Stage 1- Lecture 1- Developmental Psy Flashcards
What is developmental psychology concerned with?
Changes throughout the lifespan for example human development as a continuous process of change
What are the 3 stages of human prenatal development?
Zygote=1
Embryo=2
Foetal=3
When does stage 1 occur?
0-2 weeks
Key feature of stage 1?
A cell is formed at conception, then divides, and then becomes specialised
When does Stage 2 occur?
2-8 weeks
What specific type of development occurs in Stage 2?
Sexual development
What is formed in Stage 2?
Organs
At how many weeks in Stage 2 does a heart start to beat?
2 weeks and 4 days
What happens by the end of stage 2?
Arms and legs are formed
When does stage 3 occur?
2-9 months
What occurs at week 9?
Swallowing Thumb sucking Sensitive to light Grasping Movement of head
When is the foetus sensitive to touch?
13/14 weeks
Name a gender difference that is apparent in the foetus stage?
Females tend to move their jaws more often
When is the foetus responsive to sound?
20 weeks
What occurs at 25 weeks?
Sensitive to taste- Links to bitter tastes- Poision
What reflex occurs in the foetus stage?
Rooting reflex- babies automatically turn face towards stimulus- aids sucking
Name 2 ways to measure prenatal development?
Ultrasound- low cost, good availability, safe
Foetal heart rate- detects change to external stimulus shows a change in heart rate
What did De Casper study?
Reactions to recurrent maternal speech
Info on De Casper study? 1994
• Mothers were to recite a short poem they had learnt in the 30-37 week stage of their pregnancy, foetuses were stimulated to tape recordings of a target and control rhyme- decreased FHR for target, no such response for control- highlighted familiarisation- a degree of learning
What can be assumed from De Casper study?
Foetal learning = form of measurement
Exposure learning= methodology
What is a teratogen?
Substance which when ingested by a mother can adversely affect her unborn child
Examples of teratogens?
- Smoking- e.g. nicotine
- Foods- Gambia diet for example where seasonal changes can affect diet and death rates
- Drugs – for example the controversy over the thalidomide drug- linked to morning sickness
- Alcohol
- Disease e.g. measles
What is a critical period?
The time when a organ/body part= most susceptible to teratogenic damage, in the embryonic stage is where serious defects become most common
What did Ness et al focus their study on?
The use of tobacco and cocaine use during pregnancy
Sample of Ness study?
400 women who miscarried
570 who hadn’t
All part of large inner city sample
2 parts to Ness study?
Self report
Urine and hair samples
Results of study?
RESULTS= when considering the self-report side of study drugs seemed to have no influence on why people miscarried, when using urine and hair samples both drugs were significantly related to why people miscarried
Conclude impact of drugs- Ness study?
• Cocaine = Increased probability of miscarriage 1.4 times
• Smoking= Increased probability of miscarriage 1.8 times
O
Ness methodology evaluation?
Self report is both unreliable and inaccurate
What did the Dutch Famine study look at?
Exposure to famine during prenatal development and its link to later health
Sample size for Dutch study?
2414 babies born 1943-47
Results of Dutch study?
Results = Health problems, as found in 1996- SZ, obesity, x2 more likely to have heart disease, cancer
All these links to negative health in later life were also passed on to the next generation
Reissland 2015 study aim?
Effects of Smoking on a foetus
Reissland methodology?
Used 4D scans to examine 20 foetus’ in a series of 80 scans
4 intervals to study between 24/36 weeks
Reissland sample?
4 mothers who smoked, 16 who did not
Reissland results?
All infants born healthy, however infants from smoking mothers displayed higher rate of mouth movements compared to control group which suggests that foetal central nervous system did not develop at the same rate, therefore behaviour less mature.
What is foetal alcohol syndrome?
A disorder of permanent birth defects that occurs in the offspring of women who drink alcohol during pregnancy
What is the main impact of FAS?
CNS damage
