quiz1 Flashcards
• What does the field of human development study? Why is the field described as scientific, applied, and interdisciplinary?
~It is seeks to understand how and why people— all kinds of people, everywhere– change or remain the same over time.evoted to understanding constancy and change throughout the lifespan (science).
~ It is described as scientific, applied, and interdisciplinary because it also has been stimulated by social pressures to improve people’s lives (applied). It has also grown through the combined efforts of people from many fields of study (interdisciplinary).
• What is a theory? Why are theories important?
A theory is an orderly, integrated set of statements that describes, explains, and predicts behavior. Theories are important because they provide organizing frameworks for our observations of people, guiding and giving meaning to what we see and if they are verified by research they provide a sound basis for practical action.
Continuous or Discontinuous Development (def. & example of each)
~Continuous= a process of slowly increasing the same types of skills that were there to begin with. An example would be the view that infants and preschoolers responfd to the world in much the same way as adults do. (puppy dog to adult dog) ~Discontinuous= a process in which new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at different times. An example would be catepillar to butterfly.
one course or many
Too many variables, people can take different routes. for example one 18 year old may go to college, another one will not.
nature vs nurture
are we the way we are because of genetics or because of our environment? Which plays a more substantial role? example:
• What is plasticity?
every individual and every trait within each individual, can be altered at any point in the life span. People can be molded yet they remain durable.
Explain the lifespan perspective of development.
Development is lifelong. No single age period is supreme in its impact on the life course. Events occuring during any period can have equally powerful effects on future change.
age-graded & example
These are events that are strongly related to age & are therefore fairly predictable in when they occur and how long they last. An example would be getting your drivers license when you are 16.
nonnormative & example
events that are irregular. they happen to just one person or a few people and do not follow a particular timeline. An example would be aliens abducting your next door neighbor.
history-graded & example
explains why people born around the same time-called a cohort-tend to be alike in ways that set them apart from people born at other times. An example would be the great depression. People had to adjust their eating habits due to the lack of resources which in turn still affects them to this day; while in this day in age, our eating habits are much different b/c we have more resources
The microsystem
At the center, all that impacts the individual regularly and directly.
Mesosystem
connection between things in your microsystem: any two given things in the microsystem can impact the individual.
exosystem
people/events/institutions/things that might have an impact on you. They don’t contain the individual but they still have somewhat of an impact. (ex: parent’s workplace can impact the individual)
Macrosystem
Laws and cultural factors, social norms.
Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory
The world impacts the person and the person can impact the world back.
What is the difference between correlational and experimental research designs?
- In correlation design, researchers gather info on individuals w/o alertering their experiences. Then they look at relationships between participants’ charecteristics & their behavior/development.
- Experimental design permits influences about cause & effect b/c researchers use an evenhanded procedure to assign people to two or more treatment conditions.
Describe the difference between cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? What are cohort effects?
- Cross sectional = different ages are studied at the same time. Advantage: Takes less time, Disadvantage: does not provide evidence about the individual.
- Longitudinal= participants are studied repeatedly & changes are noted as they get older. Advantage: Gets evidence on the individual, Disadvantage: The time it takes.
- Cohort efffects= Individuals born at the same time period are influenced by historical and cultural conditions.
What is the difference between genotype and phenotype? Do they always match? Provide an example in which genotype and phenotype do not match.
The genotype is the set of genes in our DNA which is responsible for a particular trait. The phenotype is the physical expression, or characteristics, of that trait. They do not always match; Geno type can be heterozygous meaning it has 1 dominant and 1 recessive unit.
What are prenatal diagnostic methods discussed in the text? Examples? Why might a person/couple want to have these tests? Why not?
- Aminocentesis, hollown needle inserted through abdominal wall to obtain sample of fluid in uterus. Pros:know genetic defects. Con:risk of miscarriage.
- Chorionic villus sampling, thin tube inserted into the uterus through the vagina. A small plug of tissue is removed from the end of one or more chorionic villi. Pros: can determone genetic defects sooner. Con: risk of miscarriage.
- Fetoscopy, a small tube with light source is inserted into uterus to inspect the fetus for defects of the limbs and face, also allows sample of fetal blood to be obtained. Pros: disorders are diagnosed. Con:risk of miscarriage.
- Ultrasound. Pros: Allows for assement of fetal age, detection of multiple pregnancies, and identification of gross physical defects. Con: increases he risk of low birth weight.
- Maternal blood analysis, know genetic defects, and know indication of disorders.
- Preimplantation genectic diagnosis, fertilized ovum only implanted if there are no hereditary defects.
What is a concordance rate? Examples?
Concordance rate: The percentage of instances in which both twins show a trait when it is present in one twin.the percentage of instances in which both twins show a trait when it is presenthe percentage of instances in which both twins show a trait when it is present in one twin.
Example: In a pair of identical twins, if one twin has schizophrenia, the other is about 50% likely to be diagnosed with the disease at some point. In fraternal twins, the concordance rate for schizophrenia drops to about 15%.
Kinship studies
studies comparing the charecteristics of family members to determine the importance of hereditary in complex human characteristics.
What do range of reaction and canalization refer to?
Range of reaction: each person’s unique , genetically determined response to a range of environmental conditions.
Canalization: a measure of the ability of a population to produce the same phenotype regardless of variability of its environment or genotype.
What are the 3 types of genetic-environment correlations? Examples?
Passive genotype–environment correlation refers to the association between the genotype a child inherits from his or her parents and the environment in which the child is raised. For example, because parents who have histories of antisocial behaviour (which is moderately heritable) are at increased risk of abusing their children, maltreatment may be a marker for genetic risk that parents transmit to children rather than a causal risk factor for children’s conduct problems.2
Evocative (or reactive) genotype–environment correlation refers to the association between an individual’s genetically influenced behaviour and others’ reactions to that behaviour. For example, although arguing with a spouse may result in someone becoming depressed, it is equally plausible that individuals who are prone to depression tend to provoke arguments with significant others, calling into question the direction of the effect.
Active (or selective) genotype–environment correlation refers to the association between an individual’s genetic propensities and the environmental niches that individual selects. For example, individuals who are characteristically extroverted may seek out very different social environments than those who are shy and withdrawn. These forms of genotype–environment correlation differ from gene–environment interaction
What is niche-picking?
psychological theory that suggests children and adults choose environments that complement their heredity. For example, people who are extroverted by nature may deliberately engage socially, especially with other extroverts like themselves.
