Exam 1 Developmental Psych

Epigenisis

The emergence of new structures and functions during the course of development

Preformation

The (outdated) idea that traits are mapped out from birth and grow larger with with time

Embryology

The study of prenatal development

Phylogenic Continuity

Behaviors, characteristics and developmental processes are more similar between humans and animals that share more DNA and evolutionary history

“The Active Child”

Children are not passive, they shape their own development through their choices and how they interact with their environment. The same is true for a fetus’s participation in their environment, contributing to their development

Example of an “active fetus” becoming an “active child”

Fetuses with generally slower heart rates and moved less were more behavioraly inhibited at 10 years old

Fetal Tactile Experience

Most tactile experiences are hand to mouth contact. Fetuses experience tactile stimulation as a result of their movement and have been known to grasp their umbilical cords, rub their face and suck their thumb. Preference of hand for thumb sucking can predict handedness in children

Fetal Visual Experience

Fetuses prefer light displays that are top heavy or oriented like a face and have a predisposition for face-like stimuli

Fetal Taste Experience

Fetuses have a preference for sweet things and ingest more amniotic fluid when it is sweetened. Fetuses can also discriminate between different flavors

Fetal Smell Experience

Fetuses receive olfactory experiences through the amniotic fluid they come in contact with. Fetuses and babies prefer the scent of their mothers amniotic fluid

Fetal Hearing Experience

Noises elicit changes in fetal heart rate. Fetuses prefer their mothers voice of voices they frequently hear and can distinguish between music and speech. Preterm infants exposed to womb sounds had larger auditory cortexes than the control group

Fetal Learning

Occurs during the last 3 months of pregnancy when the CNS is more developed

Habituation

A decrease in response to a repeated or continuous stimulus

Dishabituation

New stimulus elicits interest after habituation has occured

Teratogens

External agents or environmental forces that can cause damage or death during prenatal development

Sensitive Period

Period during development when the organism is most sensitive to the effects of external factors

Thalidomide

Originally prescribed to treat morning sickness but caused major limb deformities

Dose-Response Relation

The greater the exposure to a potential teratogen or harmful substance, the more severe the damage or the increased likelihood the fetus will suffer damage

Effects of Opiods on Fetal Development (heroin, meth, fentanyl etc)

Mimic the effects of neurotransmitters which can wreak havoc on a developing brain

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)

Drug withdrawl seen in infants exposed to opiates. Common effects include low birth rate, breathing & feeding issues, siezures

Effects of Marijuana on Fetal Development

Associated with a range of problems involving attention, impulsivity, learnign and memory in older children

Effects of Cigarettes on Fetal Development

Fetus recieves less oxygen and has fewer breathing movements, carcinogens are metabolized, slowed fetal growth, low birth rate, increased risk of miscarriage, higher SIDS, lower IQ and ADHD

Effects of Alcohol on Fetal Development

Leading cause of fetal brain injury. Can lead to facial structure differences, intellectual and developmental disorders, attention challenges and hyperactivity, low birth rate, ADHD, cognitive delays

Maternal Factor - Age

Infants born to teenagers 15 years old or younger are more likely to die before their first birthday. Children born to older parents have a higher risk of developmental disorders such as autism

Maternal Factor - Nutrition

Too little folic acid (vitamin B) increases risks of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Malnutrition is more common in low-income families, making it harder to assess risks as there are other risk factors associated with poverty

Maternal Factor - STD’s & HIV

Can damage the nervous system and cause a variety of defects including blindness or hearing loss

Effect of maternal emotional state on fetal development

Maternal stress can impact cognitive development, lower birth rate,

Sociocultural Factors of Postnatal Environment

North America: Medicalized, birth occurs in hospitals surrounded by medical teams with few family present

Bali: Birth takes place at home with family and kin surrounding to socially initiate the newborn into the family

State of Arousal

The level of arousal and engagement in the environment ranging from deep sleep to intense activity

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep

50% of infant sleep time is spent in this state. Active sleep state associated with dreaming characterized by quick eye movements under the eyelids and distinct patterns of brain activity, body movements and irregular heart rate and breathing

Non REM Sleep

State of quiet or deep sleep characterized by absence of motor activity or eye movements and regular, slow breathing, heart rate and brain waves

Autostimulation during REM Sleep

Activation of the internal nervous system during sleep which promotes development

Infant Mortality

Death during the first year after birth. At an all time low in the U.S. but higher in other developed countries. Likelihood increases with poverty or lower socioeconomic status or lack of access to healthcare and health insurance

Low Birth Rate

Infants weighing less than 5 ½ lbs at birth, often premature and born at 35 weeks or earlier after conception

Small for Gestational Age (SGA)

Infants born either preterm of full term but weigh substantially less than normal for their gestational age

Intervention Programs for Low Birth Rate

Physical contact, skin to skin and social interaction is encouraged to provide infants with comfort. More gental touching for premature newborns can lead to stronger neural responses

Multiple Risk Model

Risk factors tend to occur together. Ex engaging in substance abuse may also coincide with not eating well and higher levels of maternal stress. Risk factors accumulate and compound on the developing fetus and can have developmental outcomes later in life

Risk for major teratogenic effects is greatest in the…

Embryonic period because this is when all the major organs and body systems develop

Why study child development?

To describe, explain and better the human environment and help make informed decisions in terms of raising children, choosing social policies and understanding human nature

Early View: Plato

Emphasized nature and innate instincts or responses

Early View: Aristotle

Emphasized nurture/experience and individuality within children

Nativism

Innate/genetically determined; nature

Empiricists

Tabula Rasa (blank slate) learned through experiences; nurture

Raising Children

Knowledge of child development research is beneficial for everyone involved in the care of children and for understanding best practices and methods for raising and disciplining children

Choosing Social Policies

In courtroom precedings it is essential to avoid askign leading questions that can cause children to misremember and “recall” events that did not actually take place

Understanding Human Nature

Early experiences of deprivation in Romanian children in orphanages influenced their physical development. The length of their stay in the orphanage also impacted their development with children being there longer having worse developmental, social and health outcomes.

What do Genes do?

Code for proteins, produce proteins. Regulatory genes start/stop protein production for other genes

Genotype

The genetic material an individual inherits

Phenotype

The observable expression of a genotype, including body characteristics and behavior

Environment

Includes every aspect of the individual and his or her surroundings other than genes

Norm of Reaction

All of the phenotypes that could theoretically result from a given genotype in relation to all environments it could survuve and develop

Behavior Genetics Studies

Determining the relative influences of genes and environment on a given trait/behavior

Heritability

Measures how much variation in a trait across a population is due to genetic differences instead of the environment

Shared Environment

Growing up together in the same environment

Nonshared Environment

Environmental experiences unique to the individual. Even identical twins have nonshared environments with who, what and how they interact with the world

Neurogenisis

Cell production (proliferation), cell migration and cell differentiation/division

Synaptogenesis

Forming of the synapse, cells elongate their axons to create connections (synapses) with other cells

Synaptic Pruning

Synapses that are rarely activated are eliminated. “use it or lose it” principal

Cell Differentiation depends on…

Parent cells (where cells came from), location of nerve cells (after migration) and chemical signals

Experience-Expectant Plasticity

“Normal” wiring in the brain is dependent on general experiences, development will be impaired if expected experiences are not available. Ex: Both eyes typically receive the same input during development but if one eye is covered it will not experience typical development. Dependent on typical + universal experiences

Experience-Dependent Plasticity

The brains ability to develop plasticity based on unique experiences over time. Experience matters Ex: String players

Sensitive Periods with Experience

The period when a species typical experience is optimal to achieve typical functioning. Timing is important for experience-expectant plasticity

Brain Damage & Recovery

Recovery depends on the severity of the damage and the point in development when damage occurs. Worst time for brain damage to occur is during prenatal development (neural genesis & neural migration) Best time is during infancy and early childhood (synapse generation & pruning) Ex: Left hemisphere is dominant for language but if the left is damaged early on, the right will take over some control for these processes

Genome

Complete set of hereditary information, DNA and all an organisms genes

Chromosomes

Made up of DNA and transmit genetic info

Random Assortment

When pairs of chromosomes randomly separate and line up during cell division to create sperm and egg cells

Crossing Over

When sections of DNA switch from one chromosome to another to promoter variability among individuals

Mutation

A change in a section of DNA. Can be random, spontaneous errors or caused by environmental factors

Regulator Genes

Genes that control the activity of other genes by switching them on and off. Creates a chain reaction of genetic events

Gene Environment Correlations

A parents genetic makeup influences the environment parents provide for their children which influences the childs development. Ex: Parents who struggle with reading and have an inheritable condition such as dyslexia may be less likely to provide a reading oriented environment for their child.

Genetic Transmission Disorders

Diseases caused by changes or mutations in a persons DNA sequence

Active vs Passive Environments

Children choose activities, environments and friends that interest them. Children that enjoy reading will actively interact with that environment compared to a child that does not enjoy reading. Children shape their own environments through active and passive interactions

Heritable & Heritability

Heritable: Characteristics or traits that are genetically transmitted

Heritability: How much of a traits variation is attributed to genetics

Cerebral Cortex

Grey matter of the brain consisting of four distinct lobes

Occipital Lobe

Primarily processes visual information. Located at the back of the brain

Temporal Lobe

Primarily processes speech, language, music and emotional information. Located at the lower part of the brain

Parietal Lobe

Primarily processes spatial processing and memory information. Located on the top of the brain

Frontal Lobe

Primarily processes working memory and cognitive control. located at the front of the brain

fMRI

Uses powerful electromagnetic imaging to detect blood flow in different areas of the brain

EEG

Recordings of electrical activity generated by neurons. used to study the time course of neural events

fNIRS

Measures neural activity by detecting metabolic changes

Failure to Thrive

Inadequate physical growth in children

Nutritional Behavior - Food Preferences

Prefer sweet flavors as infants and are more likely to drink more sweetened water instead of plain water as children

Active Child - Crib Speech

Children internally motivated to learn language practice talking when no one is present to react to what they are saying

Active Child- Pretend Play

Play that encourages development and teaches valuable lessons such as how to cope with fears, resolve disputes and interact with others

Continuous Development

Continuous process of small changes (pine tree growing taller)

Discontinuous Development

Series of occasional, sudden changes (caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly)

Stage Theories

The idea that development involves a series of large, discontinuous, age-related phases

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

A measure of social class based on income and education. Effects all aspects of childrens lives from the food they eat to the discipline they receive to the games they play

Individual Differences

Genetics, treatment by others, reactions to experiences and choice of environments all impact individual differences

How can research promote children’s well being?

By creating educational initiatives, promoting programming, recommendations for valid eye witness testimony and improving laws and policies

The Scientific Method

an approach to testing a belief that involves choosing a question, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis and drawing a conclusion

Reliability

The degree to which independent measurements of a given behavior are consistent. Replicable

Validity

The degree to which a test measures what it is suppossed to measure. Accurate

Internal Validity

The degree to which the effects observed within experiments can be attributed tot he factor being tested

External Validity

The degree to which results can be generalized beyond the research study

Independent Variable

The variable being manipulated. The experience given to the experimental group that the control group does not receive

Dependent Variable

The variable that is a behavior/result of what is being changed or manipulated

Ethical Issues in Child Development Research

Maximizing benefits and minimizing harm to children

Respect for people’s dignity

Equity

Scientific Integrity