Development Flashcards
Development Definition
changes and continuities that occur within the individual between conception and death
Two processes: Maturation, Learning
Maturation
biologically timed unfolding of changes within the individual according to that individual’s genetic plan. Influenced by specific environmental conditions that shape the genetically determined processes
Learning
Relatively permanent changes in our thoughts, behaviours, and feelings because of our experiences. The acquisition of neuronal representation of new information
Interactionist Perspective
The view that holds that maturation and learning interact during development.
- Perspective helps understand inherited traits, prenatal development, and how the nervous system develops across the lifespan
Can learning affect maturation?
Yes. Learning from the environment modulates the maturation of human processes (maturation will be delayed if child is kept in a dark room all alone)
T/F Changes that occur earlier in life are much more dramatic than those occurring later in lif
True
Habituation Procedure
To determine if the infant can detect the difference between two stimuli
- Repeatedly presenting the infant with the same stimulus (tone or picture) while measuring changes in physiological responses like heart rate and breathing or behavioural orienting responses like head or eye movements
Habituation
A decrease in the responsiveness to a stimulus following its repeated presentation.
- used to test colour perception
Dishabituation
An increase in the responsiveness to a stimulus that is somehow different from the habituated stimulus
Event-related potentials (ERP)
A measure of the brain electrical activity evoked by presentation of stimuli.
- Special cap with an array of electrodes is placed on the scalp. Electrodes detect changes in electrical activity across a population of neurons in the brain.
- If presenting a visual stimulus, you may expect changes in activity of the occipital lobe of the brain
High Amplitude Sucking Method
- measured by a special pacifier
- measure baseline first
- If they like the music notes, they will keep sucking fast, if they do not, they will suck at baseline or maybe even slower
Preference Method
looking chamber to simultaneously look at two different stimuli. If more attention is being directed to one stimulus over the other.
Competence-Performance Distinction
An individual may fail a task not because they lack those cognitive abilities, but because they are unable to demonstrate those abilities
Longitudinal Design Research Method
A developmental research design in which the same individuals are studied repeatedly over some subset of their lifespan
- Expensive
- Time consuming
- practice effects
Cross-Sectional Design Research Method
A developmental research design in which individuals from different age groups are studied at the same point in time
- cannot distinguish age effects from generational effects
- cannot directly asses individual development stages
Zygote
Cell formed when sperm penetrates an ovum. Contains 46 chromosomes (23 chromosomes contributed from each parent)
Chromosome
Thread-like structure that is made from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
Humane Genome Project
Estimates that our chromosomes contain 30-40 thousand genes.
Monozygotic Twins (identical)
Genetically identical because they came from the same sperm and ovum
- which form one zygote and then split into two separate zygotes
Dizygotic Twins (fraternal)
Share ~50% of genes because they come from different sperm and ovum. Start off as two different zygotes from the moment of conception.
Which gender determines sex of child?
Male
- The mother always passes an x chromosome, father will pass an x or y chromosome
Genotype
An individual’s inherited genes. 30-40 thousand genes make up a genotype.
Phenotype
The expression of an individual’s genotype in terms of observable characteristics.
Ex: Hair colour, blood type, etc
Four Patterns of Genetic Expression
- Simple dominant-recessive inheritance
- Polygenetic inheritance
- Co-dominance
- Sex-linked inheritance
Simple dominant-recessive inheritance
expression of a trait is determined by a single pair of alleles. One allele is inherited from each parent together.
Homozygous
When someone has two identical alleles of a particular gene. Same effect on the phenotype.
Heterozygous
When someone has two different alleles of a particular gene. Different effects on the phenotype. Only dominant allele is expressed in the phenotype. Recessive allele not expressed but still heritable.
Polygenetic inheritance
When the expression of a trait is determined by the interaction of multiple gene
- Multiple genes determine phenotypic expression of a trait
Co-Dominance
Expression of a trait is determined equally by two dominant alleles to produce the phenotype that is a compromise between two genes
Sex-linked Inheritance
expression of a trait is determined by genes on the X or Y chromosome.
- X chromosome is larger and contains more genetic information than the Y chromosome.
- More X-linked traits and disorders that exist
Behaviourist Watson
Suggested that with proper environmental control and training, any individual can be made to become a doctor, athlete, criminal, etc.
Canalization Principle
Within a species, genotype restricts the phenotype to a small number of possible developmental outcomes.
- All members of a given species will share many phenotypic traits, even though they will have different interactions with their environment.
- Infants make the same babbling sounds even if they are deaf or born in different language environments
Range-of-Reaction Principle
Genotype establishes a range of possible phenotypes in response to different kinds of individual life experiences
1. canalization begins by restricting range of possible phenotypes based on species
3. ROR then determines where you fall into the range
Passive Genotype/ Environmental Correlations
The environment that parents choose to raise their children in was influenced by the parents’ own genes, so it will likely complement the child’s genes
Evocative Genotype/ Environment Correlations
The traits that you have inherited affect how others react to and behave toward us
Ex: Child with difficult temperament may evoke negative responses from caregivers.
Active Genotype/ Environment Correlation
Our genotypes influence the kinds of environments that we seek.
Ex: Person with thrill-seeking temperament may choose to sky dive.
Critical Period
A window of opportunity within an individual’s development in which environmental stimulation is necessary in order to see permanent changes in specific abilities
Evidence for Critical Periods
After being visually deprived for the first 6 weeks of life, kitten 1 is unable to discriminate visual patterns
Critical Period Research
Differences in brain structure were observed in rats raised in either enriched or deprived environments
Experience-Expectant Brain Growth
Our brains have evolved to expect a certain amount of environmental input, our brains develop normally. Explains why we need sufficient stimulation
Experience-Dependant Brain Growth
Our brains develop according to our own personal experiences. Beyond normal development the brain is plastic and this shaped by our personal experiences.
Sensitive Periods
Developmental periods during which a specific type of learning takes place most easily.
- Less rigid than critical periods.
- Flexibility in the timing and type of stimulation required for normal development.
