Develop. Psych. - Chp. 2

Prenatal Diagnostic Methods

• many

• have side effects

• can be inaccurate

• contain ethical challenges

Screening vs. Diagnostic

1. Screening = proactive check to spot potential issues

2. Diagnostic = in-depth assessment to diagnose issues

Reproductive Choices

1. Genetic Counseling

2. Adoption

3. Artificial Insemination

4. Surrogacy

Genetic Counseling

determines risk that their kids will inherit genetic defects & chromosomal abnormalities

Adoption

legal process in which a person assumes the parenting rights & responsibilities of a child

• transracial adoption requires greater care

• affects behavior, cognitive, & emotional develop.

• outcomes correlate w/ age

Artificial Insemination

sperm is injected into the vagina by a means other than sexual intercourse

Surrogacy

a women is impregnated & carries a fetus, then turns the baby over to the couple who will raise them

Heritability

statistic that indicates the extent to which variation of a certain trait can be traced to genes
*determines ROLE of genetics - any remaining variation is due to environment

Homozygous

alleles are the same

Heterozygous

alleles are different

Range of Reaction (aka Reaction Range)

wide range of potential expressions of a genetic trait, depending on environmental opportunities & constraints
*Ex. height is produced by genetics but could be altered by pour nutrition

Epigenetics

above the gene - our genes are expressed as different phenotypes in different contexts

Canalization

heredity narrow the range of development to a few outcomes, thus ensuring species-typical skills
*ex. motor development

Niche-Picking

an active gene-environment correlation in which individuals seek out experiences & environments that complement their genetic tendencies

Gene-Environment Correlation

many of an individual’s traits are supported by their genes & environment
*3 types of correlations: passive, reactive, & active