Lifespan Development Flashcards
Stages of gestation
Zygote goes through germinal stage, embryonic stage, and fetal stage
Germinal stage
2 weeks, zygote moves down fallopian tube, grows into 64 cells and implants into uterus wall
Embryonic stage
Until end of the second monthOrgan formation
Fetal stage
Month 3 until birth
Movement (quickening) occurs
HY antigen
6 weeks after conception
Presence leads to testes, absence causes ovaries to form
Neonate
Newborn, reflexive behavior
Sucking reflex
Placing object in baby’s mouth
Headturning reflex
From stroking baby’s cheek
Moro reflex
Throwing out of arms and legs if loud noises
Babinski reflex
Fanning toes if touch bottom of foot
Palmar reflex
Hand grabbing if object in baby’s hand
Adolescence
Second most commonly addressed developmental stage
Adrenal and Pituitary glands
Secrete androgen for boys and estrogen for girls during puberty
Different kinds of twin
Monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal)
PIAGET: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Channels sensory information to the cerebral cortex, motor control
Qualitative change
Created by experience, internal maturation and external experience
Assimilation
Fitting new info into existing ideas, helps adaptation
Accommodation
Modification of cognitive schemata to incorporate new information
- Sensorimotor stage
0-2 years, reflexive behaviors cued by sensations, circular reactions, development of object permanence later, and finally acquiring the use of representation
Circular reactions
Repeated behavior intended to manipulate environment
Representation
Visualizing or putting words to objects
- Preoperational Stage
2-7 years. Egocentric understandings, acquiring words as symbols for things
- Concrete operational
7-12 years. Understanding of concrete relationships, such as simple math, development of conservation
- Formal operational
Understanding of abstract relationships
Rochel Gelman
Thinks Piaget may underestimate cognitive of preschoolers like quantity
Piaget moral development
3 stages
Piaget moral 4-7
Rule following, accepts rules
Piaget moral 7-11
Understands rules and follows
Piaget moral 12+
Thinks abstractly, can change rules if all parties agree
FREUD PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
Facial recognition- damage in dementia
Prosopagnosia-inability to recognize familiar faces
Biological needs
Sensual gratification
Fixation
Happens from over or under indulgence at a particular stage
Inability to move on to next step
Regression
Return to earlier stage because of life stressors
Resolving phallic
Identifying with same sex parent
Castration anxiety
Boys motivation to suppress their lust in phallic stage
KOHLBERG MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Bumps on the cortex surface
Development of theory
Analyzing responses of children to nine hypothetical moral dilemmas
Heinz dilemma
Woman dying and needs expensive medication. Should husband steal it or let wife die?
Stage 1: Preconventional/ Premoral
Level 1: Avoid punishment
Level 2: Gain rewards
“If I steal meds, I will get in trouble”
Stage 2: Conventional/ Morality of Conformity
Level 3: Should gain approval
Level 4: Should follow law and authority
“Stealing is against the law”
Stage 3: postconventional/ Morality of Self-Accepted Principles
Level 5: Beyond black and white of laws, attentive to rights and social welfare
Level 5: Makes decisions based on abstract ethical principles
“Unjust that money is an obstacle, ethical to save wife”
Carol Gilligan
Thought Kolberg’s stages were biased towards males, women morality focuses more on compassion
OTHER DEVELOPMENT TERMS
Caudate, Putamen, Nucleus accumbens, Globus pallidus, Substantia nigra
Psychosocial conflict
Each stage of life, crisis needs to be resolved by Erikson
John Bowlby
Infants are motivated to attach to mothers for positive (closeness) and negative (avoid fear) reasons
Emphasized importance of attachment during sensitive period
Mary Ainsworth
Studied attachment with Strange situation
Strange situation experiment
Mother and infant playing together different situations, found that infants most likely cried at stranger and separation anxiety
Children responded differently to mothers returning to the room
Securely attached
Infants ran and clung to mothers
Avoidant
Ignored mothers
Ambivalent
Squirmed/kicked when mothers tried to comfort
Mary Main
Carrying on Ainsworth’s work
Baumrind
Studied parenting style and personality development
Authoritarian
Demanding/strict
Children were withdrawn and unhappy
Permissive
Affectionate not strict
Children were happy but lacked self-control and self-reliance
Authoritarian
Affectionate, firm but fair
Children were self reliant, assertive, friendly, happy, high-functioning
John Watson’s behavioristic approach
Children passively molded by environment
Behavior emerges from imitation
Motor Development
First two years largely controlled by internal, maturational factors
Arnold Gesell
Nature provided “only a blueprint for development” through maturation and environment filled in the details
Aggressive through lifespan
Moderate tendency to continue
Sex-typed behaviors
Gender stereotypical
Low prepubescent, highest in young adulthood, lower again in later life
Career/Education Aspirations
In adolescence, follow their families
Hermaphrodite (intersex)
Both male and female genitals
Most likely from female fetus being exposed to higher levels of testost
Symbolic play
1-2 years old pretend roles, imaginations
Parallel play
2-3 years, two children playing next to each other but not interacting
Stereotaxic Instruments
Implanting electrodes into animals brains in experiments
fMRI
Measures oxygen flow
Measures activity during certain tasks
PET
Scan glucose metabolism to measure activity in certain regions
NEURONS
NEURONS
Efferent nerve cells
Part of somatic nervous system (PNS), carries impulses from sensory cells to CNS
Afferent nerve cells
Part of somatic nervous system (PNS), carries impulses from CNS to sensory cells
Mirror neurons
Activated when observing another person’s behavior, important for empathy, dysregulation in autism
Frontal and parietal lobes
Dendrite
Receive impulses
Cell Body (Soma)
Largest central portion
Gray matter
Nucleus that directs activity
Axon Hillock
Where the soma and axon connect
Axon
Transmits impulses of the neuron
Bundles are nerve fibers
White matter
Nodes of Ranvier
Dips between beads of myelin sheath
Myelin Sheath
Fatty sheath that allows faster conduction of axon impulses
Terminal buttons
Ends of axon, contain synaptic vessels that hold neurotransmitters
Neurotransmitters
Chemicals that stimulate nearby cells
Cell membrane
Covers the whole neuron and has selective permeability
Sometimes lets ions (positive charges) through
Synapse or synaptic gap
Space between two neurons where they communicate
Presynaptic cell
End of one neuron
The terminal buttons
Postsynaptic cell
Beginning of another neuron
The dendrites
Glial Cells
Other cells in nervous system
Help support neurons
Oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells
Half the volume of CNS
Oligodendrocytes
Provide myelin in the central nervous system
Schwann cells
Provide myelin in the peripheral nervous system
NEURAL
TRANSMISSION
STEPS
How cells communicate with each other
- Resting potential
Inactivated state of a neuron
Neuron is negatively charged and cell membrane does not let ions in
- Presynaptic cell
Fires and releases neurotransmitters from terminal buttons
- Postsynaptic
receptors
Detect the presence of neurotransmitters and cause ion channels to open
- Postsynaptic
potentials
Changes in a nerve cell charge as a result of stimulation
Two forms: Excitatory and inhibitory
Excitatory postsynaptic potential
Positive charges are allowed into cell and increase chance a cell will fire- depolarization
Inhibitory postsynaptic potential
Few positive charges are let out decrease chance a cell will fire- hyperpolarization (becomes even more negative comparably)
- Action potential or Nerve impulse
Cell becomes stimulated with enough positive ions and “fires”
- All-or-none law
Once a minimum threshold for stimulation is met, nerve impulse will be sent
Intensity is always the same
- Saltatory conduction
Action potential travels down axon, jumping from one node to the next
At terminal button, neurotransmitters are released
Now, this neuron is the presynaptic cell
- Absolute refractory period
The time after a neuron fires in which it cannot respond to stimulation
- Relative Refractory period
Time after the absolute refractory where the neuron can fire but needs much stronger stimulus
- Reuptake
After neurotransmitter has done its job
Reabsorbed by presynaptic cell
Or it can be deactivated by enzymes
Acetylcholine
First identified neurotransmitter Contracting skeletal muscles
Involved in PNS
Endorphins
Pleasure and analgesia Exogenous endorphins (heroin or morphine) highly addictive
Monoamines
Indoleamines (serotonin)
Catecholamines (dopamine)
Serotonin
Transmission of catecholamines
Lack is linked to depression
Adrenal glands
Make a large number of catecholamine in response to stress
Catecholamines
Dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine
Helps body for fight or flight (especially epinephrine and norepinephrine)
Dopamine
Inhibitory Produced in substantia nigra Regulate hormonal response, causes psychotic symptoms Too little- parkinson's Too much- schizophrenia Feelings of reward (addiction)
Norepinephrine
Synthesized from dopamine
Increase arousal
Influence reward system
ADHD/Depression
Epinephrine
AKA adrenaline over all body tissues
Increases blood and oxygen supply to brain and muscles while diminishing other bodily processes not important in stress (digestion, sexual)
Amino Acids
Fast acting, directed synapsis
Two important ones are glutamate and GABA
Glutamate
Most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter
Regulates cortical and subcortical functioning
Important for cognitive function
GABA
Most abundant inhibitory neurotransmitter
Decreases activity, lowers arousal
Benzos aim to increase GABA
Highest concentration in cortex
Neuromodulator
Neurotransmitters, but cause long-term changes in the postsynaptic cell
Agonists
Increase effects of specific neurotransmitter
Ex. SSRI to treat depression, increase serotonin activity
Antagonists
Decrease the effects of a specific neurotransmitter
Botox is an acetylcholine antagonist that decreases muscle activity
Pituitary gland
Regulates hormones in the body
Hormones either have organizational or activational effects
Organizational
Hormones
H-Y Antigen, androgens menarche
H-Y Antigen
Presence during development causes fetus to be a male
Androgens
Testosterones and estrogen during puberty causes genitals to mature and secondary sex characteristics to develop
Menarche
Onset of the menstrual cycle
Activational
Hormone
Luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Oxytocin
Hormones in menstrual cycle
Estradiol, progesterone, LH, and FSH
LH and FSH in females
Regulate the development of ovum and trigger ovulation
LH and FSH in males
Regulate the development of sperm cells and the production of testosterone
Oxytocin
Facilitate birth and breastfeeding
Also involved in pair bonding (child to mother or romantic partners)
Other pituitary hormones
Vasopressin, thyroid stimulating hormone, Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
Vasopressin
Regulates water levels in the body and regulate blood pressure
Thyroid stimulating hormone
Activates the thyroid
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)
Stress hormone that increases the production of androgens and cortisol
Two distinct components
Non-Rem and REM sleep
Stages of nonREM
Takes about a half an hour to pass through these states
Stage 0 of non REM
Prelude, synchrony, a person becomes relaxed and drowsy and closes their eyes
Synchrony
Low amp and fast frequency alpha waves
Stage 1 of non REM
Eyes begin to roll, alpha waves disappear, loses responsiveness and experiences fleeting thoughts thoughts
Theta waves
Lower in amplitude and slower in frequency, irregular during stage 1
Stage 2 of non REM
Theta waves stage, sleep spindles, muscle tension, gradual decline in heart rate, respiration, and temperature
Sleep Spindles
Fast frequency bursts of brain activity
Stage 3 of non REM
30 mins after falling asleep. Fewer sleep spindles, high amplitude and low frequency delta waves
Stage 4 of non REM
Delta waves 50% of time, heart rate, respiration, temp, blood flow to brain are decreased, growth hormones secreted
Groggy and confused
REM
20% spent in REM Interspersed with non REM Dreams, neural desynchrony, paradoxical sleep 15mins-1hr Rebound Effect
Neural desynchrony
Fast frequency, low- amplitude beta waves (REM and waking states)
Paradoxical sleep
Physiological signs resemble waking, but muscle tone decreases to point of paralysis
Rebound effect
When deprived of REM, compensate the next night
Sleep cycles
90 minutes, 4-6 complete cycles
REM is half of sleep at birth, but decreases with growth
Ethology
Animal behaviors, especially innate that occur in natural habitat
Lorenz
Founder of Ethology as a distinct research area
Worked with imprinting, animal aggression, releasing stimuli, fixed action patterns
Imprinting
Young attach to first moving object after birth (most often birds)
Display a following response, follow their first contact
Animal Aggression
Certain aggressions were necessary for survival and innate
Releasing stimuli
Lorenz, then Tinbergen
A releasing stimulus in one individual releases an automatic, instinctual chain of behaviors in another individual of the same species (fixed action patterns)
Fixed action pattern
Uniform, performed by most members, more complex than reflexes, cannot be interrupted
Tinbergen
Founder of modern ethology
Continued Lorenz work of releasing stimuli
Stickleback fish and herring gull chicks experiments
Stickleback fish
Developed red coloration on their belly then fought each other
Tinb. concluded that redbelly was a releasing stimulus for fighting
Herring gull chicks
Peck at the red spot of their parents bills. Red spot on the bill signals the chick to beck. Greater contrast of the red spot, more vigorously chicks would pack, even if unnatural color.
Supernormal sign stimulus
Supernormal sign stimuli are artificial that exaggerate natural occuring sign stimulus, more effective than natural
Learned from herring gull exper.
Karl von Frisch
Honeybee communication
Studied senses of fish
Walter Cannon
Coined term fight or flight with animals
Proposed the idea of homeostasis, internal regulation of body to maintain equilibrium
CNS Development
3 weeks cells begin to become specific only to nervous system
Neural tube
Developed at 4 weeks, precursor to CNS
Layers of cells
Ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm
Ectoderm
Forms the nervous system
Mesoderm and Endoderm
Connective tissues, endocrine system
Direction of brain development
Bottom to top, back to front, basic to advanced
Lateralization
DIvergence of roles of the two hemispheres
Chromosomes
23 pairs located in nucleus of human cells
Carriers of genes/heredity
Organized into DNA molecules
Genes
Basic unit of heredity
Gamete
Sperm or ovum in humans
Haploid
23 single chromosomes
Diploid
23 pairs of chromosomes
All other cells
Zygote
Fertilized egg cell, diploid
Bring genes together from each parent
Genotype
All genetic material
Includes dominant and recessive alleles
Phenotype
External characteristics, determined by genotype and environment
Genetic drift
Natural selection for genetics
Genotypes are eliminated over time
Fitness
Ability to reproduce and pass on genes
Inclusive fitness
Over individual fitness
Animals will be invested in survival of not only their own genes but of their kin as well
Kin selection-> inclusive fitness
Explains why parents protect young and others
Instinctual and innate behaviors
Present in all normal members of a species
In form throughout members
Independent of learning/experience
Ex. nesting in rodents
Altruism
Compatible with natural selection Truly altruistic (non-kin) confuse ethologists, because incompatible with greatest survival
Biological Clocks
Internal rhythms that keep an animal in sync with their environment
Circadian rhythms
Endogenous rhythms that revolve around a 24 hour period
Courting
Proceed reproduction
Attracting a mate and isolating a mate of same species
Displacement activities (irrelevant behaviors)
Seem out of place and illogical, no particular survival function
Ex. scratching head when trying to decide something
Estrus
Period in which a female is sexually receptive (usually for non human mammals)
Inbreeding
Breeding within the same family
Evolutionary controls prevent this
Ex. Swans
Mimicry
Evolved form of deception
Ex. Harmless species mimic poisonous snakes
Instinctual drift
Animal replaces a trained/forced response with a natural response
Pheromones
Chemicals detected by the vomeronasal organ
Communication between animals such as fear or sexual receptiveness
Reproductive isolating mechanism
Prevent interbreeding between two different (closely related) species
4 forms: Behavioral, geographic, mechanical, by season
Behavioral isolation
Only member of their species will respond to that type of courting
Geographic isolation
Different species breed in different areas
Mechanical isolation
Incompatible genital structures
Isolation by Season
Potentially compatible mate during different seasons
Sensitive/critical periods of learning
Ex. birds learning songs
Also plays a role in imprinting
Sexual Dimorphism
Structural differences between sexes
Sexual Selection
Greatest chance of being chosen as a mate, best courters, most attractive, or best fighters
Selective breeding
Males intentionally paired to increase producing offspring with particular traits
Comparative Psychology
Related to ethology
Study similarity and differences between different species
Dance of the honeybees
Karl von Frisch Bees communicate through dance Round-food is nearby Waggle- food is far away Dance also used to communicate potential nesting sites
Navigation in bees
Bees are exemplary navigators Scouting bees use landmarks, sun, polarized light, and magnetic fields
Hierarchy in bees
Bees form hierarchy, queen bees produce a chemical that suppresses ovaries in other bees so she only reproduces
Constantly tended to
Lays thousands of eggs in spring
Mating in bees
Few male bees (drones) are produced
Only purpose is to mate with queen
Flower selection
Bees can see ultraviolet light and flower coloration more complex
Honeybees could see certain markers on flowers (honeyguides) that people couldn’t
Navigation
Certain animals adept at nav
If moved away, birds could still find places (true navigation) birds and bees are experts
Cues to navigation
Atmospheric pressure, infrasound, magnetic sense, sun compass, star compass, polarized light, echolocations, hearing
Atmospheric Pressure
Pigeons are sensitive to pressure changes with altitude
Infrasound
Pigeons can hear low frequency sounds that human cannot
Magnetic sense
Pigeons and bees can use earth’s magnetic forces as cues
Sun Compass
Pigeons and bees can use sun as compass and compensate for daily movement
Star compass
Bees use star patterns and movement
Polarized light
When sun is obscured, Bees can use to infer sun position
Echolocation
Usually replaces sight
Dolphins and Bats
High frequency sounds and locate objects by echo that bounces off
Owls
Use hearing instead of echolocation
Asymmetrical ears so they can determine elevation as well
Wolfgang Kohler
Gestalt psychologist
Experimented with chimps and insight in problem solving
Chimpanzee experiment
Aha experience
Were able to create novel solutions to a problems instead of just trial and error. Aha-insight
Harry Harlow
Monkey experiments with social isolation and maternal stimulation
Social isolation experiment
Compares monkeys raised in isolation. Isolated males did not display normal sexual functioning and females lacked maternal behaviors
Contact comfort
In monkeys
Separated at birth from mother. Surrogate wire monkey mother with feeding bottle, other surrogate terrycloth dummy with no bottle. Spent most of time with terry cloth dummy and only went to wire mother for feeding. Proved that infants attach through comfort not feeding
Learning to learn
Monkeys became better at learning tasks as they acquired diff learning experiences
Tyron
Selectively bred “maze bright” and “maze dull” to demonstrate heritability of behavior
Cooper and Zubek
Selective breeding only helped when raised in normal conditions
Both bright and dull performed well when raised in an enriched environment and poorly when raised in an impoverished environment
Thorndike Instrumental learning
Learning through trial, error, and accidental success. The animal acts on those successes
Cats in puzzle boxes
Cat placed in box would accidently press escape door and be free
Then, they would activate lever right away
Cross fostering experiments
Attempt to separate the effects of heredity and environment
Sibling mice placed in different situations, so later differences in aggression could be attributed to experience over genetics
Erik Kandel
Studied sea slug aplysia because of few, large, easily identified nerve cellsLearned that learning and memory are shown by changes in synapses and neural pathways