Intro to Human Development Cumulative Final

What topics might a developmental scientist study?

• lifespan development

• child development and adult development

• gerontology

• normative transitions and non normative transitions

What is lifespan development?

the scientific study of lifelong human growth, its roots lie in child development

What is child development?

the study of childhood and teenage years- one of the oldest disciplines in psychology

what is gerontology

the scientific study of aging and the problems of the old

adult development

the scientific study of adult life

what are normative transitions

predictable life changes like becoming parents or beginning college

What are non-normative life changes?

atypical life changes like the death of a child

What is a cohort?

refers to our birth group- who we travel through life with

Who are baby boomers? what makes baby boomers so influential?

people born between 1946 and 1964

impacted Western world- radical transformations of previous attitudes and roles

Why do developmentalists describe elderly people as young old and old old?

average life expectancy increased

young old: 60s and 70s

old old : 80+, more likely to have physical and mental disabilities

What is SES and why is it important

socioeconomic status: education and income

people with lower SES tend to struggle more than people with higher SES

how does a collectivist culture differ from an individualistic culture?

collectivists cultures: prize social harmony, often live together, value respect

individualistic cultures: emphasize independence and personal success

Are our personalities, talents, and traits shaped by biological (nature), environmental (nurture) factors or a combination of both?

a combination of our biological (nature) AND environmental (nurture)

How does traditional behaviorism explain why our best intentions (parenting, nursing) sometimes fail?

focused on charting and modifying only "objective" visible behaviors

behavior is shaped by reinforcement and consequences, not intentions →

unintended reinforcement or inconsistent consequences may undermine desired outcomes.

what is another name for cognitive behaviorism?

social learning theory

what is cognitive behaviorism and who is it accredited to?

Albert Bandura: children learn by watching and imitating what other people do

What is self-efficacy and why it is important?

belief in our competence, our sense that we can be successful at any task has an overall effect on our behavior

what does attachment theory say about the importance of the caregiver during early childhood?

the bond that we build with our mothers shapes our abilities to love

does evolutionary psychology emphasize nature or nurture or both?

nurture

what is behavioral genetics

the study of the effects of heredity on behavior

what are evocative forces?

inborn talents and temperamental tendencies evoke, or produce certain responses from the world

what are active forces?

we actively select our environment based on our genetic tendencies

what principle underlies Piaget's cognitive development theory?

intellectual growth occurs through assimilation and accommodation

rom birth to adolesence, children progress through qualitatively different stages of cognitive growth

what are the different Piaget's stages

sensorimotor (0-2), preoperations (2-7), concrete operational (7-12), formal operations (12+)

what is the developmental systems approach?

each child is at the center of an expanding circle of environmental influences

center of the circle: direct encounters with the child's family, peers, church, and school

then community, school system, medical institutions and

then cultural values, economic patterns and social conditions

What does Bronfenbrenner's ecological model illustrate?

an individual's development is influenced by multiple layers of environmental systems,

microsystem: immediate settings like family and peersto

macrosystem: broader societal influences, culture and policies

What is fertilization?

the union of sperm and egg

what is ovulation?

The release of an egg from the ovary

what happens during the germinal stage?

first two weeks after fertilization

cell mass has not fully attached to the uterine wall

within the first 36 hours: fertilized ovum becomes zygote → first cell division

becomes a blastocyst and becomes implanted into the uterine wall

what is a zygote?

a fertilized ovum

what is the purpose of placenta?

lifeline that passes nutrients from the mother to the developing baby

which is the most fast-paced period of development? why?

the embryonic stage

what happens in the embryonic stage

happens from week three to week eight

all of the babys major organs are constructed

what are the three principles of prenatal development?

proximodistal sequence: growth from interior part of the body to outer sides

cephalocaudal sequence: grow from top to bottom

mass to specific sequence: grow of gross structures to small structures

what happens during fetal development?

During fetal development, the body adds a great deal of mass.

what is the fluid-filled chamber within which the baby floats called?

amniotic sac

what is a teratogen?

a substance that crosses the placenta to harm the fetus

give several examples of teratogens

infectious disease, medications, recreational drugs, environmental toxins, vitamin defieciencies

what is it meant by the sensitive period?

the timeframe when a particular organ or system is coming "online"

what can happen to a baby when their mother smokes and or drinks?

they can have smaller than normal and less healthy babies

identify and describe three prenatal tests

ultrasound: provides pictures and additional information about the babies development

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS): diagnose chromosomal and genetic conditions

amniocentesis: tests fluid

what factors affect infertility rates?

sexually transmitted infections

what happens during each stage of labor?

-dilation+effecement: cervix thins out and begins to dilate to allow the baby to pass through and contractions start

-Birth: fetus descends through the uterus and enters the vagina

-expulsion of the placenta: placenta must be pushed out

what are some possible threats to birth?

Contraction mechanism, the inability of the cervix to fully dilate; deviations from normal head-down position to breech position…

how have birth options changed overtime?

women have more options when it comes to giving birth

what is the apgar test and why is it important?

checks babys heart rate, muscle tone, respiration, reflex response and color and gets rated on a scale of 1-10

scores above 7 are considered excellent

how does the us infant morality rate compare to rate in other affluent countries?

the US infant morality rate is low- because of income inequality, stress, poor health practices and limited access to high quality prenatal care

what role does socioeconomic status play in pregnancy and infant morality?

poverty puts women at higher risk of delivering premature or having babies die before age one

what is synaptogenesis?

the process of making a myriad of connections, programs every skill

what is neural pruning?

the loss of connections that is critical to development

what is the function of the myelin sheath

permits the neural impulses to speedily flow

what does it mean to say the cerebral cortex is plastic?

it is malleable, it is able to be changed over time

t or f: reflexes are programmed by the cortex and under conscious control

false- they are automatic responses coordinated by the spinal cord and brainstem

what three barriers may influence the length of time a mother spends breastfeeding, why?

-work demands

-social stigma

-physical pain

what purpose does crying serve?

how we first communicate our feelings and needs

what are the benefits of skin to skin contact and infant massage?

holding a baby close reduces the babys stress hormone (cortisol)

Wow do traditional behaviorists differ from Bowlby and Erikson in their advice for responding to an infants crying from the crib?

traditional behaviorists: dont immediately respond to crying, it might reinforce behaviors that lead to dependency

Bolby+Erikson: promptly responding to build trust with the baby

can infants learn to self soothe during the first few months of life? why or why not

not yet, they still rely on caregivers

which sense is operational before birth?

hearing

What is the preferential looking paradigm, and what is it used for?

human beings are attracted to novelty and look selectively at new things

used to study newborn preferences and abilities

what is habituation?

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation

what are the general principles of Piaget's sensorimotor stage

baby manipulates objects to pin down the basics of physical reality

stage ends with the development of language.

what are circular reactions

habits the child repeats again and again

what is the little scientist phase

the child begins experimenting and exploring the properties of objects

give an example of means-end behavior

when the child is able to perform an action to get a goal

example: pushing the toilet lever down to make the water swirl

t or f: newborns grasp the concept of object permanence

false

why did Piaget believe that the onset of language signaled the end of the sensorimotor period?

this ability requires understanding that a symbol stands for something

what is the progression of language development

cooing->babbling->holophrase-> telographic speech

what are the first one word sentences called

holophrase

what is telegraphic speech?

a child's first word combinations, which omit unnecessary words

what is IDS and what is its purpose

infant-directed speech with simple words, exaggerated tone and elongated vowels

define attachment

the powerful bond between caregiver and child

contrast watsons and bowlbys views on attachment

Watson: viewed attachment behaviors as a response to external stimuli- discouraged excessive affection

Bowlby: attachment is a biological need, emotional bond provides a foundation for trust, emotional regulation and further relationships

what was Harlows monkey study and what did it show about attachment

involved separating infant rhesus monkeys from their mothers and raising them with two artificial "surrogate" mothers: one made of wire that provided food and another made of soft cloth that did not provide food.

showed that attachment is driven more by the need for emotional comfort and security than by the fulfillment of basic physiological needs like food

what is proximity seeking behavior?

our need to make physical contact with an attachment figure

what does separation anxiety signal and at what age does it occur

when a baby gets upset as a primary caregiver departs

occurs at about age 7 or 8 months

describe an example of social referencing

A baby's monitoring a caregiver for cues as to how to behave.

describe mary ainsworth's strange situation

Procedure to measure attachment at age 1, involving separations and reunions with a caregiver.

what are different types of attachment and how do they develop

secure, avoidant, anxious ambivalent attachment and disorganized attachment s

secure attachment

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

avoidant attachment

attachments marked by discomfort over, or resistance to, being close to others

anxious ambivalent attachment

attachment style in which infants become extremely upset when their caregiver leaves but reject the caregiver when he or she returns

disorganized attachment

a type of attachment that is marked by an infant's inconsistent reactions to the caregiver's departure and return

t or f: an infants number one attachment figure is always their mother?

false

what are some of the childcare options in the United states

preschool, daycare, family day care, nanny/babysitter, relatives, parents

what are the important features of high quality day care

• low caregiver to child ratio

• appropriate physical setting

• daily routine

• relationship between providers and children

what does erikson mean by autonomy

when toddlers confront the challenge of understanding that they are separate individuals.

what does erikson mean by shame and doubt

refer to situations when a toddler's drive for autonomy is not fulfilled

why is the emergence of self-conscious emotions a milestone

shows that a child is becoming self aware

when do american parents begin to serious socialize their children?

14 months old to 2 years old

how persistent is incredible childhood shyness? how should a caregiver socialize a shy baby

shyness can persist into later life if not fixed with proper socialization.

model social behaviors and be gentle and supportive

what is power assertion?

an ineffective socialization strategy- yelling, screaming, and hitting

What is the main psychosocial task during early childhood, as labeled by Erikson

initiative versus guilt

initiative means confidently exercising our bodies and minds

distinguish between fine motor skills and gross motor skills

fine motor skills- small coordinated movements

gross motor skills- large muscle movements

what threats to the development to children's growth and motor skills exist today

lack of outdoor play and lack of food

preoperational thinking is defined by what young children are ___; concrete operational thinking is defined by what older children ____

missing; possess

the principle of conservation refers to our knowledge that the amount of a given substance ____ ____ despite changes in its ____ or _____

remains identical; shape or form

what does piaget mean by class inclusion

The understanding that a general category can encompass several subordinate elements.

what does piaget mean by egocentrism? what does he not mean?

egocentrism is the inability to understand that other people have different points of view

he does not mean that children are vain or uncaring

vygotsky believed that people ____ mental growth

propel