CE Human Dev. - Unit 1

The science of human development:

The science that seeks to understand how and why people of all ages and circumstances change or remain the same over time.

What is the first step in the scientific method?

Begin with curiosity and then form a research question.

Correlation:

Indicates a relationship between two variables. Does NOT indicate that a change in one variable is the CAUSE of the change in another, just that they are related.

Difference-equals-deficit error:

The mistaken belief that a deviation from some norm is necessarily inferior.

Scientific observation:

Watching and recording participants’ behavior in a systematic and objective manner — in a natural setting, in a laboratory, or in searches of archival data.

Experiments:

Method of research that aims to establish causality by imposing a particular treatment on a group of participants or exposing them to a specific condition and then noting how they respond.

Survey:

Method of research that collect information from a large number of people by interview, questionnaire, or some other means.

Cross-sectional research:

Research that compares people of one age with similar people of another age.

Cross-sequential research:

A research design that studies several groups of people of different ages, follows them over the years, and then combines the results.

What is it called when scientists repeat a study’s procedures with different participants?

Replication

Nature:

The influence of inherited genes.

Nurture:

Environmental influences, beginning with the health, diet, and stress of the future person’s mother at conception, and continuing lifelong, including experiences in the family, school, community, and nation.

How do nature and nurture have a reciprocal relationship in human development?

Nature always affects nurture; nurture affects nature.

Differential sensitivity:

The idea that people vary in how sensitive (for better or worse) they are to particular experiences, either because of their genes or because of their past experiences.

The life-span perspective:

Takes into account all phases of life and all aspects of development. Is multidisciplinary - psychology, biology, history, sociology.

How is human development multidirectional?

Human characteristics change in every direction.

Critical period:

Time when certain things MUST occur for normal development.

Sensitive period:

Time when a particular development occurs most easily.

Plasticity of human development:

Basic understanding that people can change over time and that new behavior depends partly on what has already happened. Humans are always changing and developing. Human development is moldable.

Psycho analytical theory:

Proposes that irrational, unconscious drives and motives (often originating in childhood), underlie human behavior.

Sigmund Freud:

First psychoanalyst. Proposed five psychosexual stages of development that linked sensual satisfaction to developmental needs and conflicts.

Behaviorism:

Learning theory which focuses on observable behavior and the laws and processes by which behavior is learned.

Conditioning:

Proposes that learning takes place through processes by which responses become linked to particular stimuli.

Classical conditioning:

Demonstrates that behaviors can be learned by making an association between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. Learning that occurs through association.

Operant conditioning:

A learning process in which a particular action is followed either by something that is desired or something unwanted, making the action either more or less likely to be repeated. Learning occurs through reward and punishment.

Social learning theory:

Proposes that learning occurs through observing others.

Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development:

1. Sensorimotor

2. Preoperational

3. Concrete operational

   1. Formal operational

Evolutionary theory:

Developmental theory which suggests that organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical traits.

Darwin theorized that nature works to ensure that each species does which two things?

1. Survive

2. Reproduce

Socioeconomic context:

Defined by an individual’s level of education, the neighborhood they live in, and their income.

Cognitive theory:

Developmental theory which focuses on changes in how people think over time.

Which of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems would a child’s parents and siblings be a part of?

Microsystem

Which ecological systems affect a person’s microsystem, exosystem, and macrosystem?

1. Chronosystem

2. Mesosystem

Psychoanalytical theory:

Developmental theory which proposes that early childhood experiences will influence a person’s personality later in life.

Equilibrium:

According to Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, humans are always seeking this state of mental balance.

Assimilation:

The Piagetian concept for interpreting new experiences through the lens of our preexisting ideas.

Accomadtion:

The process of reassessing preexisting ideas and concepts to include new information. Part of Piaget’s cognitive development theory.

Social learning:

According to the behaviorism or learning theory, this type of learning occurs through modeling what others do.

B.F. Skinner:

This behavioral theorist built on Pavlov’s theory and demonstrated operant (instrumental) conditioning.

How many chromosomes does the typical human cell have?

46

How many chromosomes does a gamete have?

23

What is the male gamete called?

Sperm

What is the female gamete called?

Ova or ovum

Genome:

The entire packet of instructions to make a living organism.

What is an allele?

The variation of a gene.

What is the result when a single zygote splits in half and creates two genetically identical babies?

Monozygotic twins

What is the result when two ovum are fertilized by two sperm at roughly the same time?

Dizygotic twins

What is the difference between genotype and phenotype?

The phenotype is the visible traits; the genotype is a collection of genes.

Epigenetics:

The science of how the environment affects the expression of genes.

If a zygote has an X chromosome from the ova and a Y chromosome from the sperm, what will its biological sex be?

XY - Male

If a zygote has an X chromosome from the ova and an X chromosome from the sperm, what will its biological sex be?

XX - Female

The type of hereditary pattern seen where there is more than one genetic factor involved and sometimes environmental factors participating in the causation of a condition.

Multi-factoral heredity

Carrier:

The genotype includes a gene that is not expressed in the phenotype.

Zygote:

The single cell formed from the union of two gametes, an ova and sperm.

Germinal period:

The first 14 days after conception - the zygote duplicates, divides, and multiplies.

Development of the placenta implantation (about 10 days after conception).

Embryonic period:

Weeks 3 though 8. Primitive streak becomes the neural tube.

Head takes shape and eyes, ears, nose, mouth, form.

Heart begins to pulsate and extremities develop.

What is the name for a developing human organism from the 9th week after conception until birth?

Fetus (fetal period)

What is the definition of a low-birth-weight baby?

Body weight of the baby is less than 5 ½ pounds at birth.

What is the age of viability?

The fetus can survive outside the womb 22 weeks after conception.

What percentage of zygotes grow and survive to become a newborn baby?

About 27%

Pre-term birth:

Birth 2 or more weeks before the full 38 weeks of a typical pregnancy.

What does the APGAR score measure?

The color, heart rate, cry, muscle tone, and breathing of a newborn. How well the baby is adjusting to outside of the womb.

What are chromosomal trisomies?

Three chromosomes at one site.

What is the most common trisomy?

Down syndrome

Fragile X-syndrome:

A genetic disorder in which part of the X chromosomes seems to be attached to the rest of it by a very thin string of molecules. The cause is a single gene that has more than 200 repetitions of one triplet.

Teratogen:

An agent or condition resulting in birth defects or death.