Exam 2- human development Flashcards
Prenatal Development- Germinal Stage
conception to 2 weeks
- Zygote
- 30-50% of pregnancies end during this stage, without any recognition that the pregnancy occurred
Prenatal Development- Embryonic stage
2 weeks to 8 weeks
-Formation of major organs
Prenatal Development- Fetal Stage
8 weeks through birth
Formation of bone cells
Heartbeat is detectable between 8 and 12 weeks
Brain and Sensory Development Before Birth- Hearing
Ears are connected to the brain by about 18 weeks
Response to sound occurs at 26 weeks
Brain and Sensory Development Before Birth- Smell and Taste
May be influenced by chemicals in amniotic fluid
Brain and Sensory Development Before Birth- Vision
Children are not born blind, but their vision does most of its development after birth
Maternal nutrition-
schizophrenia & antisocial personality disorder
Teratogens
substances that interfere with development and can cause birth defects
Viruses and the flu Prescription drugs --Antidepressants-Zoloft and Prozac Alcohol --Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)-affects about 1% of live births in the United States Nicotine
Early sensory development
Five major senses develop at different rates-hearing versus vision
Experience is critical
Depth perception
-Visual cliff experiment
Early brain development- Pruning
Degradation of synapses and dying off of neurons that are not strengthened by experience
Early Brain Development
Rate of brain growth slows down after age six, then more after adolescence
Brain growth does, however, continue throughout the life span
Neglect can be detrimental to brain development
Musicians have better communication between the two sides of the brain than do people who have not had musical training-larger cerebellums
Jean Piaget
researcher who come o]up with stages in early cognitive development. Was wrong on ages for each stage
Sensorimotor stage
Ages 0-2
Infants learn about the world by using their senses and by moving their bodies
Object permanence
Rene Baillargeon’s research found Piaget’s age ranges to be inaccurate (earlier then Piaget-4 mos. Instead of 9 mos.)
Preoperational stage
Ages 2-5 Begins with the emergence of symbolic thought Animistic thinking Egocentrism --Three Mountains Task Conservation is not possible Conservation Tasks
Concrete operational stage
Ages 6-11
Limitations of the preoperational stage are overcome
Child can perform mental operations - such as reversing - on real objects or events
Trouble with abstract ideas and reasoning
Formal operational stage
Ages 12 and up
Reasoning about abstract concepts and problems becomes possible
Lev Vygotsky
Felt cognitive development is more of a social event than Piaget did
Zone of proximal development
Theory of Mind
Knowledge and ideas about how other people’s minds work
False-belief task
Lawrence Kohlberg and the “Heinz Dilemma”
Preconventional level
Avoiding punishment or maximizing rewards
Conventional level
Valuing caring, trust, and relationships as well as the social order and lawfulness
Postconventional level
Universal moral rules that may trump unjust or immoral local rules
Examples
Imprinting
Occurs in lower animals, but not human beings
Attachment
Emotional connection between an infant and his/her caregiver(s)
- -Separation anxiety
- -Strange Situation Technique-2:27
Secure attachment
Happy connection and evident warmth
Insecure attachment
Avoidant – absence of obvious distress during separation
Resistant – difficulty being comforted and may actively resist contact with parent
Disorganized/Disoriented – Inconsistent behaviors, and demonstrates possible fear of the parent
Social referencing
Mimicry of others- Twins
Development of emotions
Emotional competence
Ability to control emotions and know when it is appropriate to express certain emotions
Emotional regulation
Peers can be more important than parents by mid- to late childhood
Social Development in Adolescence
Search for identity
Emergence of sexual interest and relationships
Sexual orientation during teenage years
–88% identify as predominantly heterosexual
–1-2% identify as predominantly homosexual or bisexual
–10% report confusion over sexual orientation
–True “rates” are very difficult to know for certain
