PSY Review Exam 1 (chapters 1-6)

nature vs nurture debate

concerns whether development is caused by genetics (nature) or environment (nurture)

nature

nurture

nature is genetics or hereditary (ex; born with a neurological disorder, hair color, eye color, etc.

nurture means if the child developed something over time due to the amount of attention given, learning behaviors, or how caregivers treat the child

cohort or cohort effect

cohort is a group of people born around the same time and experience the same cultural and historical events in time

Gen Z (most of our generation) might differ from Gen X or millennials by growing up in the use of technology and developing within different environments in time

what is Correlation research and one strength and one limitation of this design

examines relations among measured characteristics, behaviors, and events

limitation could be that it cannot establish a casual relationship between one variable and another, so you can’t say one variable caused the changes in the other one.

strength of correlation research is that it can determine whether two or more relationships between variables are related in a systemic way

state and explain three types of common development research design and which would be most impacted by cohort effects and which would be the least impacted

cross-sectional: compares different groups of people of various ages at ONE time and can tell us if behavior is different at different ages but can’t tell us why

longitudinal: studies one group of participants at many points in time and can indicate whether the characteristics and behaviors measured remain consistent

sequential: assess multiple cohorts over time and combines the cross-sectional approach and longitudinal approach in a single study. This can reveal age-related trends and time-of-measurement effects

The cohort effect is most impacted by the sequential design, as it examines multiple cohorts over time, while the cross-sectional design is least impacted since it compares different age groups at one time and can’t explain why the behavior is different in ages

3 stages of prenatal development (explain how long each stage is and describe the primary systems that are developing during the stage)

stage 1: The germinal period is 2 weeks- this is when fertilization and implantation begin and the start of the placenta

stage 2: The embryonic period is 6 weeks- groundwork laid for all body structures and internal organs

stage 3: The fetal period is 30 weeks or the rest of the pregnancy- growth and finishing phase: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimesters

sensitive period

- is the brain development when the nervous system and brain are developing. This is a fragile time within the making of the baby, and if anything disturbs it, such as teratogens, it can lead to a disruption in the brain and spinal cord and affect the production of the embryo.

teratogens

are environmental agents that can cause damage during the prenatal period that is caused by the intake of drugs, alcohol use, tobacco, radiation, and environmental pollution during pregnancy.

this can cause later life effects on physical and mental development and allow the child to become slower in learning, have health issues, behavioral problems, and/or disorders

four possible factors that can influence how much impact a teratogen has

impact on dose, hereditary, presence of other negative factors, age and prenatal sensitive periods, and delays health effects may show up later in life

factors associated with pregnant women receiving limited prenatal health care

can cause a greater likelihood of low birth weight and possibly fetal death due to the lack of money, insurance, transportation, and limited access to care

what is the Apgar score, and when is it used?

Apgar score is a quick assessment of the newborns minutes after birth to assess health status. This tells doctors how well the baby tolerated the birthing process. 7 or better is good condition, and three of the below means danger to the baby and immediate help

what is reflex and three examples of newborn reflexes

reflex is an involuntary, automatic movement that happens without conscious thought. Within newborns, they develop these reflexes such as rooting, Moro, and sucking to help adapt to their environment.

rooting reflex allows the infant to turn their head when something brushes their check to find food/nipple

Moro reflex allows the baby to cast out their hands and pull them back when startled by a sudden noise or movement

sucking reflex makes the baby suck on something when touches the roof of the mouth such as thumb, nipple, or bottle.

These tend to disappear at 4-6 months of age because as the frontal part of the brain develops, the involuntary movements become voluntary, and they become in control of themselves

plasticity of the brain. Two positive aspects and a negative

plasticity is the formation of the brain to adapt to new information and experiences

the positive aspect is it allows for new learning skills and improves cognitive functions

a negative aspect is it can cause epilepsy and developmental disorders

experience expectant brain development vs experience-dependent brain development

experience expectant brain development is the development of the brain growing early and naturally, developing rapid organizations, and the “expected” experiences for normal brain growth (language development)

experience-dependent brain development is the brain growing based on things throughout life, growth, refinement, and learning something new, such as playing the piano or riding a bike, and results from specific individual learning experiences

advantages of breastfeeding and barriers that may prevent a mother from breastfeeding and how can this affect the baby

breastfeeding allows the baby to get the right nutrients, provides the correct fat and protein balance, protects against jaw and teeth deformation, ensures digestion, and allows a smooth transition into solid foods.

mothers might avoid breastfeeding due to personal preference, medical conditions, physical discomfort, anxiety about the latching of feeding techniques, or the belief that a formula can be suitable for the baby.

not breastfeeding can come with a risk of the child developing a chronic disease, infections, lack of nutrients, health issues, attachment to mother, etc. Also buying the formula is expensive so it can put parents at risk with money as well

describe characteristics of thinking that are associated with Piaget’s sensorimotor

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development proposes that children progress in distinct stages of intellectual development, with each stage building upon the previous one and marked by unique cognitive abilities and ways of thinking about the world.

types of thinking that a child can show at this stage are adaption, meaning to build schemes through direct interaction with the environment. Assimilation is using current schemes to interpret the world, and accommodation is creating new schemes and adjusting to new ones to better fit the environment

scaffolding

promotes learning at all ages

zone of proximal development

is too difficult for a child to do alone, but possible with the help of a skilled partner

How do Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories differ in the importance of having “knowledgeable others” available to assist a child when they attempt to master a task

the difference is that using Piaget’s theory, infants and toddlers create new schemes by acting on the physical world - they are active participants in developing their understanding of the world. Vygotsky’s theories, many aspects of cognitive development are socially mediated - family, teachers, caregivers, and peers can help infants expand their knowledge of the world and how to interact with it.

- so basically, Piaget believes that infants develop their knowledge on their own by creating schemes, while Vygotsky believes that family, teachers, and social connections help expand their knowledge of the world

compare the types of verbal or language skills one would expect to see in a 2-month-old, a 6-month-old, a one-year-old, and a two-year-old.

at age 2 months to 6 months, the baby distinguishes language sounds and segments of speech into words and phase units and starts “cooing” and “babbling.” At 12 months, the infant says their first words and acquires one to three new words per week. At age 2, they combine two words or more

define the term temperament and the three primary types of temperament proposed by Thomas and Chess

The term temperament means early appearing, stable individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation.

The three primary types of Thomas and Chess’s model are easy children, difficult children, and slow-to-warm-up children, (and then unclassified children). They can show these by their actions, activity level, fearful distress, shyness, and sociability.

Temperament can be achieved by both the environment and genetic factors, but more so neurobiological and genetic factors correlate with shyness and sociability

Does a child’s temperament have an impact on a child’s personality type? which temperament type is more likely to be related to a more sociable personality, and which would be associated with shyness?

Yes because if the child is easy going then they are more social, while difficult children are more shy.

describe strange situation and how it is used to identify attachment styles in young children

What is the difference in behaviors between an infant who is securely attached and one who is insecurely attached in this testing situation?

The strange situation is when the mother and baby enter a room, and then a stranger enters, and the mother leaves, then the mother comes back, and the stranger leaves and repeats while comforting the child. If the child is secure, they will explore the room freely when the mother is present, and once the mother eaves, the infant may become distressed, but once they return, the baby can quickly calm down. On the other hand, if the infant is feeling insecure, the baby will show extreme distress upon separation, avoid the caregiver upon reunion, or exhibit little exploration even if the caregiver is present in the room

What is the Goodness of Fit Model?

How do the parents of a child with a difficult temperament need to modify their parenting responses?

The goodness of Fit Model looks at how the interaction between a biological factor (the child’s temperament) interacts with an environmental factor (the parents’ parenting styles and parenting behaviors) in ways that can lead to the most favorable outcomes for the child.

A parent with a child who has a difficult temperament may need to be more patient, understanding, and consistent with routines, provide extra support during transitions, focus on positive reinforcement rather than reacting harshly to their child’d emotions or behaviors.