Developement Flashcards
Chromosomes
threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes; get 23 from each parent
Identical Twins
twins who develop from a single zygote (fertilized egg) that splits in two, creating two genetic replicas
Fraternal Twins
twins who develop from two zygotes; genetically no closer than brothers and sisters
Dominant Genes
always are expressed, even if paired with a recessive gene
Recessive Genes
only express if paired with another recessive gene
Genotype
the actual DNA of the organism
Phenotype
the outward, physical manifestation of the genotype
Behavior Genetics
the study of the power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior
Nature vs. Nurture
Nature: the way you were born
Nurture: the way you were raised
Heritability
proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes
**Environment has an impact too
Natural Selection
inherited trait variations contributing to reproduction and survival will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations
Cross-Sectional Studies
participants of different ages studied at the same time
Longitudinal Studies
one group of people studied over a period of time
Placenta
first pre-natal influence
Touch
results in faster weight gain and neurological development for both babies and animals
Parent influence
education, discipline, responsibility, orderliness, charitableness, ways of interacting with authority figures
Peer influence
learning cooperation, finding popularity, styles of peer interaction, drug behavior
Norms
an understood rule for accepted and expected behavior
Social learning theory
theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished
Gender role
a set of expected behaviors for males and females
gender identity
one’s sense of being male or female
gender-typing
the acquisition of a tradition masculine or feminine role (teaching your kids)
Trust vs. Mistrust
Infancy (0-1 year)
if needs are dependably met, infants develop a sense of basic trust
Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
Toddler hood (1-2 years) Toddlers learn to exercise their will and do things for themselves, or they doubt their abilities
Initiative vs guilt
Preschooler (3-6 years)
preschoolers learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans, or they feel guilty about their efforts to be independent
Industry vs. inferiority
Elementary School (6 years to puberty) children learn the pleasure of applying themselves to tasks, or they feel inferior
Identity vs. Role confusion
Adolescence (teen years into 20s)
teenagers work at refining a sense of self by testing roles and then integrating them to form a single identity, or they become confused about who they are
Intimacy vs. Isolation
young adulthood (20s to early 40s) young adults struggle to form close relationships and to gain the capacity for intimate love, or they feel socially isolated
Generativity vs. stagnation
middle adulthood (40s-60s) in middle age, people discover a sense of contributing to the world, usually through family and work, or they may feel a lack of purpose
Integrity vs. Despair
Late adulthood (late 60s and up) reflecting on his or her life, and older adult may feel a sense of satisfaction or failure
conception
the sperm attempts to penetrate the egg’s surface
zygote
fertilized egg, first 2 weeks of development
outer part becomes placenta
embryo
after two weeks, lasts about 6 weeks, heart begins to beat and organs begin to develop
fetus
nine weeks and onward, by six months can survive outside womb, can recognize sounds and responds to light
teratogens
chemical agents that can harm the prenatal environment
habituation
decreasing responsiveness to repeated stimuli (how quickly they get bored)
maturation
biological growth pattern
infant memory
underdeveloped hippo campus and cortex areas result in lack of long term memory before ages 3-4
gross motor skills
involve large muscle activities, such as walking
fine motor skillls
involve more finely tuned movements, such as finger dexterity
rooting reflex
baby turns to search and suck when cheek touched
moro reflex
startle response
babinski reflex
toes fan out when sole of foot touched
sensorimotor
(0-2) object permanence and baby mathematics
preoperational
(2-7) egocentric and pretend play
concrete operational
(7-11) conservation: volume and mass remain the same
formal operational
(12 and up) abstract reasoning: thinking about your thinking
Schema
mental ways we interpret/organize the world around us
assimilation
incorporating new experiences into existing schemas
accomodation
changing an existing schema to adapt to new information
imprinting
an automatic attachment formed very early in life
Harlow’s monkey experiment
monkeys preferred contact with the comfortable cloth mother even while feeding from the nourishing wire mother (need touch for attachment)
critical periods
the optimal period when an organism’s exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
Types of attachment
secure, avoidant(no emotion), anxious/ambivalent(always cry)
stranger anxiety
fear of strangers that infants commonly display, begins around 8 months
separation anxiety
distress the infant shows when object of attachment leaves, begins around 14 months
authoritarian parenting
parents impose rules and expect obedience
permissive parenting
submit to children’s desires, make few demands, use little punishment
authoritative parenting
both demanding and responsive
preconventional
obey to avoid punishment or attain rewards
key point: self-interest
conventional
uphold laws and rules because they are the laws and rules
key point: social-approval
postconventional
person follows what they personally perceive as ethical principles
key point: ethical principles
physical changes of old age
muscular strength, reactionary time, sensory keeness, and cardiac output all crest in the mid twenties
decline in fertility
chances of pregnancy for a 35-39 year old are half that of a 19-26 year old
menopause
the time of natural cessation of menstruation
occurs approximately around age 50
aging senses
our senses get worse with age, accident rates increase with age
good news about health
accumulation of antibodies result in less short term ailments (flu or cold)
Bad news about health
immune system weakens, making the body more susceptible to ailments such as pneumonia and cancer
Memory atrophy
by age 80 brain weight has decreased by 5%
overly blunt questions
Dementia
mental erosion of the brain (substantial loss of brain cells)
Alzheimer’s Disease
a progressive and irreversible brain disorder
deterioration of brain cells that produce acetylcholine
crystallized intelligence
accumulated knowledge increases with age
fluid intelligence
ability to solve problems quickly and think abstractly
peaks in 20s and decreases over time
social clock
the culturally preferred timing of social events
stages of death and grieving
denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance
primary sex characteristics
body structures that make reproduction possible
secondary sex characteristics
non-reproductive sex characteristics
landmarks for puberty
girls: menarche
boys: first ejaculation
