Cedarville University - Gen. Psych - DeWitt - Exam 2

Developmental Psychologists

Study physical, mental, and social changes occurring throughout life

Nature vs. Nurture

Name for a controversy in which it is debated whether genetics or environment is responsible for driving behavior

Continuity vs. Stages

The debate to determine whether development is a gradual, continuous process or a sequence of separate stages

Stability vs. Change

The debate about which early traits and characteristics persist through life or change

X

Mother always gives an ________ chromosome

Girl, boy

If father gives an x chromosome, the baby will be a _______, if the father gives a y chromosome, the baby will be a ________

23rd

The sex chromosome is the ___________ chromosome

Zygote

(0-2 weeks) fertilized egg that undergoes 2 weeks of rapid cell division

10

How many days after conception does the zygote attach to the uterine wall?

Embryo

(2-9 weeks) a developing human being; organs begin to form and function; heart begins to beat

Placenta

The organ through which nutrients and oxygen pass from the mom to the baby

Fetus

(9 weeks to birth) organs continue to develop and the baby continues to grow

12

At how many weeks does the fetus fill the entire uterus?

14

At how many weeks can the baby's sex be determined?

16-20

At how many weeks can the mom feel the baby move?

24 weeks

What is the age of viability?

Teratogens

Drugs, chemicals, viruses, or hormones (stress) that cross the placenta reaching the embryo or fetus causing harm

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Caused by the mom drinking heavily during pregnancy that can result in a small misproportioned head, low birth weight, lower intelligence, and abnormal facial features

Alcohol

What is the most consistently damaging teratogen?

Reflexes

Unlearned responses triggered by specific stimuli

Babinski Reflex

Baby's foot will fan out when stroked from heel to toe; disappears after 12-18 months

Moro Reflex

Baby will abruptly throw arms out and then in when head is falling or when hearing a loud noise; disappears after 4 months

Rooting Reflex

When cheek is stroked, baby will turn head toward the stroke and open mouth; disappears after 5 months

Sucking Reflex

Baby will suck when an object is placed in their mouth; disappears after 7 months

Palmer Reflex

When an object is placed in the palm of a baby's hand, baby will grasp it; disappears after 3 months

Stepping Reflex

When held upright and moved forward, baby will step rhythmically; disappears after 8 weeks

1/4 million per minute

How fast did nerve cells form in the womb?

Synapses

Neural networks grow increasingly complex by forming billions of _________

Maturation

Orderly sequence of biological growth relatively uninfluenced by experience

Infantile Amnesia

The inability to remember events before 3.5 years of age due to the lack of neural networks and connections

Cognition

All mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Schemas

A concept or mental picture that organizes past experiences, providing a framework for understanding future experiences

Assimilation

Interpreting new experiences in terms of our existing schema

Accomodation

Adapting or adjusting current schemas to incorporate or make sense of new information

Sensorimotor Stage

Birth - 2 years; experiences the world through senses and actions; stranger anxiety starts at 8 months; object permanence

Preoperational Stage

2 - 7 years; represents things with words and images but lacks logical reasoning; pretend play; egocentrism

Concrete Operational Stage

7 - 11 years; thinks logically and excels in math; understands conservation

Formal Operational Stage

12 years - adult; thinks abstractly and with systematic reasoning; moral reasoning - thinking about ethical and social issues

Lev Vygotsky

Studied how children think and learn via the social environment and interaction, and inner speech

Self-talk

Helps children control behavior, emotions, and master new skills; improves adult's performance

ASD

Autism spectrum disorder; a disorder that appears in childhood; marked by deficiencies in communication, social interaction, grasping other peoples emotions, rigidly fixated interests, and repetitive behaviors

Attachment

A powerful survival impulse keeping infants close to their caregivers (birth - 2 years)

Harlow's Monkeys

An experiment that showed that monkeys preferred contact with the comfortable cloth mother more than the one with the food

Critical Period

Optimal period when certain events must take place to facilitate proper development

Body contact, familiarity, and baby's temperament

What are the three elements in parent-infant bonding?

Mary Ainsworth

Scientist who developed the strange situation experiment that tested secure and insecure attachment

Secure Attachment

A relationship in which an infant obtains both comfort and confidence from the presence of his or her caregiver

Insecure Attachment

A relationship style where the bond is contaminated by fear

Authoritarian Style

Parenting that is demanding, controlling, and rigid

Permissive Style

Parenting that is lax, non-disciplining, and indifferent

Authoritative Style

Parenting that is demanding but also supportive and responsive

Lawrence Kohlberg

Famous for his theory of moral development in children; made use of moral dilemmas in assessment

Trust vs. mistrust

(0-1) if needs are dependably met, infants develop a sense of basic trust

Autonomy vs. shame/doubt

(1-3); Independence within limits; explores within boundaries

Initiative vs. guilt

(3-6); develops the ability to try new things and handle failure

Competence vs. inferiority

(6-11); applying self to tasks or otherwise feeling inadequate

Identity vs. role confusion

(12-20); forms a sense of self or become confused about who they are

Intimacy vs. isolation

(20-40); developing close relationships or feeling socially isolated

Generativity vs. stagnation

(40-60); contributing to the world through family or work or lacks purpose

Integrity vs. despair

(60+); reflecting on life with satisfaction or regrets