Intro & Prenatal Development

Question 1

What is developmental psychology?

Answer 1

The study of change and stability over the lifespan
Specifically how we change physically, cognitively, behaviourally and socially over time due to biological, individual and environmental differences

Question 2

What is ontogenetic development?

Answer 2

The development of an individual over their lifetime

Question 3

What is microgenetic development?

Answer 3

Changes that occur over very brief periods of time

Question 4

What is phylogenetic development?

Answer 4

Changes that occur over evolutionary time

Question 5

When is the prenatal stage of development?

Answer 5

Conception to birth

Question 6

When is the infancy stage of development?

Answer 6

Birth to 2 years

Question 7

When is the preschool stage of development?

Answer 7

2 to 4 years

Question 8

When is the childhood stage of development?

Answer 8

5 to 12 years

Question 9

When is the adolescence stage of development?

Answer 9

12 to 18 years

Question 10

When is the young adulthood stage of development?

Answer 10

18 to 40 years

Question 11

When is the middle - late adulthood stage of development?

Answer 11

40 - 65 years

65 years and over

Question 12

What is preformationism?

Answer 12

The popular belief that miniature people lived in sperm and started to grow when the sperm met the egg

Question 13

What is Epigenesis?

Answer 13

The term describing that new organs and structures develop through a series of stages throughout prenatal development

Question 14

When does the Germinal stage take place?

Answer 14

Conception - 2 weeks

Question 15

What happens during the germinal stage?

Answer 15

The fertilised egg (zygote) doubles its cells twice a day
Around 2 weeks after fertilisation, the zygote attaches to the uterus wall and the cells become an embryo
Fewer than half of zygotes survive

Question 16

When does the Embryo stage take place?

Answer 16

2 - 8 weeks

Question 17

What happens during the embryo stage?

Answer 17

A period of rapid growth when key organs and structures develop
The inner cell mass become the embryo and the rest becomes the amniotic sac and the placenta

Question 18

What is the amniotic sac?

Answer 18

A membrane filled with clear fluid which provides an even temperature and cushioning

Question 19

What is the placenta?

Answer 19

It permits the exchange of materials from the mother to the embryo/foetus via the bloodstream through blood vessels that make up the umbilical cord

Question 20

Which three layers are formed from the inner cell mass at the beginning of the embryo stage?

Answer 20

The ectoderm (top layer) 
The mesoderm (middle layer)
The endoderm (bottom layer)

Question 21

What does the ectoderm become?

Answer 21

The nervous system, nails, teeth, inner ear, lens of eyes and skin

Question 22

What does the mesoderm become?

Answer 22

The muscles, bones, circulatory system, inner layers of the skin and internal organs

Question 23

What does the endoderm become?

Answer 23

The digestive system, lungs, urinary tract and glands

Question 24

Outline the formation of the brain and spinal cord

Answer 24

Once the layers differentiate, a u shaped groove forms down the centre of the ectoderm and the top of the groove fused to form the neural tube
The neural tube becomes the brain and SC

Question 25

When does the foetus stage take place?

Answer 25

9 weeks - birth

Question 26

What happens during the foetus stage?

Answer 26

Marks a time in growth and development in the organs
Areas near the head develop earlier
During the last 5 months, the lower parts develop more rapidly
The development of sexual organs takes place early in this period
All human features regardless of whether they are M or F can develop M or F genitalia
Its the presence or absence of androgens that cause M genitalia to develop

Question 27

How is gender determined?

Answer 27

Whether sperm X or Y fertilises the egg

Question 28

Outline prenatal sex differences

Answer 28

Sperm that carry Y chromosome are lighter and swim faster, so 120-150 males are conceived to every 100 females
But at birth only 106 males to 100 females

Question 29

Why are boys more vulnerable prenatally?

Answer 29

Because they only have one X chromosome, so if they have a defective gene on the X chromosome, they do not have a functioning copy to balance this out

Question 30

What are teratogens?

Answer 30

Environmental agents (drugs), diseases, and physical conditions that can affect the growing embryo/foetus
They can impair prenatal development leading to birth defects or prenatal death

Question 31

What do the effects of teratogens depend on?

Answer 31

Timing - may only cause damage if present during a certain period of development
The dose-response relationship - the greater the exposure, the more likely the damage

Question 32

What is the most common human teratogen?

Answer 32

Alcohol

Question 33

What does alcohol do to the foetus?

Answer 33

Crosses the placenta into their bloodstream and amniotic sac
Stays in the foetuses blood stream for longer
Can lead to heightened activity reflexes and abnormal startle reflexes
Can also lead to FAS - facial defects, hyperactivity and behavioural problems