the life span, they can better understand what
  ‘normal’ or ‘typical’ development looks like and identify when something is not normal, or ‘atypical’.