Developmental Psychology Flashcards
Developmental psychology
A branch of psychology that studies physical , cognitive , & social change throughout the life span
Zygote
A fertilized egg ; it enters a two week period of rapid cell division & develops into a embryo
Embryo
The developing human organism from bout two weeks after fertilization through the second month
Fetus
The developing human organism from nine weeks after conception to birth
Teratogens
Monster maker
Agents , like chemicals & viruses , that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development & cause harm
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Physical & cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant women heavy drinking
Can have small proportion head & abnormal facial features
Habituation
Decreasing responsiveness w repeated stimulation
As infant gain familiarity w repeated exposure to a visual stimulus , their interest wanes & they look away sooner
Three major issues in development psych
Nature vs nurture
Continuity & stages
Stability & change
Nature vs nurture
How does our genetic inheritance interact w our experience to influence our development ?
Newborns prefer their moms voice to their fathers immediately after birth .. why ?
Bc babies are exposed to the sound of their mother in the womb
Rooting reflex
Coordinated sequence of reflexes by which the baby gets food
Alcohol is a teratogen that can slip through the ….. & damage the fetus or embryo
Placenta
Even as newborns , we prefer sights & sounds tht facilitate social responsiveness. This can be seen by a new born preference for
Face like images
As infants gain familiarity w repeated exposure to a visual stimulus , their interest wanes & they look away sooner … the decrease in a infants responsiveness is called
Habituation
What is the prenatal dev sequence ?
Zygote , embryo , fetus
Maturation
Biological growth that enable orderly changes in behavior , relatively un influenced by experience
Ex ; standing before walking
By when do you have most of your brain cells ?
On the day that you are born
Where is brain growth most rapid from ages 3 to 6 ?
In the frontal lobes Bc it’s enabling rational planning
What are theory areas of the brain to develop ?
Thinking
Memory
Language
When is the average age of people earliest memories ?
Your third & fourth year of age
As the infants brain develops ; some neural pathways will decay if not used
This use it or lose it process is known as
Pruning
Which of the following depends least on the maturation process ?
Telling time
Cognition
All the mental activities associated w thinking , knowing , remembering , & communicating
Schema
A concept or framework that organizes & interests information