Adolescent development pt 1

Q: What does developmental psychology study?

A: The way humans develop and change over time.

Q: How do nature and nurture contribute to development?

A: Both interactively shape development, with environmental events often turning genes on and off.

Q: What is maturation in developmental psychology?

A: Biologically based changes that follow an orderly age-related sequence, such as crawling before walking.

Q: What is meant by critical periods in development?

A: Specific times when certain types of learning or stimulation must occur for normal development to take place.

Q: What is meant by sensitive periods in development?

A: Times that are particularly important for later development but not absolutely decisive.

Q: What do studies of children raised in deprived environments (e.g., Genie, Romanian orphans) show?

A: Early experience greatly impacts development; some abilities may be permanently limited if stimulation is lacking during sensitive periods.

Q: What is the stages perspective on development?

A: Development occurs in discrete steps, with each stage qualitatively different from the previous one.

Q: What is the continuous perspective on development?

A: Development is gradual, with slow, steady learning processes rather than sudden shifts.

Q: Do psychologists agree on stages vs. continuity?

A: Many suggest development includes both stagelike changes (especially in childhood) and continuous processes throughout life.

Q: What do cross-sectional studies compare?

A: Groups of participants of different ages at a single time.

Q: What do cross-sectional studies provide a picture of?

A: Age differences.

Q: What is the main limitation of cross-sectional studies?

A: They cannot assess changes within the same individuals (age changes) and are vulnerable to cohort effects.

Q: What do longitudinal studies assess?

A: The same individuals over time.

Q: What do longitudinal studies allow researchers to see?

A: Age changes (how individuals change as they grow older).

Q: What is the main limitation of longitudinal studies?

A: They are vulnerable to cohort effects because they follow only one generation or group.

Q: What do sequential studies combine?

A: Cross-sectional and longitudinal designs.

Q: How do sequential studies minimise cohort effects?

A: By studying multiple cohorts longitudinally and comparing them across time.

Q: What advantage do sequential studies offer over cross-sectional and longitudinal studies alone?

A: They help distinguish between age effects and cohort effects.

Q: What is the prenatal (gestational) period?

A: A time of rapid physical and neurological growth before birth.

Q: What are teratogens?

A: Harmful environmental agents that can damage the embryo or fetus.

Q: What is one of the most prevalent teratogens?

A: Alcohol.

Q: What condition can maternal alcohol abuse cause?

A: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).

Q: Can moderate levels of alcohol also harm prenatal development?

A: Yes, even moderate drinking can impair the developing child.

Q: How rapidly do neurons develop during gestation?

A: Hundreds of thousands per minute.

Q: What happens to neural connections after birth?

A: Many are pruned if they are not strengthened by environmental input.

Q: What adaptive reflexes are present at birth?

A: Reflexes like rooting (turning head when cheek is touched) and sucking, which help ensure nourishment.

Q: What is puberty?

A: The stage of development during which individuals become capable of reproduction.

Q: At what age does menarche (onset of menstruation) usually occur?

A: Around 11–13 years.

Q: At what age do males typically begin mature sperm production?

A: Around 14.5 years.

Q: What are typical outcomes of early pubertal development for males?

A: More likely to excel at athletics, be popular, relaxed, and high in status.

Q: What are typical outcomes of early pubertal development for females?

A: More distress, greater risk of delinquency, and increased family conflict.

Q: What physical changes occur with ageing?

A: Gradual decline in muscular strength, sensory functioning, and reaction time.

Q: Do all people experience ageing changes at the same rate?

A: No, individuals differ tremendously in their physical competence across life.

Q: What is the rule-of-thumb for maintaining physical and mental capacities in adulthood?

A: Use it or lose it.

Q: What is the most dramatic physical change for females in middle adulthood?

A: Menopause, the cessation of the menstrual cycle.

Q: How does male sexuality change with age?

A: Gradually, with declines in sexual desire due to lower testosterone, but fertility can continue throughout life.

Q: What role do ageist stereotypes play in ageing?

A: They can worsen perceived or actual deterioration by shaping expectations and experiences.

Q: Is ageing only about losses?

A: No, development throughout the life span is characterised by both gains and losses.

Q: How do infants’ sensory abilities compare to adults’?

A: Infants have sensory deficits compared to adults but can still perceive subtle differences, such as distinguishing their mother’s voice from another woman’s, from birth.

Q: What is intermodal processing?

A: The ability to associate sensations of an object from different senses and match their own actions to behaviours they have observed visually.

Q: What do ecological theorists argue about infant perception?

A: Infants innately appreciate the meaning of some experiences important to adaptation (e.g., defensive response to looming objects).

Q: What types of memory are present at birth?

A: Various forms of implicit memory, and rudiments of explicit memory.

Q: What brain structure is critical for the development of explicit memory in infancy?

A: The hippocampus, which matures over the first 18 months of life.

Q: Which memory system is the slowest to develop?

A: Working memory, which relies on the maturation of the prefrontal cortex.