Chapter 5: Life Span Development Flashcards
What is development?
The study of change of entire life span (from conception to death by old age)
What are the 3 stages to life before birth?
Germinal, embryonic, and fetal stages
germinal stage
the first prenatal stage of development which begins at conception and lasts two weeks.
zygote
the single cell that results when a sperm fertilizes an egg at conception
embryo
the term for the developing organism from 2 weeks until about 8 weeks after conception
embryonic stage
the second prenatal stage, from 2 weeks to 8 weeks after conception, when all of the major organs form
fetal stage
the third prenatal stage, which begins with the formation of bone cells 8 weeks after conception and ends at birth.
When is the heartbeat detectable in the fetus?
between 8 and 12 weeks
neural migration
the movement of neurons from one part of the fetal brain to their more permanent destination; occurs during months 3–5 of the fetal stage.
How early can fetal movement be detected by mother?
As early as 4 to 6 months into pregnancy
For hearing, when are the ears connected to the brain in pregnancy?
18 weeks
When does response to sound occur with fetus in pregnancy?
At 26 weeks
What is a fetus smell and taste influenced by?
Chemicals in amniotic fluid
What about a fetus vision?
While they are not born blind, it mostly develops after birth
prenatal programming
the process by which events in the womb alter the development of physical and psychological health.
teratogens
substances taken during maternal nutrition that can disrupt normal prenatal development and cause lifelong deficits.
What is pregnancy or morning sickness?
Happens during the first 3 months of pregnancy when the body is most vulnerable to teratogens such as molds or bitter foods and drinks
What are some teratogens?
Viruses or the flu (which could leave the baby exposed to get it later in life)
Prescription drugs (could cause respiratory problems)
Nicotine (interferes with oxygen supply to fetus)
Alcohol (damage to brain, cns)
What are some common side effects with teratogens?
Low birth weight, premature birth, mental retardation, physical abnormalities,
temperament
the biologically based tendency to behave in particular ways from very early in life
Personality
Stems from temperament, involing behaviors thoughts and feelings. It can be affected by parental personality during pregnancy
What are two reflxes present at birth?
Grasping (grabbing) and rooting (involuntary response by baby, when stroking its checks, looking for breastfeeding)
What are a babies fine motor skills?
Coordination of smaller muscles, proven with drawing skills
The five major senses develop at different rates besides
hearing, which is developed at birth
Experience is critical to the development of what sense?
Vision
What was found in the visual cliff experiment?
By the time babies learn how to crawl, they can perceive depth
pruning
Degradation of synapses and dying off of neurons that are not strengthened by experience
How does the brain grow?
Begins to slow down after age 6, then after adolescence, but grows throughout life span
How can neglecting children be harmful?
It can be harmful to brain development
Who was Jean Piaget
Examined cognitive development
sensorimotor stage
Piaget’s first stage of cognitive development (ages 0–2), when infants learn about the world by using their senses and by moving their bodies
object permanence
the ability to realize that objects still exist when they are not being sensed
What did Rene Baillargeons and colleagues thought of Jean Piaget?
They thought his age range for object permanence was wrong
It takes on average how long for a baby to walk?
A year/12 months. Worst case scenario, 17 months without help
How long does it take a baby to speak first words?
Average is 12 months, girls tend to speak earlier
Maturation process
Orderly unfolding of development
Whats an example of object permanency?
Infants ability to keep mental image of object in its mind even when the object is out of sight
preoperational stage
the second major stage of cognitive development (ages 2–5), which begins with the emergence of symbolic thought.
What is animistic thinking?
Baby giving real life to objects (ex: imaginary friend)
What is an infants egocentrism?
Childs inability to take viewpoint of others (i.e three mountain experiment, only choose the mountain from their perspective of sight)
Conservation
recognition that when some properties (such as shape) of an object change, other properties (such as volume) remain constant. (cant correctly estimate quantities)
concrete operational stage
Piaget’s third stage of cognitive development, which spans ages 6–11, during which the child can perform mental operations—such as reversing—on real objects or events