Chapter 14 Flashcards
what is conception
when an egg from the mother is fertilized by sperm form the father
what is ovulation
when an egg matures and is released into the fallopian tube
what is a teratogen
a substance that can harm the fetus including general environmental factors and substances the mother may use
when are teratogens the most harmful
when they occur in larger amounts, for longer periods of time, and during more sensitive stages ( early pregnancy, often before they even know they are pregnant)
what are the 5 newborn reflexes
rooting reflex, blink reflex, withdrawal reflex, tonic neck reflex, grasp reflex, Moro reflex, and stepping reflex
what is the rooting reflex
Baby will turn its head towards being touched on the cheek, opens their mouths and tries to suck
Ensures the infants feeding will be a reflexive habit
what is the blink reflex
A baby will close their eyes if a bright light is flashed
Protects their eyes from strong and potentially dangerous stimuli
what is the withdrawal reflex
A baby will flex their leg when the sole of their foot is picked
Keeps the exploring infant away from painful stimuli
what is the tonic neck reflex
When the baby is laid down on it’s back they will turn their head to one side and extend the arm on the same side
Helps develop hand-eye coordination
what is the grasp reflex
When an object is put into the babies palm they will grab it
Helps exploratory learning
what is the moro relfex
When a loud noise or sudden drop happens while holding the baby it will extend its arm and legs and then quickly bring them in as if trying to grasp something
what is the stepping reflex
When the baby is suspended with bare feet just above the surface the baby will make stepping motions as if trying to walk
what foods do newborns prefer until they turn around 4 months old
they prefer sweet foods but slowly become open to different tastes (salty, sour, etc.)
how can we tell what babies know
sucking behavior and the habituation technique
what does sucking behavior tell us and how
babies suck harder when shown things they prefer
what is the habituation technique
refers to the decreased responsiveness towards stimuli after it has been presented multiple times, most interested the first few times and then lose interest the more they are exposed to it
what are schemas
patterns of knowledge in long-term memory that help us recognize and respond to information
what is assimilation
using already developed schemas to understand new information, labelling something new with an already existing schema (big dog is a type of dog)
what is accomodation
learning new information and changing/adjusting the schema (can be like making a subset)
Piaget’s 4 stages of cognitive development
sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operation, formal operational
what is the sensorimotor stage and when does it occur
the stage where the child learns things through the senses, learning object permanence
occurs from birth-2y/o
what is the preoperational stage and when does it occur
stage when they start to gain the ability to internally represent the world through language and mental imagery, learn theory of mind, and are often more egocentric (unable to see other views)
occurs at 2-7y/o
what is the theory of mind
the ability to take another persons viewpoint
what is the concrete operational stage and when it occurs
begin to think logically, perform operations that are only imagined, learn conservation
occurs at 7-11y/o
what is conservation
ability to know the amount of things remain the same despite a change in appearance
what is the formal operational stage and when does it occur
they can think systematically, reason about abstract concepts, and understand ethics and scientific reasoning
occurs 11-adulthood
fault with Piaget’s stages
he probably understated the contribution of environmental factors to social development
what is Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory
argues that cognitive development is not isolated entirely within the child but occurs at least in part to social interactions
what is meant when people say community learning
children act as both teachers and learners
what are social skills
ability to understand, predict, and create bonds with other people in their environment
what are social comparisons and how do they help
after a child enter school they learn what they are good at compared to others
help develop competence and autonomy (recognizing own abilities)
why is attachment important
normal infant development requires successful attachment with a caretaker
what are the 4 attachment styles
secure, ambivalent, avoidant, disorganized
what are signs of a secure attachment style
the child explores freely while the mother is present and engages with strangers
child may be upset when mother leaves but happy when she returns
what are signs of an ambivalent attachment style
child is wary about the situation and stays close to the mother around strangers
is distressed when mother leaves and ambivalent (mixed feelings) when she returns
what are signs of an avoidant attachment style
will avoid the mother showing little emotion when she departs or returns an will not explore much
may run away when approached by mother
what are signs of a disorganized attachment style
child has no consistent way of coping with the stress of a strange situation, may cry when mother leaves but avoid mother when she returns, or try to approach but freeze and fall on the floor
how are different styles formed
socialization, how available each parent is to them
will attachment styles stay the same
to a specific person the attachment style is generally the same, but the style varies from person to person
what are longitudinal research designs
where the participants are followed and contacted over an extended period of time over multiple development stages
when is adolescence occuring
the years between the onset of puberty and the beginning of adulthood
when does puberty tend to begin for each gender
females: 9-14
males: 10-17
what hormones are produced for each gender
male: testosterone
females: estrogen and progesterone
produced by stimulation provided by pituitary gland
what are primary sex characteristics
the sex organs concerned with reproduction
what are secondary sex characteristics
features that distinguish the two sexes but not directly involved in reproduction
what psychological changes occur in male puberty
maturing early gives social advantages
often a greater risk for delinquency and more likely to engage in antisocial behaviors
what psychological changes happen in female puberty
maturing early is stressful
more likely to have emotional problems, lower self-image, higher rates of depression ,anxiety and disordered eating
why do adolescents tend to act impulsively
the prefrontal cortex responsible for reasoning, planning, and problem solving is developing slower than the emotional parts of their brain
what is an imaginary audience
something that occurs during teenage years where they feel everybody is watching them (like egocentrism of childhood)
when does early adulthood start
25-45 y/o
when does middle adulthood start and what starts to happen
45-65 y/o
start to suffer from ailments like high cholesterol and blood pressure mixed with low bone density
when does menopause occur
around 50 y/o because of the gradual decrease in the production of sex hormones
why do people think menopause has evolutionary benefits
younger mothers have more energy to take care of a child so infants have better chance of survival
do men ever fully lose their fertility
not entirely, but sperm quality does decrease
what is the social clock
the culturally preferred right time for major life events, if people don’t comply with this they are often seen as unusual or deviant
pros of marriage
often a greater life satisfaction and also suffer fewer health problems however divorce is more common
when is marriage more successful
when you marry as older adults and with more education
what are the 4 parenting styles
authoritarian, permissive, authoritative, and rejecting-neglecting
what are authoritarian parents
demanding but not responsive, impose rules and expect obedience giving punishments and rewards
what are permissive parents
few demands and give little punishment, more responsive and often allow child to make their own rules
what are authoritative paretns
both demanding and responsive to the needs and opinions of the child, set rules but explain them and open to wiggle, often results in natural consequences
what are natural consequences
outcomes that come directly form the child’s actions not imposed by the parents (if you don’t brush your teeth you get a cavity)
what are rejecting-neglecting parents
undemanding and unresponsive as well
when does late adulthood begin
around 60
why are older adults typically happier
memories become more positive with age and they tend to speak more positively about events/relationships
why do some age better than others
better ability to adjust to life changes and a more positive perception about aging
why do people in late adulthood experience memory deficits
process information slower and difficulty controlling attention
does not mean less intelligence (more crystalized intelligence over fluid intelligence)
consequences of social changes in late adulthood retirement
leaving career can cause anxiety, depression, and other negative changes to someone’s identity
things that can help retiring effectively/more positively
continue working part-time for a bit, plan for retirement, retire with someone, have a happy marriage, take care of physical and financial health, retire early is a stressful job, retire on time
five stages of grief/dying
denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
why do the stages of grief vary
depends on attitudes towards death and dying vary across cultures and religions
what is sex
ones biological category of male or female
what is gender
the cultural, social, and psychological meaning associated with masculinity and femininity
what are gender roles
behaviors, attitudes, and personality traits that are designated as either masculine or feminine in a given culture
what is gender constancy
in ages 3-6 children learn that gender is constant and doesn’t change with external attributes, they develop strong and rigid gender stereotypes and these stay that way until about 8/9
what are gender stereotypes
beliefs and expectations people think about the characteristics, preferences, and behaviors of men and women
what is gender identity
a persons psychological sense of being male or female
what is sexual orientation
the direction of a persons emotional and erotic attraction towards members of the opposite sex, same sex, or both
what does the social learning theory argue about gender
that gender roles are learned through reinforcement, punishment, and modelling (not as supported a belief)
