LU 7: Human Development

Question 1

How long is the Prenatal period?

Answer 1

40 weeks

Question 2

What are the 3 stages of prenatal development?

Answer 2

1. Germinal stage
2. Embryonic stage
3. Foetal stage

Question 3

How long is each stage?

Answer 3

Germinal: 0- 2 weeks
Embryonic: 3- 8 weeks
Foetal: 9 weeks

Question 4

Discuss the Germinal stage:

Answer 4

• shortest stage of Foetal development
• begins at conception
• the sperm fertilizes the egg and creates a zygote
• the zygote begins its journey down to the uterus over the course of 1 week
• during this journey, the zygote divides many times, eventually creating two separate structures
• one structure eventually becomes the embryo (and later, the fetus) and the other becomes the placenta
• cell division continues.
• eventually, the zygote turns into a blastocyst
• the blastocyst arrives at the uterus and implants into the uterine lining
• if the implantation is successful, the body immediately begins producing hormones to support a pregnancy
• this also stops a menstrual period.

Question 5

Discuss the embryonic stage:

Answer 5

• this stage lasts from 3- 8 weeks of pregnancy
• the blastocyst begins to take on distinct human characteristics
• it is now called an embryo
• structures and organs like the neural tube, head, eyes, mouth & limbs form
• 6th week: the embryo’s heart begins to develop and pulse and buds that will become arms and legs also form
• by the end of 8th week, most of the embryo’s organs and systems take shape
• this is the point in pregnancy where morning sickness begins.

Question 6

Discuss the Foetal stage

Answer 6

• this stage of development begins around the 9th week and lasts until birth
• this is when the embryo officially turns into a feotus
• the foetus gets its assigned sex around 9 weeks of pregnancy
• the foetus’ major organs & body systems continue to grow and mature
• things like fingernails, eyelashes and hair also grow
• the foetus is able to move its limbs, although the mother may not feel it until 20 weeks of pregnancy
• the majority of growth- in both weight & length- happens in the Foetal stage.

Question 7

Influences of prenatal development

Answer 7

1. Genetic factors
2. Maternal nutrition
3. Maternal stress & emotion
4. Maternal drug use
   - alcohol
   - smoking
   - & other substances
5. Maternal illness & psychopathology
6. The influence of culture & family
7. Environmental toxins
8. Foetal origins of adult disease

Question 8

What is motor development in childhood?

Answer 8

The progression of muscular co- ordination required for physical activities.
Motor skills are for grasping, reaching for objects, sitting up, walking, running, manipulating objects.

Question 9

What are 2 factors of childhood motor development?

Answer 9

1. Developmental norms: group averages of the typical age at which individuals display various behaviors & abilities.
2. Cultural variations: rapid motor development is observed in cultures that provide special practice in basic motor skills.

Question 10

What is attachment?

Answer 10

The close emotional bonds of affection that develops between an infant and its caregiver.
A child’s important attachment is usually with its mother ( the primary caregiver).
2- 3 months babies smile and laugh more when they interact with their mothers.
6- 8 months babies protest when they are away from their mother.

Question 11

What is separation anxiety?

Answer 11

Emotional distress in infants when they are separated from people with whom they have an attachment. Bowlby’s study proves that attachment has a biological & evolutional basis.

Question 12

What are the 4 categories of infant- mother attachment categories?

Answer 12

1. Secure
2. Anxious- ambivalent
3. Avoidant
4. Disorganised- disoriented.

Question 13

Describe secure attachment

Answer 13

They play & explore comfortably with their mothers present. Upset when mother leaves but then is quickly comforted with she returns.

Question 14

Describe anxious- ambivalent attachment

Answer 14

They are anxious even when the mother is near & protest excessively when she leaves, but are not comforted when she returns.

Question 15

Describe avoidant attachment

Answer 15

Children seek little contact with their mothers and are not distressed when she leaves.

Question 16

Describe disorganized- disoriented attachment

Answer 16

These children appear confused about whether they should approach or avoid their mothers.
They are insecure.

Question 17

What is language development determined by and why?

Answer 17

Biological maturation because it is similar across different cultures.

Question 18

Rapid early language development is fostered when:

Answer 18

Parents are more responsive to infants, listen and respond to babbling, talk to infants.

Question 19

What happens when babies start producing words?

Answer 19

• babies start learning vowel sounds while in the womb
• 1- 6 months baby’s start to laugh, cry and coo
• start babbling
• babbling start resembling language spoken by parents
• babies start recognizing the meaning of frequently used words (before they can speak the words)
• 10- 13 months utter sounds that correspond to words
• first words are similar in phonetic form and meaning
• initial words resemble words that infants babble spontaneously like mama, papa and baba. They are easy to produce.

Question 20

How do infants use words?

Answer 20

Toddlers understand words months before they can say those words.
At 18 months there is a vocabulary spurt.

Question 21

What process happens when babies use words?

Answer 21

Fast mapping

Question 22

Describe fast mapping

Answer 22

Process by which children map a word onto an underlying concept after only one exposure.
Vocabulary increases depends on how often children are read to.

Question 23

What is overextension?

Answer 23

Occurs when a child incorrectly uses a word to describe a wider set of objects or actions than it is meant to.
Eg) ball for anything that’s round.

Question 24

What is under extension?

Answer 24

Occurs when a child incorrectly uses a word to describe a narrower set of objects or actions than it is meant to.
Eg) use the word doll to refer only to a single, favorite doll.

Question 25

What happens in 2nd year when a child starts combining words

Answer 25

Telegraphic speech- consists mainly of content words: articles; prepositions and other less words are omitted. Eg) give doll.

Question 26

What happens at the end of 3rd year when a child can express complex ideas- the use of plurals or past tense when combining words?

Answer 26

Overregularisations occur when granmatical rules are incorrectly generalized to irregular cases where they do not apply. Eg) I hitted the ball. The girl gooed home.