Exam 1 (AI created) Flashcards
What is the role of nature in child development?
Nature refers to our biological endowment; the genes we receive from our parents.
What does nurture refer to in the context of child development?
Nurture refers to the wide range of environments, both physical and social.
How do children shape their own development?
Through attention, language use, and play.
What is continuous development?
The idea that changes with age occur gradually, in small increments.
What is discontinuous development?
The idea that changes with age include occasional large shifts.
What is Piaget’s conservation of liquid problem?
A task where a child sees equal amounts of liquid in different containers and later thinks the taller glass has more.
Define cognitive development.
The development of thinking and reasoning.
What are the mechanisms of change in development?
Behavioral, neural, or genetic.
What is sociocultural context?
The physical, social, cultural, political, economic, and historical circumstances that make up any child’s environment.
What does socioeconomic status (SES) measure?
Social class based on income and education.
What are individual differences in child development?
Differences in genetics, treatment by parents, reactions to experiences, and choice of environments.
How can research promote children’s well-being?
Through educational innovations and specialized programs.
What is the scientific method?
An approach to testing beliefs involving choosing a question, formulating a hypothesis, testing it, and drawing a conclusion.
Define reliability in research.
The degree to which independent measurements of a given behavior are consistent.
What does validity refer to in research?
The degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure.
What is internal validity?
The degree to which effects observed can be attributed to the factor being tested.
What is external validity?
The degree to which results can be generalized beyond the particulars of the research.
What is a structured interview?
A research procedure where all participants answer the same questions.
What is naturalistic observation?
An examination of ongoing behavior in an environment not controlled by the researcher.
What is a cross-sectional design?
A research method in which participants of different ages are compared on a given behavior over a short period.
What is a longitudinal design?
A method of study where the same participants are studied multiple times over a long period.
What is a microgenetic design?
A method of study where the same participants are observed intensively over a short period while a change occurs.
Define correlational designs.
Studies intended to indicate how two variables are related to each other.
What is a third-variable problem?
The idea that a correlation between two variables may stem from both being influenced by a third variable.
What does the term ‘independent variable’ refer to?
The experience that participants in the experimental group receive and those in the control group do not.
What does the term ‘dependent variable’ refer to?
A behavior that is measured to determine whether it is affected by exposure to the independent variable.
What are teratogens?
Agents that cause harm during prenatal development.
What is a sensitive period in prenatal development?
The period during which a developing organism is most sensitive to the effects of external factors.
What are some examples of specific teratogens?
- Thalidomide
- Alcohol
- Rubella
- Zika
- Lead
What is fetal learning?
The process by which fetuses can learn and recognize stimuli before birth.
Define habituation.
A simple form of learning that involves a decrease in response to repeated or continued stimulation.
What is the HPA axis?
A system that regulates stress response in the body.
What is neurogenesis?
The proliferation of neurons through cell division, starting at 6 weeks and completing by 18 weeks after conception.
What is synaptogenesis?
The process by which neurons form synapses with other neurons, resulting in trillions of connections.
What does plasticity refer to in brain development?
The capacity of the brain to be affected by experience.
Define genotype.
The genetic material an individual inherits.
Define phenotype.
The observable expression of the genotype, including body characteristics and behavior.
What is heritability?
The proportion of variance that is due to genetic factors.
What are alleles?
Two or more different forms of a gene.
What is the classic twin study logic?
Identical twins share 100% of their alleles, while fraternal twins share 50%.
What is gene environment interaction?
The effect of one variable depends on the level of another variable.
What is the definition of passive gene environment correlation?
Children receive the same genes through biology and environment.
Fill in the blank: The average birth weight is _____ lbs.
7.5
True or False: Chronic stress can lead to childhood anxiety.
True
What is heritability?
Proportion of variance that is due to genetic factors, indicating the extent to which genes explain individual differences.
Example: The heritability of IQ is 0.52, meaning 52% of individual differences in IQ can be attributed to differences in genes.
What are the three types of gene-environment correlations?
- Passive
- Evocative
- Active
Each type describes how genetic traits can influence the environment a child experiences.
Define passive gene-environment correlation.
Children receive the same genes through biology and environment.
Example: Parents who enjoy reading tend to have children who also enjoy reading.
Define evocative gene-environment correlation.
Children’s genetic traits unintentionally trigger changes in their environment.
Example: Cute babies receive more smiles and attention.
Define active gene-environment correlation.
Children intentionally change their environment based on genetic traits.
Example: A musical child joins a band.
What is visual acuity?
Sharpness of vision, measured by the ability to discriminate between closely spaced lines.
Infants achieve 20/120 vision by 5 weeks and 20/20 vision by 8 months.
At what age do infants start to perceive colors similar to adults?
By 2 months, with improvements by 6 months.
What is object segregation?
Finding distinct coherent objects in a scene, identifying separate objects in a visual array.
What cues do adults use for object segregation?
- Physical separation
- Common motion
- Independent motion
Common motion refers to multiple objects moving together in the same direction at the same speed.
What is ‘top-down’ knowledge?
Prior knowledge, experiences, and expectations influence perception and interpretation of information.
When can infants physically separate objects?
By 2 months.
What depth perception cues are present by 3-4 months?
- Binocular disparity
- Stereopsis
These cues help infants perceive depth in their environment.
What are the key reflexes in infants and their disappearance timelines?
- Rooting: disappears by 4 weeks
- Palmar grasp: disappears by 3-4 months
- Moro/startle: disappears by 6 months
- Babinski: changes by 12 months
- Stepping: disappears by 2 months, reappears by 12 months
What are the motor milestones for infants?
- Lifts head by 4 weeks
- Arms for support by 2-4 months
- Reaching/grasping by 3-4 months
- Sits without support by 5-7 months
- Crawls by 5-11 months
- Walks alone by 11-14 months
How can cultural practices influence motor development?
In some cultures, such as Africa, stretching babies daily can lead to earlier achievement of motor milestones.
What is self-locomotion?
The ability to move oneself around in the environment.
What do visual cliff studies reveal about crawling infants?
Crawlers show more hesitation than non-crawlers at the same age when faced with a visual cliff.
What is Piaget’s concept of egocentrism in relation to object location?
Object locations are remembered relative to one’s own position when first learned.
What do dynamic-systems theories focus on?
How change occurs over time in complex systems.
