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Development Psychology > Exam 1 > Flashcards

Exam 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Three Stages of Prenatal Development

A

I. Germinal
II. Embryonic
III. Fetal

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2
Q

Duration of prenatal development stages

A

I. Germinal (0-2 weeks)
II. Embryonic (3-8 weeks)
III. Fetal (9 weeks-birth)

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3
Q

What happens during the duration the germinal stage?

A
  • Zygote is not susceptible to environmental factors
  • Fertilization and formation of zygote
  • Cell division as zygote falls fallopian tubes
  • Stage ends with implantation in the uterine wall
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4
Q

What happens during the duration the embryonic stage?

A
  • Cell migration
    (newly formed cells move from the place division occurs to the final destination)
  • Cell differentiation
    (sections of genes (DNA) create proteins that determine what cell type it will become)
  • Cell “death”
    (genetically programmed death of cells (Apoptosis)
    (necrosis - cell death caused by trauma)
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5
Q

What stage is the time of the most sensitive period?

A

Embryonic stage
- A sensitive period
- All major body structures and organ systems are forming, most sensitive to teratogens

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6
Q

What is the support system that develops along the embryo?

A
  • Amniotic sac (protective buffer)
  • Placenta (exchange center)
  • Umbilical cord
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7
Q

Development occurs from?

A

From head down (Cephalocaudal)
From center out (Proximodistal)

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8
Q

What happens during the fetal stage?

A
  • Swallowing
  • Breathing movements
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9
Q

Fetal movement

A

5-10 weeks or so: constant movement
10-20 weeks or so: more periodic
20 weeks: 3/4 of time in quiet, active sleep states (REM sleep)

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10
Q

Teratogens

A

An agent that alters the growth or structure of the developing embryo or fetus; it can cause damage or death during prenatal development

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11
Q

Types of environmental agents

A

Presence: of an agent that is not typically part of normal development (e.g. drugs, lead, alcohol)

Absence or lack: of environmental input needed for typical development (e.g. folic acid, nutrition)

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12
Q

What are some of the factors that can influence the degree of harm a teratogen will cause?

A
  • Timing of exposure
  • Dose-response relation: the amount of exposure
  • Individual differences in susceptibility
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13
Q

What are some methodological complications? (In relation to teratogens)

A
  • Sleeper-effects
  • Invisible pollutants
  • Cumulative risk
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14
Q

What methods are used to examine teratogens on developmental trajectories?

A
  • Observational studies: prospective and retrospective
  • Experimental animal studies
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15
Q

What is the most sensitive period of a developing fetus? Why?

A

Embryonic stage
It is a critical period because it’s the formation of internal and external structures

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16
Q

Thalidomide and importance?

A
  • Medicine used to treat nausea in pregnancy
  • Infants were born with limb abnormalities and malformations of organs
  • Sensitive period (24-36 after fertilization)
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17
Q

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FASD)

A
  • Fetus is exposed to large amounts of alcohol over a long period of time
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18
Q

Criteria for FASD diagnosis

A
  • Alcohol exposure
  • Growth
  • Facial characteristics
  • Cognition
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19
Q

Birth canal vs cesarean section

A
  • Being squeezed through birth canal reduces size of head which stimulates hormone production that helps breathing after birth
  • Forces amniotic fluid from lungs
  • C-section is critical to save lives
20
Q

Preterm births (less than 37/8 months, low bw 5.5 lb)

A
  • Maternal stress
  • Diet
  • Health
  • Drug abuse
21
Q

Why do so many babies die in the richest country in the world?

A
  • Disparities due to inequality
  • Poverty—no health insurance, limited access to good prenatal care
  • Other developed countries (with better rankings) typically have
    government-sponsored health care
22
Q

Infant sleep?

A
  • Babies sleep 2x more than adults
  • Pattern of REM and non-REM sleep changes
23
Q

Why is there so much REM in babies?

A

Auto-stimulation theory - high activity in visual areas of the brain during REM
- Their high level of brain activity during REM makes up for the lack of visual stimulation for typical newborns and helps develop visual stimuli while babies sleep

24
Q

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

A
  • Infants stop breathing during sleep without any obvious cause
  • Majority of cases are between 2-4 months
  • Causes still unclear
25
Q

To prevent sudden infant death

A
  • Parents shouldn’t smoke around baby!
  • On firm mattress, no pillow, bumpers,
    excess blankets (use sleep sack, or tuck in
    firmly)
  • Keep infants cool, not overly warm
  • Share a room, not a bed
  • Breastfeedyndrome
26
Q

Crying characteristics

A
  • Peak crying is the first 3 months
  • Peak time is late afternoon/evening
  • Early crying is an indicator of discomfort or attempt to communicate
27
Q

How to soothe the crying?

A
  • Moderately intense and continuous or repetitive stimulation
  • Swaddling—wrap tightly, restrict limb
    movement
  • Distracting—works temporarily
  • Touch/carrying
  • Ride in car or stroller or baby swing
  • Taste of something sweet*
28
Q

Colic babies

A
  • Excessive crying for no apparent reason
  • To diagnose 3hrs/a day, 3 days/week, 3 weeks in duration
  • Peaks at 6 weeks and resolves between 12-16 weeks
29
Q

Infant feeding benefits

A
  • Carbohydrates, enzymes, and hormones that promote intestinal
    health/biochemical balance– breast milk is an immune booster
  • Lower rates of SIDS, infections, asthma, childhood leukemia, high blood
    pressure, obesity, and diabetes
  • Positive effects of cognitive development
  • Bonding, attachment
  • For mom: reduces risk of breast and ovarian cancer
30
Q

The nueron

A
  • Basic unit of information processing in the brain
  • Cells specialized for sending and receiving messages between brain and body
31
Q

Parts of the neuron

A
  • Soma
  • Dendrites
  • Axon

Neurons make up the grey matter of the brain

32
Q

Soma

A
  • Also cell body, integrates incoming and outgoing signals
33
Q

Dendrites

A
  • Receive incoming signals and relays it to soma
34
Q

Axon

A
  • Carries outgoing information to other neurons, muscles, or glands
35
Q

Arborization of dendrites

A
  • Development of new dendrite branches
  • Increases capacity to form connections with other neurons
  • Continues to grow across first few years of life
36
Q

Supporting cells (glial cells) functions

A
  • Glue: hold the neurons in place
  • Nourishment: convert glucose into lactate that feeds the
    neurons
  • Development: guide newly created neurons to their
    proper spot
  • Protection/Increase Speed: Glial cells that accomplish
    this are made of a fatty substance known as myelin
37
Q

Myelination

A
  • Myelin formed by glial cells
  • Neural signals = fast and efficient
  • Myelin growth begins before birth but continues as late as age 25
38
Q

Neurogenesis

A
  • Production of neurons through cell division
  • Rapid neurogenesis during 3rd and 4th week of prenatal life
39
Q

“Use ir or lose it”

A
  • Synapses that are used are strengthened
  • Synapses that are not used are eliminated (pruning)
40
Q

Synaptogenesis

A
  • Formation of synapses between
    neurons in early brain development
41
Q

Pruning

A
  • The number of synapse drop
    significantly (up to 50%) between the
    ages of 2 and 10
42
Q

Why does the brain develop this way?

A
  • Genes are setting the possibility for the specificity of connections
  • Experience shows what connections are functional as they get used
43
Q

Experience-expectant plasticity

A
  • Brain expects input from the environment, receives after birth
  • Like vision development, social/language development
  • Involves synapse and pruning
44
Q

Experience-dependant plasticity

A
  • Happens throughout life
  • Relates to all learning
  • Individual experience
45
Q

Genotype

A
  • Genetic material an individual inherits
46
Q

Phenotype

A
  • Observable expression of the genotype (body characteristics and behavior)
47
Q

Genetics and environment IQ

A
  • Variations in IQ is more likely
    due to genetics in high SES
    contexts
  • Variations in IQ is more likely
    due to shared environment in
    low SES contexts
  • As family income increases,
    the influence of the
    environment decreases
    and the influence of the
    genes increase

Development Psychology (1 decks)

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