L7: DEVELOPMENT ACROSS LIFESPAN Flashcards
What is developmental psychology ?
study of physical cognitive and social change throughout a life span
A sensitive period is …
the ideal time that an experience should happen for ideal development
An example of something that must happen during the sensitive period
Language
A passive child….
allows the environment to shape them
2 Research strategies for developmental learning
- cross-sectional studies
- Longitudinal studies
Cross-sectional studies …
measure individuals of various ages at one point in time and provide information about age differences `
Longitudinal studies….
measures a single individual or group of individuals over an extended period and gives information about age changes
Benefits and disadvantages of cross-sectional studies :
benefit: fast
disadvantage: not everyone lived the same experiences
Benefits and disadvantages of Longitudinal studies ….
benefit: you get a proper grasp of developmental progression
disadvantage: practice effects, attrition
What are the periods of development?
- prenatal
- infancy
- early childhood
- middle childhood
- adolesence
POD? Conception to birth
prenatal
POD? 0-2 years?
Infancy
POD? 6-12 years?
Middle childhood
POD 12-18 years?
adolescence
Whats the name of the cells produced in order to have conception?
Zygotes
How long approximately does prenatal development last?
266 days- considered full term
Periods of Prenatal Development: (3)
- Germinal period- from conception through implantation
- Period of the embryo-formation of major organ systems
- Period of the fetus - organ systems begin to function
What is considered full term for a embryo?
38-40 weeks
Process of division during the germinal period is called …
cleavage
How long does it take a zygote to reach the uterus?
3-4 days
What is a blastocyst?
-a fluid-filled ball
- inner layer of cells that develop during the germinal period
- eventually what forms the embryo
Whats the inner and outer part of a blastocyst called?
Inner= embryoblast
Outer= trophoblast
What marks the end of the germinal period and the start of the embryonic period ?
implantation of the blastocyst
What happens during the fetal period?
-rapid growth
-organs begin to function
-fetus becomes responsive and viable
When does our internal nervous system and organs form, what stage?
embryonic period
What is a teratogen?
any disease, drug, or environment agent that can harm a developing embryo or fetus
Example of a teratogens:
-drugs
- infections
- radiation
- pollution
T/F: Almost everyone is exposed to teratogens as an embryo.
True
What factors does the effect of a teratogen depend on?
- the timing of the exposure
Teratogens introduced during the germinal period….
usually results in abortion
What is synapse pruning?
experience determines which synapse will live or die
Myelination
myelin insulates axons so that signals can travel faster
What is the sepalincudal principle?
we develop from the top down
Distal proxy means ….
things on the midline develop first
What are some significant events for men and women that happen during adolescence, that mark it?
WOMEN= menarche, aka menstration
MEN= production of sperm
What are some of the physical developments acquired during adolescence? For men, for women?
- beginning of puberty
- development of sex characteristics
HPGA …
regulates hormones in the body
Life expectancy:
the # of years an average member of a species is expected to live
Life Span….
the maximum age possible for members of a given species to live
Cellular clock theory
that cells have a limited period of time for division and renewal
Wear and tear theory
view aging as a cumulative effect of repeated stress and damage on the body over time
Cognitive Development:
all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering and communicating.
What did Piaget believe about children and there cognative development?
that they learn from their errors, and over come them, developed universally
Schema …
-a concept that organizes and interprets information
- units of knowledge
Assimilation….
the process of interpreting new information in terms of existing schemas
Accommodation….
the process of modifying existing schema in response to new information
Preoperational Stage
able to represent things with words and images but too young to perform mental operations
Egocentrisim
inability to take the perspective of another person
Theory of mind…
peoples ideas about their own and others mental states
T/F: Development declines with age.
true
T/F: cognitive abilities do not inevitably decline
true
