Intro to prenatal Flashcards
What is developmental psychology?
Study of change and stability over time
What is ontogenetic development?
Development over lifetime
What is micro genetic development?
Changes over brief time periods
What is phylogenetic development?
Changes over evolutionary time
Example of a quantitative developmental change?
Height/weight
Example of a qualitative developmental change?
Memory/reasoning
Fundamental issues in developmental psychology
Continuity vs
Discontinuity
4 fundamental issues in developmental psych
- ID’s
- Nature vs nurture
- Continuity vs discontinuity
- Plasticity
Is development continuous or discontinuous?
Both
Three study designs that allow us to observe change?
Longitudinal
Cross-sectional
Micro-genetic
Which study design involves children being repeatedly tested over ST time period?
Microgenetic
Continuous growth is seen from which data
Cross-sectional
Longitudinal
Discontinuous/step-like growth is seen from which data
Microgenetic
Which study design is the least time consuming?
Cross-sectional
Which study design is the most time consuming?
Longitudinal
Which two study designs might be affected by practice effects?
Longitudinal
Micro-genetic
Which study design is best for establishing cause and effect?
Experimental
What was the prevailing 17th century view of the prenatal period?
Preformationsism
Epigenesis
(What we now know)
Organs/structures develop through a series of stages
Germinal stage lasts from
Conception- 2 weeks
The fertilised egg (zygote) doubles its cells…
Twice a day
Around 2 weeks after fertilisation, the zygote
Attaches to uterus wall and becomes an embryo
Embryonic period lasts
From 2-8 weeks
Embryonic period is a period of _______
Rapid growth (key organs + structures)
Foetal period lasts
9 weeks - birth
Human conception begins when a sperm
Penetrates an ovum
Fertilised egg formed from union of sperm/egg is called
A zygote
How many zygotes survive?
Fewer than half
It is the ___ pair of chromosomes that determines the sex
23rd
Females have two ____ shaped chromosomes
X
Males have ___ shaped chromosome
XY
It is the Y chromosome that leads to
Development of a male
120-150 males are conceived to every 100 females. Why is this?
Y sperm are lighter/swim faster than X
____ are more vulnerable in the womb
Boys
Which gender is more likely to be miscarried/more susceptible to stress?
Boys
Boys are more likely to be miscarried because they….
Only have 1 X chromosome
If the growing cluster of cells breaks apart EARLY in development, this will result in
Clusters with identical genes i.e. MZ twins
Why do monozygotic twins occur?
Identical cell clusters from the same zygote
If two eggs are fertilised at the same time, this will result in
DZ twins
Which prenatal period is 2-8 weeks?
Embryonic
Embryonic Period
Inner cell mass becomes the embryo, and the rest becomes
Amniotic sac
Placenta
Amniotic sac provides…. and….
Even temperature
Cushioning
Placenta permits the..
Exchange of materials from mother to baby
Embryonic Period
The inner cell mass divides into 3 layers:
Ectoderm
Mesoderm
Endoderm
Ectoderm is the ___ layer
Top
Ectoderm is the top layer, and becomes the
Nervous system/skin/eyes etc
Mesoderm is the ____ layer
Middle
Endoderm is the ____ layer
Bottom
Mesoderm becomes the
Muscles/circulatory system
Endoderm becomes the
Digestive systen
Embryonic Period
After the layers differentiate, the U shaped groove forms down the centre and forms the
Neural tube
Embryonic Period
The neural tube becomes the
Brain and spinal cord
Embryonic Period
Which part becomes the brain and spinal cord
Neural tube
Foetal period
Which areas develop first
Areas near the head
Foetal period
During the last 5 months
Lower parts develop more rapidly
The development of sexual organs takes place in
The foetal period
It is the presence of ______ that cause male genitalia to develop
Androgens
All human foetuses, regardless of XX or XY can develop male or female genitalia.
True or false
True
Prenatal development is mainly a function of nature. How might nurture play a role?
Teratogens
Teratogens
Environmental agents that can impair prenatal development
Drugs/alcohol is an example of a
Teratogen
The effect of teratogens depends on two things:
Timing
Dose-response relationship
How does the effect of teratogens depend on timing?
Must be during a certain developmental period
Dose-response relationship
Greater the exposure the greater the damage
The most common teratogen is
Alcohol
How does alcohol access a foetus?
Crosses placenta into bloodstream/amniotic sac
______ can lead to heightened activity reflexes/abnormal startle reflexes
Alcohol
Consuming a lot of alcohol while pregnant can lead to
Foetal alcohol syndrome
