ChAD 70 Midterm

individualistic

cultural values such as independence and self-expression

human development

ways people grow and change across the life span; includes people's biological, cognitive, psychological, and social functioning

Collectivistic

"cultural values such as obedience and group harmony" (~developing countries)

Teratogen

agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

Culture

Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

developed countries

world's most economically developed and affluent countries, with the highest median levels of income and education

developing countries

countries that have lower levels of income and education than developed countries but are experiencing rapid economic growth

traditional culture

in developing countries, a rural culture that adheres more closely to cultural traditions than people in urban areas do

globalization

increasing connections between different parts of the world in trade, travel, migration, and communication

Mylenation

a layer of myelin forms around the axons which allows the nerve impulses to travel faster

Hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.

SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)

the sudden, unexpected death of an infant less than 1 year of age that has no identifiable cause

SES (socioeconomic status)

a person's position in society as determined by income, wealth, occupation, education, and place of residence

object permanence

the knowledge that an object exists even when it is not in sight

accommodation

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

Assimilation

interpreting one's new experience in terms of one's existing schemas

Schemes (Piaget)

Mental patterns that guide behavior

-organized, generalized patterns of behavior or thought

Maturation

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience

How are chromosomes divided into segments

Genes

Genes

segment of DNA containing coded instructions for the growth and functioning of the organism

genotype

An organism's genetic makeup, or allele combinations.

allele

on a pair of chromosomes, each of two forms of a gene

Phenotype

An organism's physical appearance, or visible traits.

Genome

entire store of an organism's hereditary information

Midwives

Women who were often older and widowed that helped deliver babies and helped take care of women with health problems

What happens to the placenta across different cultures

traditional cultures- beliefs that it is potentially dangerous or even semihuman.

developed countries- the placenta is recognized as having special value as a source of hormones and nutrients.

In some cultures the methods for disposing of the placenta are clear and simple: burial, burning, or throwing it in a river, or keeping it in a special place reserved for placentas.

cephalocaudal development

a principle whereby development proceeds from the head region down through the body

proximadistal development

development that occurs from the center of the core outwards

Piaget's stages of cognitive development

1. sensorimotor

2. preoperational

3. concrete operational

4. formal operational

sensorimotor stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

preoperational stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

Rate of SIDS across cultures

-leading cause of death for infants 1-12 months of age in developed countries

-Asian descent are less likely to die of SIDS than those of European or African descent

-African American and Native American infants are at especially high risk, with rates 4-6 times higher than White Americans

---part of a larger pattern than begins with poorer prenatal care and continues with greater vulnerability in the first year of life.

Plasticity and example

-degree to which development can be influenced by environmental circumstances

-Because the infant's brain is not as specialized (developed) as it will be later in development, it is high in plasticity, meaning that it is highly responsive to environmental circumstances

Romanian orphan studies

There was lack of nourishing foods, toys and social interaction.

- This indicates that after about 6 months of age, the damage to the brain due to early deprivation often could not be entirely undone even by years of exposure to a more stimulating environment.

-Plasticity of the infant brain is high but diminishes steeply over the first few years of life.

Co-sleeping pros

Easier response time

Less parental exhaustion

More convenient for breast-feeding

Co-sleeping cons

- higher risk of SIDS

- excessive dependence can endanger emotional health

- "form of child abuse or worse"

Gross and Fine Motor Development

gross: 12-18 months many toddlers can barely walk, but by their third year they can run and jump.

fine: Toddlers become capable of eating with a spoon and show a right- or left-hand preference for self-feeding. learns how to scribble, build a block tower, brush teeth

Why do American kids struggle with dental health?

primarily due to inconsistent dental care and to diets that are heavy in sugars and starches that cause cavities.

Why do we have calcium defficiancy during early childhood in the US?

-eat too much of unhealthy foods and too little of healthy foods, many of them have specific nutritional deficiencies despite living in cultures where food is abundant.

-less milk (dairy) and more soft drinks

- 1/3 US 3-year-olds consuming less than the amount recommended by health authorities

-Calcium is especially important for the growth of bones and teeth, and is found in foods such as beans, peas, broccoli, and dairy products (for example yogurt, milk, and cheese)

emotional development in early childhood

• Emotional development is supported by gains in representation, language, self-concept.

• Preschoolers gain in emotional competence:

- Emotional understanding

- Emotional self-regulation

- Self-conscious emotions and empathy

• Parenting strongly influences preschoolers' emotional competence.

~ developing positive sense of abilities

Erikson's early childhood stage

Initiative vs. Guilt: self-esteem emerges in skills and competencies.