Section 3: Observing Development Flashcards
Culture is
material and symbolic tools that accumulate through time, are passed on through social processes, and provide resources for the developing child
All tools of culture include
the material and the symbolic aspect
Cultural tools help
organize children’s activities and the way they relate to their environments
Material tools are
term used to refer to tools when the focus is on physical objects or observable patterns of behavior
Observable patterns of behavior are
family routines and social practices
Symbolic tools are
a. Term used to refer to tools when the focus is on how abstract knowledge, beliefs, and values affect development
i. E.g. masculinity, sexuality, mathematics, religious beliefs
Children inherit culture through
social processes
Social enhancement is when
i. Children use cultural resources simply because the activities of others make these resources available in the immediate environment
ii. E.g. because Child A likes drawing there are many crayons lying around the house and Child B starts playing with crayons
Types of social processes are
Social enhancement
Imitation
Explicit Instruction
Imitation is when
Children learn by observing and copying the behaviors of others
Explicit instruction is when
i. When children are purposefully taught to use the material and symbolic resources of their culture
The only social process that uses symbolic communication is
explicit instruction
cultural change through variation is referred to as
Cumulative cultural evolution
Heredity is
a. The transmission of biological characteristics from one generation to the next
b. Makes evolution possible
Genes are
a. Basic units of heredity
b. Contain instructions that guide the formation of all the individual’s traits
The key question about genes is
how they are expressed
Genotype is
a. An individual’s exact genetic makeup
b. This information comes from studying an individual’s genetic material
Phenotype is
a. All the observable physical, behavioral, and psychological traits that the individual actually develops
b. This information comes from observing the individual’s body and behavior
c. Influenced by the individual’s genotype AND environment
Body contains __ chromosomes
46
a chromosome is
a single molecule of DNA
Germ cells are
sperm and ova
have 23 chromosomes
The process of meiosis is
a. 46 chromosomes in a cell replicate
b. Chromosomes move to the center of the cell, where they separate into two identical sets, which migrate to opposite sides of the wall
c. Cell divides in middle to form two daughter cells
d. Cell divides AGAIN to form FOUR daughter cells, each with 23 chromosomes
Somatic cells are
body cells; all the other cells of the body
have 46 chromosomes
New germ cells emerge through the process of
meiosis
New somatic cells emerge through the process of
mitosis
The process of mitosis is
a. 46 chromosomes in a cell replicate
b. Chromosomes move to the center of the cell, where they separate into two identical sets, which migrate to opposite sides of the wall
c. Cell divides in middle to form two daughter cells
come from a single fertilized egg that divides and develops into two separate individuals
Monozygotic twins
twins that come from two ova that have been fertilized at the same time
Dizygotic twins
an allele is
the specific form of a gene
homozygous is
when the corresponding genes inherited from the two parents are the same allele for a trait
heterozygous is
when the corresponding genes inherited from the two parents are different alleles for a trait
If a child is heterozygous for a trait, the possible outcomes are:
- Child may only display the characteristics associated with the dominant allele
- Child may be affected by both alleles and will display characteristics that are intermediate between those associated with the two alleles (e.g. skin color)
- Child may fully express the characteristics associated with each of the two alleles
dominant allele is
allele whose characteristics are expressed
recessive allele is
allele whose characteristics are not expressed
PKU is
a. Recessive disorder
b. Inability to metabolize phenylalanine, an amino acid, leads to its buildup in the bloodstream, retarding brain-cell development
c. Treatment by diet beginning in infancy and continuing throughout life
Down syndrome is
a. Chromosomal disorder
b. Trisomy
i. In this instance, extra copy of chromosome 21
ii. Results in mental retardation, distinctive physical characteristics, and susceptibility to certain medical conditions
c. Treatment by special education
Klinefelter’s syndrome is
a. Disorder of the sex chromosomes
b. Extra X chromosome in males (XXY) results in incomplete development of sex organs and secondary sex characteristics
c. Treatment by testosterone replacement therapy at puberty
the degree to which the development is open to influence by the environment, rather than determined by the genotype
phenotypic plasticity
i. Idea that shape of the “landscape” for developmental possibilities in the result of a complex system of interactions between genes and the environment
ii. Gene-environment system of interaction changes over the course of a lifetime
Waddington’s Landscape
Waddington’s landscape is
i. Idea that shape of the “landscape” for developmental possibilities in the result of a complex system of interactions between genes and the environment
ii. Gene-environment system of interaction changes over the course of a lifetime
when a phenotypic trait seems unaltered by changes in the environment, or even by changes in the genotype
phenotypic canalization
Niche construction is
how the behaviors, activities, and choices of individuals actively shape and modify the environments in which they live
co-construction is
how environments are shaped and reshaped through interactions between developing individuals and their caregivers, siblings, neighbors, and playmates
Ecological inheritance is
how niche construction can result in environmental modifications that affect the development of offspring and descendants
The Baldwin effect is
Cultural factors may influence the likelihood that people with various mental and physical qualities will survive and reproduce
Examples of coevolution of biology and culture are
sickle-cell anemia
lactose intolerance
