Human Growth and Development

Exam 1

physical

type of lifespan development specialist

body’s physical makeup (muscles, bones, nerves)

need for food drink and sleep

cognitive

type of lifespan development specialist

ways that growth and change in learning, memory, problem solving, and intelligence influence a person’s behavior

personality

type of lifespan development specialist

ways that the enduring characteristics that differentiate one person from another change over the lifespan

social

type of lifespan development specialist

way in which individuals’ interactions with others and their social relationships grow, change, and remain stable over the life course

age graded

biological and environmental influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group, regardless of when or where they are raised

history graded

biological and environmental influences associate with a particular historical moment

continuous change

involves gradual development in which achievements at one level build on those of previous levels

discontinuous change

development that occurs in distinct steps or stages, with each stage bringing about behavior that is assumed to be qualitatively different from behavior at earlier

critical period

specific time during development when a particular event has its greatest consequences and the presence of certain kinds of environmental stimuli is necessary for development to proceed normally

sensitive period

a point in development when individuals are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environments, but the absence of this stimuli does not always produce irreversible consequences

Id

raw, unorganized inborn part of the personality present at birth that represents primitive drive related to hunger, sex, aggression, and irrational impulses

ego

part of the personality that represents a person’s conscience incorporating distinctions between rights and wrong

superego

aspect of personality that represents a person’s conscience, incorporating distinctions between right and wrong; learned from parents/teachers around age 5/6

mitosis

cell division for all cells; zygote = host

meiosis

cell division of sex cells

monozygotic twins

genetically identical → form when cluster of cells in ovum splits off within first two weeks of fertilization

dizygotic

no more genetically similar than two siblings; they are produced when separate ova are fertilized by separate sperm at roughly the same time

nature

traits, abilities, and capacities inherited from one’s parents

nurture

environmental factors that shape behavior

genotype

underlying combination of genetic material present in an organism

phenotype

observable trait

dominant

trait that is expressed when two competing traits are present

recessive

trait that is present in organism but not expressed

homozygous

similar genes inherited from parents for a given trait

heterozygous

different forms of a gene inherited from parents for a given trait

sickle cell anemia

inherited blood disorder

klinefelter syndrome

results from presence of an extra X chromosome in male’s genetic code

Down syndrome

produced by presence of extra chromosome on 21st pair

hemophilia

blood clotting disorder that is produced by X linked genes

chorionic villus sampling

test to find genetic defects; involves taking samples of hair like material that surrounds embryo

ultrasound

process in which high frequency sound waves scan womb to produce image of unborn baby (6-13 weeks 1st Trimester, 18-20 weeks 2nd Trimester)

amniocentesis

identifies genetic defects by examining a small sample of fetal cells drawn by a needle inserted into amniotic fluid surrounding fetus

germinal

fertilization to 2 weeks

methodical cell division and attachment of blastocyst to uterine wall

placenta forms

embryonic

2-8 weeks

significant growth in major organs and body systems

zygote → embyro with three layers

fetal

8 weeks to birth

increase in size and weight; organs operational; hormones released

at 4 months baby moves

CRH

corticotropin releasing hormone triggers process of birth

oxytocin

hormone released from mother’s pituitary gland during birthing process

Braxton Hicks

mild irregular contractions during pregnancy (starting at 4th month) until labor

Stage 1

longest birth stage with uterine contractions (~8-10min) and increasing intensity contractions with mother’s cervix fully open

Stage 2

birth stage that lasts about 90 minutes as the baby’s head moves through the birth canal; episiotomy can happen in this stage

stage ends when the baby is born

Stage 3

shortest birth stage and occurs when child’s umbilical cord and placenta are expelled; only lasts a couple of minutes

episiotomy

incision sometimes made in stage 2 of birth to increase the size of the opening of the vagina to allow the baby to pass

Apgar scale

Appearance (color), Pulse (heart rate), Grimace (reflex), Activity (muscle tone), Respiration (breathing effort)

Scored 0-2 for each quality, 0-10 total

low score indicates needed intervention

bonding

close physical and emotional contact between parent and child during period immediately after birth

anesthesia

possible side effects of ___________ include:

may depress oxygen flow and slow labor

newborns may be less responsive, have poorer motor control during first days, cry more, and have more difficulty breast feeding

low birthweight

baby born at 5.5 pounds

small for gestational age

babies that weight 90% of average weight of infants

preterm infants

low/very low birthweight, may experience respiratory distress syndrome before 38weeks

Causes: multiple birth, age of mother, Irish twins, older fathers, lower income

22

babies gain ___ lbs in their first year of life

cephalocaudal principle

growth follows a pattern that begins with the head and upper body parts and then proceeds down to rest of the body

proximodistal principle

development proceeds from center of body outward

plasticity

degree to which a developing structure or behavior is modifiable due to experience

autostimulation

function of REM sleep in infants to provide a means for the brain to stimulate itself

sleep

environmental influences and cultural practices affect the ____ cycle of infants

16

newborns sleep about ___ hours a day

rhythms

repetitive, cyclical patterns of behavior such as change from wakefulness to sleep

SIDS

disorder where healthy infants die in their sleep (1,250 cases per year in US)

Moro Reflex

6 months

activated when support for head is suddenly removed

protection from falling

Startle Reflex

infant flings out arms, arches back, and spreads fingers in response to sudden noise

babinski reflex

8-12 months

fans out toes in response to a stroke on outside of foot

rooting reflex

3 weeks

tendency to turn head to things that touch its check

food intake

stepping reflex

2 months

movement of legs when held upright with feet touching floor

prepares infants for independent locomotion

swimming reflex

4-6 months

paddle and kick in swimming motion when lying facedown in body of water

schema

organized patterns of functioning that adapt and change with mental development

assimilation

process by which people understand an experience in terms of current stage of cognitive development and way of thinking

accommodation

changes in existing ways of thinking that occur in response to encounters with new stimuli or events

object permanence

realization that people and object exist even when they cannot be seen (8-12 months)

information processing

model that seeks to identify the way that individuals take in and store information

encoding

process by which information is initially recorded in a form usable to memory

storage

placement of information into memory

retrieval

process by which material in memory storage is located, brought into awareness, and used

infantile amnesia

lack of memory for experiences that occurred prior to three years of age

explicit

memory that is conscious and can be recalled intentionally

implicit

memory that is not consciously aware but affects performance and behavior

infant directed speech

Type of speech directed towards infants, characterized by short, simple sentences

social smiling

smiling in response to other individuals; more frequent than smiling at non human object at 18 months

social referencing

intentional search for information about others’ feelings to help explain the meaning of uncertain circumstances and events (8-9 months)

secure

attachment style that wants high proximity and contact with caregiver

avoidant

attachment style that wants low proximity and contact with caregiver

disorganized disoriented

attachment style that has inconsistent wants with caregiver

ambivalent

attachment style that wants high and low contact and proximity with caregiver

27

weight of toddler

35 inches

height of toddler