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developmental psychology > Lecture 3: Prenatal, Brain, and Sensory Development > Flashcards

Lecture 3: Prenatal, Brain, and Sensory Development Flashcards

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1
Q

pituitary gland

A

an endocrine gland controlled by the hypothalamus and produces growth hormone

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2
Q

thyroid gland

A

plays an important role in growth and development of the nervous system
- when a mother has problems with their thyroid gland, this can lead to intellectual problems in their offspring
- produces thyroxine hormone

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3
Q

testicles

A

produce testosterone, developing the male reproductive system during the prenatal period, and controls male sexual development during adolescence

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4
Q

ovaries

A

produce oestrogen and progesterone, regulating the menstrual cycle
- oestrogen controls female sexual development during adolescence
- progesterone ensures conception and supports pregnancy

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5
Q

adrenal glands

A

produce adrenal angdrogens, supporting the development of muscles and bones and contribute to sexual motivation

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6
Q

myelination

A

begins prenatally but continues for years after birth

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7
Q

cephalocaudal principle

A

growth occurs in a head-to-tail direction
- in the prenatal period, the head is much more developed than the rest of the body
- in proportion, a baby’s head is 25% of its length

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8
Q

proximodistal principle

A

babies grow and develop muscles from the centre to the extremities of the body
- the chest and internal organs develop first, followed by the arms, hands, and fingers

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9
Q

orthogenetic principle

A

development starts globally, but becomes increaseingly specific and follows a hierarchical integration
- a human begins as a single cell, but later consists of billions of specialised cells (neurons, blood cells, liver cells, etc)
- these cells start to organize themselves and integrate into a functional system

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10
Q

synaptogenesis

A

the development of connections between neurons (synapses)
- connections become stronger and stronger as synapses are used more and more, resulting in greater synaptic density

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11
Q

synaptic pruning

A

connections die when they are no longer used

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12
Q

reflexes

A

unlearned and involuntary responses to a stimulus

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13
Q

survival reflexes

A

reflexes with a clear adaptive value, such as the breathing reflex, the blink reflex, and the sucking reflex

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14
Q

primitive reflexes

A

reflexes which are not immediately useful
- some researchers believe they lost their function in evolution
- although not useful, helpful in identifying neurological problems

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15
Q

sleeping patterns of babies

A
  • if children are still waking up frequently at 12 months, this may indicate attention and behavioral problems at the age of 3-4
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16
Q

lateralization of the brain

A

the asymmetric development of both brain hemispheres

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17
Q

left hemisphere

A

exercises control over the right part of the body and is needed for the sequential processing of language and problems
- “thinking” part of the brain

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18
Q

right hemisphere

A

exercises control over the left part of the body and is needed for the simultaneous processing of information needed for spatial information, visual-motor information, and the emotional change of information
- “emotion” part of the brain

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19
Q

puberty

A

a process of biological changes that result in sexual maturity
- grey matter grows in a U-shape
- white matter grows in a linear line through adolescence

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20
Q

explanations for adolescents risky behavior

A
  • the part of the brain that regulates self-control is not yet fully developed; this makes teenagers vulnerable to risky behavior
  • adolescents are more sensitive to rewards; the reward system in the brain (nucleus accumbens) is hyper-responsive, so it has a greater need for rewards
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21
Q

sexual maturity

A
  • adrenal glands increase the production of androgens between ages 6-8
  • hormones produced by the testes and ovaries are more evident for sexual maturity: sexual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
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22
Q

menarche

A

the biggest change in sexual maturity for girls, the first menstruation

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23
Q

semenarche

A

the biggest change in sexual maturity for boys, the first ejaculation

24
Q

environmental role in sexual maturity

A

secular trend: society is maturing earlier and earlier
- better nutrition, improved medical care, increased obesity, exposure to many chemicals

25
Q

Tanner Scale

A

tracks sexual maturity

26
Q

psychological implications of puberty and adolescence in girls

A
  • become self-conscious about their appearance and start to worry about how others look at them
  • possible development of a negative body image, with the increase in body weight as a possible cause
27
Q

psychological implications of puberty and adolescence in boys

A
  • boys hope to be tall and handsome
  • more concerned about physical and athletic skills
  • boys who develop later may experience difficulties in sports or in romantic relationships
28
Q

early-developing boys

A

seen as socially competent, attractive, and confident
- increased risk of substance abuse, bullying, aggression, and delinquency

29
Q

late-developing boys

A

more anxious and less self-assured
- experience more behavioral and adaptation problems, lower school results
- less likely to drink alcohol

30
Q

early-developing girls

A

may be bullied because they are the only ones in the group who are already developed
- may show a more negative body image, follow an unsafe diet, and start exercising
- seek out older friends, leading to increased likelihood of dating, smoking, drinking, sex, and petty crime
- more likely to have depression

31
Q

late-developing girls

A

these girls experience anxiety while waiting to become adults
- in contrast to late-developing boys, they do very well in school

32
Q

scaffolding theory of aging and compensation

A

explains how the brain copes with the loss of brain function
- the brain of older people selects other brain regions to help

33
Q

premenstrual syndrome

A

abdominal bloating, headaches, bad mood, and sore breasts just before menstruation starts

34
Q

premenstrual dysphoria syndrome

A

includes affective symptoms, so it affects the quality of relationships
- caused by an imbalance of oestrogen and progesterone
- treatment may include taking vitamins and minerals, or antidepressants

35
Q

menopause

A

the end of menstrual periods, typically between ages 45-54

36
Q

hormone replacement therapy

A

used to suppress the symptoms of menopause

37
Q

andropause

A

a slow decline in testosterone, accompanied by low libido, dizziness, lack of energy, memory problems, erectile dysfunction, and loss of pubic hair
- by age 80, men only have 20-50% of the testosterone of a 20 year old

38
Q

prenatal phases

A
  • germinal phase
  • embryonic phase
  • foetal phase
39
Q

germinal phase

A
  • week 0-2
  • the cell mass (zygote) divides and moves via the fallopian tube towards the uterus
  • the cell mass develops into a blastocyte and nests in the uterine wall
  • this is a very sensitive phase and many miscarriages occur here
40
Q

embryonic phase

A
  • weeks 3-8
  • the blastocyte consists of three layers, the endoderm (evolves into the digestive and respiratory system), the mesoderm (later muscular and skeletal system), the ectoderm (later skin and nervous system)
  • the baby connects to the mother’s bloodstream, which allows for the first heartbeat in the 3rd week of pregnancy and facilitates growth
41
Q

foetal phase

A
  • week 9-40
  • a slower period of refinement in which body structures emerge
  • the brain increases in size (doubles from month 4 to 7) and brain folds are formed
  • hearing develops
  • neuronal development proceeds in a sequential order
42
Q

order of neuronal development

A
  • neurulation: formation of the neural tube
  • neuronal proliferation: rapid formation of neurons
  • neural migration: neurons move to their final place in the brain
43
Q

three principles of prenatal development

A
  • proximodistal order: from inside to outside (arms to fingers)
  • cephalocaudal order: from top to bottom (head to legs)
  • from a mass to specific: from undifferentiated to differentiated (simple to sophisticated)
44
Q

teratogens

A

harmful influences on the unborn child
- most harmful in the embryonic phase
- how harmful it is depends on individual differences and the dose of teratogens

45
Q

foetal alcohol syndrome

A

characterized by a flat face, low weight, growth retardation, and damaged brain
- children with FAS have a different brain strucutre, a mental disability, and/or cognitive problems

46
Q

sensation

A

the product of the interaction of information from all sensory receptors (senses)

47
Q

perception

A

the interpretation of sensory information

48
Q

babies and language

A
  • after 1 month, babies pay attention to speech
  • after 5 months, babies are sensitive to syllables of their mother tongue
  • after 6-8 months, babies are able to filter out sounds that do not belong to their mother tongue
49
Q

hearing and old age

A

hearing decliens due to physiological changes in the ear
- decrease in hair cells and collapsed ear canal
- men experience hearing loss more rapidly than women

50
Q

newborns smell and taste

A
  • preference for the smell of mother’s milk and amniotic fluid
  • the smell is reassuring and reduces crying
51
Q

adolescents smell and taste

A
  • experimentation with tastes they previously disliked
  • influenced by cognitions and chemosensory irritations
  • girls have a higher sensitivity to taste than boys due to hormonal differences
52
Q

elderly smell and taste

A
  • sensitivity to taste decreases with age, especially in men
  • also decline in sense of smell (only pleasant smells can be noticed more poorly, can lead to less pleasure when eating)
53
Q

foetus and newborns sight

A

a foetus can already react to bright light, but there is low visual accomodation
- newborns have preference for high contrast and patterns, color vision, and shape perception from 3 months onward
- around 2-3 months babies can recognize a face
- at 8 months fear bias occurs: hypersensitivity to fearful facial expressions
- at 9 months, babies become less sensitive to faces of people from other ethnic backgrounds
- around 1 year children have the same vision as adults

54
Q

visual cliff paradigm

A

can be used to examine depth perception in babies
- at 6-7 months old a baby reacts anxiously to the deep side of the visual cliff

55
Q

baby motor skills

A
  • around 1 year, babies start to walk (large individual differences)
  • stimulates the child’s cognitive development

developmental psychology (13 decks)

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