Unit 3 Modules 3.1, 3.2a, 3.2b Flashcards
The study of physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
Developmental psychology
What are the 3 major issues that developmental psychology focuses on
nature and nurture
continuity and stages
Stability and change
What are the most common research methods used in developmental psychology?
Longitudinal study
Cross-sectional study
Expensive and long, but more accurate
Take group of people of same age and analyze them over time
longitudinal study
Cheaper and shorter but prone to error
take a group of people of all different ages and compare them
cross-sectional
asks if development is more influenced by our DNA or life experiences
nature vs nurture
Many theories propose discontinuous (_____) of development. Like steps in a staircase, age-specific periods for children
More often, continuous (________) development is observed. A relatively even process without distinct stages (escalator)
stages
continuity
Do we stay the same or completely change as we age? Developmental psychology begins before an individual is even born.
stability and change
Begins with conception and ends at birth.
A fertilized egg is a _____ at the first 2 weeks
prenatal development
zygote
Organs develop at this times and the first heartbeat can be seen at about __ weeks
Embryo (2-8 weeks)
4 weeks
Harmful agents (tobacco, drugs, infections) that can lead to physical and/or functional deficits especially damaging in this stage
teratogens
The final stage (8 weeks to birth) Alcohol consumption may lead to fetal alcohol syndrome. Severity depends on the timing (the first half is most critical), the baby’s genetic makeup (some are more susceptible), and duration. Symptoms: low birth weight, deformations, intellectual disabilities
fetus
Fetal stage begins
9 weeks
sex organs differentiate
12 weeks
fingers and toes develop
16 weeks
hearing begins
20 weeks
lungs develop
24 weeks
brain grows rapidly
28 weeks
bones fully develop
32 weeks
muscles fully develop
36 weeks
full-term
40 weeks
Babies are born with sensory equipment and reflexes that facilitate their ____ and their _____ interactions with adults
survival
social
Babies
quickly learn to discriminate ____ smell
Prefer sound of ____ voices “You are my sunshine”
Born with ____abilities Habituation (which allows us to study cognition)
Reflexes
mother’s
human
cognitive
Grasping (wrapping fingers around object in palm)
sucking
moro (falling feeling from their body similar to a startle)
stepping
Babinski (toes splaying when foot is stroked)
rooting (turning towards a touch on the cheek)
Infant relexes
You are born with ___of your brain cells, but your nervous system is immature. After birth, your neural networks allow you to walk, _____, and remember. You also have a wild ____ spurt.
most
talk
growth
Biological growth processes that enable orderly and sequential growth patterns.
Mostly genetic, but it can be influenced by extreme environmental factors (teratogens or poor nutrition)
maturation
Reflexes will eventually be replaced by _______ movements
Motor development tends to be fairly universal
While timing may vary from child to child, sequence is ______.
Healthy babies learn to hold up their head, roll over, ___, crawl, and ____ at roughly the same ages regardless of _____.
Parents and environment may have some influence on motor skills, but the effect is slight.
Physical development happens from the body’s _____–_____(why children sit before they walk
voluntary
consistent
sit
walk
culture
midline–outward
Brain development begins in the ____ and continues through adolescence
The _____ is the first to form (life-sustaining functions).
Higher level processing happens _____ (cerebrum and forebrain)
Association areas are the ____ to develop (memory, cognition, thinking)
Memories seem to develop around __ years of age
womb
brainstem
later
last
3
Use it or lose it process. Shut down unused links and prunes synaptic connections that are not used
synaptic pruning
The transitional period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence.
adolescence
The period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing
sequence of physical changes is far more predictable than the timing
Although the timing has little effect on height at maturity, they may have psychological consequences
puberty
Brain development in the teenage brain
neural pruning _____ during adolescence
Fine tunes the ___ (strengthens networks used most)
Skills that teens do not use frequently will eventually be ____.
advances
brain
lost
After puberty, the _____ system is now mostly solidified enabling basic emotions and motivations
limbic (PHATH)
The frontal lobe doesn’t completely develop until _____(it controls executive functions like decision making, problem solving, and rational thought)
This is why teens can be explosive, moody, and reckless.
____ and hypothetical thinking becomes possible as the lobe develops, motivating teens to advocate for ___ in the world and begin to analyze establishments like religions, politics, and ____.
25
abstract
change
society
All our physical abilities peak by our ___-_____(muscular strength, reaction time, stamina, sensory keeness, cardiac output) and health problems increase
mid-twenties
What is the main change in middle adulthood?
What does this have to do?
decline in fertility for both male and female
females experience menopause
decline has much to do with health and exercise habits
Life expectancy continues to ____
women outlive men by about ___ years
increase
5
When we age the _____(tips of the chromosomes) wear down and can be accelerated by smoking, obesity, or stress and breastfed children have longer ______
telomeres
deferring death until after milestones like Christmas, birthday, etc
Death deferral phenomenon
What does aging do to sensory abilities
strength and stamina decrease
What does aging do to health
more susceptible to life-threatening ailments
What characterizes the aging brain
Slower reaction time brain begins to atrophy (wastes away)
Deteriorating cognitive abilities
dementia
After 50, the frontal lobe begins to deteriorate to some extent
______ ____: declining cognitive abilities just weeks before death
______ is a specific form of dementia (14% of people over 71) (a degenerative disease of progressive memory loss. Associated with lower levels of acetylcholine.
Risk of dementia is reduced by staying cognitive and physically active (use it or lose it)
terminal drop
Alzheimer’s
Who conducted interviews with terminally ill patients. She never intended her work to be generalized and recognized that dealing with death can be highly variable.
She categorized this info into 5 stages of death and dying
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
What are the five stages of death and dying according to Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Denial
anger
bargaining
depression
acceptance
