Developmental Psychology Module 1 Flashcards
Werner 1989
The Kauai Study, a groundbreaking longitudinal study, spanned over 40 years and focused on the development of 698 children born on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 1955. This research project aimed to assess the long-term consequences of stressors before, during, and shortly after birth.
Proof of resilience through things like positive role models
reasons to study child development
raising children, meta-analysis, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala
meta-analysis
method for combining results from individual studies reach conclusions based on all of them
pre-frontal cortex
associated with planning, reasoning, problem-solving, and other high-level mental functions
amygdala
area of brain involved in emotional reactions
Plato’s Belief
believed in innate knowledge
Aristotle’s Belief
all knowledge comes from experience, tabula rasa
Locke’s Belief
tabula rasa
most important goal of child rearing is the growth of character
discipline before freedom
Rosseau’s Belief
give all children maximum amounts of freedom
children learn through openness
no formal education until 12 because that is the age of reason
Darwin + Evolutionary Theory: How does development give insight into nature?
how do nature and nurture together shape environment?
joint workings between genes and the environment
genome
set of hereditary information
epigenetics
study of stable changes in gene expression modified by the environment
methylation
biochemical process that influences behavior by suppressing gene activity and expression
how do children shape their own development?
selective attention, “crib speech”, and play
continuous development
change occurring gradually, like a pine growing taller and taller
discontinuous development
changes occurring with age in occasional large shifts like caterpillars to cocoon to butterfly
stage theories
approaches proposing that development involves a series of large, discontinuous, and age-related phases (Jean Piaget)
cognitive development
Piaget Stage Theory -> 4 Stages of Cognitive Growth
how is development discontinuous/continuous?
how does change occur?
mechanisms
effortful attention -> voluntary control of one’s emotions and thoughts
limbic area
plays role in emotional reactions
anterior cingulate & prefrontal cortex
setting and attending to goals
neurotransmitters
chemicals in communicating among brain cells
hippocampus
learning and remembering
sociocultural context
physical, social, cultural, political, economic, and historical circumstances for child development
socioeconomic status (SES)
a measure of social class based on income and education
cumulative risk
the accumulation of disadvantages over years of development
epigenesis
emergence of new structures and functions over the course of development
gametes (germ cells)
reproductive cells (egg and sperm) that contain only half the genetic material of all the other cells in body
meiosis
cell division that produces gamates
conception
union of egg and sperm
mitosis
cell division that makes two identical cells (sister cells)
embryo
developing organism from 3rd to 8th week of prenatal development
fetus
developing organism from 9th week to birth
embryonic stem cells
1.) mitosis
2.) cell migration
3.) cell differentiation
4.) apoptosis
embryonic stem cells
can develop into any type of body cells
apoptosis
genetically programed cell death
identical (monozygotic) cells
twins that result from splitting in half of the zygote resulting in each of the two zygotes having exactly the same set of genes
fraternal (dizygote) twins
when two eggs happen to be released into the fallopian tube at the same time and are fertilized by two different sperm. only have half their genes in common
ectopic pregnancy
pregnancy in which fertilized egg are on the outside of the uterus; life threatening
neural tube
a groove formed in the top layer of differentiated cells in the embryo that eventually becomes the brain and spinal cord
amniotic sac
a transparent, fluid-filled membrane that surrounds and protects the fetus
placenta
a support organ for the fetus; it keeps the circulatory systems of the fetus and pregnant parent separate, but a semipermeable membrane permits the exchange of some materials between them (oxygen and nutrients from pregnant parent to fetus, and carbon dioxide and waste products from fetus to pregnant parent)
umbilical cord
a tube containing the blood vessels connecting the fetus and placenta
cephalocaudal development
the pattern of growth in which areas near the head develop earlier than areas farther from the head
Trimester 1 Week 1 Milestones
Zygote travels from fallopian tube to womb and embeds in uterine lining; cells arrange into a ball and begin to form embryo and support system.
Trimester 1 Weeks 2-3 Milestones
Embryo forms three layers, which will become the nervous system and skin; muscles, bones, and circulatory system; and digestive system, lungs, and glands; neural tube also develops.
Trimester 1 Week 4 Milestones
Embryo forms three layers, which will become the nervous system and skin; muscles, bones, and circulatory system; and digestive system, lungs, and glands; neural tube also develops.
Trimester 1 Weeks 5-9 Milestones
Facial features differentiate; rapid brain growth occurs; internal organs form; fingers and toes emerge; sexual differentiation has started.
Trimester 1 Weeks 10-12 Milestones
Heart develops its basic adult structures; spine and ribs develop more fully; brain forms major divisions.
Trimester 2 Weeks 13-24 Milestones
Lower body growth accelerates; external genitalia are fully developed; body develops hairy outer covering; fetus can make basic facial expressions; fetal movements can be felt by the pregnant parent.
Trimester 2 Weeks 25-38 Milestones
Fetus triples in size; brain and lungs are sufficiently developed at 28 weeks to allow survival outside of womb; visual and auditory systems are functional; fetus is capable of learning and behaviors begin to emerge.
phylogenetic continuity
humans share many characteristics, behaviors, and developmental processes with nonhuman animals, especially mammals, due to our common evolutionary history
habituation
a simple form of learning that involves a decrease in response to repeated or continued stimulation
dishabituation
the introduction of a new stimulus rekindles interest following habituation to a repeated stimulus
teratogen
an external agent that can cause damage or death during prenatal development
sensitive/critical period
the period in which a developing organism is most sensitive to effects of external factors
dose-response relation
relation which the effect of exposure to an element increases with the extent of exposure
SIDs
sudden, unexpected death of infants younger than a year with no identifiable cause
FASD
harmful effects of alcohol consumption on a developing fetus, including characteristic facial features, intellectual development disorder, attention changes, and hyperactivity
neurons
cells that are specialized for sending and receiving messages between the brain and the other parts of the body, as well as within the brain itself
cell body
component of the neuron that contains the basic biological material that keeps neuron functioning
dendrite
neural fibers that receive input from other cells and conduct it toward the the cell body in the form of electrical impulses
axons
neural fibers that conduct electrical signals from the cell body in the form of electrical impulses
synapses
microscopic junctions between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendritic branches or cell body of another
glial cells
cells in the brain that provide a variety of supportive function
form the myelin sheath
myelin sheath
fatty sheath that forms around certain axons in the body and increase the speed and efficiency of information transmission
cerebral cortex
“gray matter” of the brain, consisting of four distinct lobes
occipital lobe
major area of the cortex that is primarily involved in processing visual information
parietal lobe
major area of the cortex that is associated with spatial processing and sensory information integration
temporal lobe
major area of the cortex that is associated with speech and language, music, and emotional information
frontal lobe
major area of the cortex that is associated with working memory and cognitive control
association areas
major area of the cortex that is associated with working memory and cognitive control
cerebral hemispheres
two halves of the cortex
corpus callosum
a dense tract of nerve fibers that enable the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate
cerebral lateralization
the specialization of the hemispheres of the brain for different modes of processing
neurogenesis
proliferation of neurons through cell division
aborization
formation of new dendritic trees and branches
spines
formations on the dendrites of neurons that increase the dendrites’ capacity to form connections with other neurons
myelination
the formation of myelin (a fatty sheath) around the axons of neurons that speeds and increases information-processing abilities
synaptogenesis
the process by which neurons form synapses with other neurons, resulting in trillions of connections
synaptic pruning
the normal developmental process through which synapses that are rarely activated are eliminated
plasticity
the capacity of the brain to be affected by experience
experience-expectant plasticity
the process through which the normal wiring of the brain occurs in part as a result of species-typical experiences (leads to heightened vulnerability) “The downside is heightened vulnerability. If the experience that the developing brain “expects” does not occur, development may be compromised. This phenomenon is exemplified by the classic work of Hubel and Wiesel, who deprived kittens of light exposure in one of their eyes (Hubel & Wiesel, 1962, 1970; Wiesel & Hubel, 1963). When the eye was later reopened, it was functionally blind; the cells that would have normally responded to it had reorganized, responding instead to the eye that had continued to receive visual input.”
experience-dependent plasticity
the process through which neural connections are created and reorganized throughout life as a function of an individual’s experiences
scientific method
