Developmental Psychology and Biological Development Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering developmental psychology, sustainable goals, Theory of Mind, research methodologies, genetics, and biological brain development.

Developmental Psychology

The study of how people's perception and interactions with the world change and stay the same over time.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

A set of goals and targets established by the UN in 2015 to stimulate action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet.

Relational Developmental Theoretical Perspectives

A perspective that considers the relationship between things rather than each thing in isolation, avoiding reductionist thinking and taking context into account.

Self-determination Theory

A meta-theory of development suggesting that the tendency for mastery and growth is innate but not automatic, and that growth or wellbeing is supported by a sense of autonomy, relatedness, and competence.

Theory of Mind (ToM)

The attribution of mental states such as ideas, thoughts, knowledge, emotions, desires, and beliefs to oneself and to others to understand how these states influence behaviour.

False Belief Understanding

The understanding that someone else can have a belief that is incorrect or wrong, typically demonstrated by most 5-year-olds.

Chi-Square ($\chi^2$)

A statistical test used to analyze categorical data by comparing observed frequencies with expected frequencies to infer relationships.

Medical Model (of Disability)

A model that views disability as a problem or deficit within the individual that needs to be treated or cured through medical intervention, using 'normal' function as a standard.

Social Model (of Disability)

A model that recognizes that barriers in society, such as physical environment and cultural attitudes, create disability rather than the impairment itself.

Human Rights Model (of Disability)

A model that frames disability as a natural part of human diversity, emphasizing equal rights, the removal of societal barriers, and access to individual supports.

Genotype

The specific genetic information a person inherits that has the potential to influence the observable properties of an organism.

Phenotype

The observable properties of an organism, such as hair color or executive function abilities, produced by the interaction of the genotype and environmental influences.

Karyotype

An image or description of a person's chromosomes isolated from an individual cell and arranged in numerical order.

Down Syndrome

A chromosomal variation involving an extra chromosome 21, resulting in a genotype of $24$ chromosomes in gametes (or $47$ in somatic cells).

Klinefelter Syndrome

An XXY chromosomal condition in males that can result in weaker muscles, language difficulties, smaller testes, and infertility.

Sister Chromatids

Two identical chromatids joined at the centromere to form the distinct x-shape of a chromosome after DNA replication.

Transcription

The process where the DNA code for a specific protein is written down in the form of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA).

Translation

The process where the code written by mRNA is converted into a chain of amino acids to form a protein.

Codons

Groups of three bases of mRNA that serially code for each of the $20$ different amino acids.

Allele

One of two or more different forms or variations of a specific gene.

Huntington's Disease (HD)

An autosomal dominant progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by more than $40$ repeats of the CAG trinucleotide on chromosome 4.

Fragile – X Syndrome (FXS)

The most common inherited form of intellectual disability, caused by an expansion mutation of CGG repeats (over 200) in the FMR1 gene on the X-chromosome.

Epigenetics

Heritable but reversible changes in gene expression that are not coded in the DNA sequence but occur through modifications like DNA methylation or histone modification.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

A recessive autosomal disorder related to a defective gene on chromosome 12 that prevents the metabolism of phenylalanine, an amino acid found in high-protein foods.

Meiosis

A two-step cell division process occurring in the gonads to produce haploid ($n = 23$) gametes (sperm and ova).

Mitosis

The process by which somatic cells divide to produce two identical diploid ($2n = 46$) daughter cells.

Blastocyst

A tiny sphere of about $60$ to $80$ cells formed within 4 days of conception that eventually differentiates into the ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm.

Teratogens

External environmental agents, such as drugs, alcohol, or diseases like Rubella, that can cause damage or death during the prenatal period.

Stunting

A condition defined as being short for one's age, often resulting from severe, irreversible physical and cognitive damage due to malnutrition.

Marasmus

A severe disease caused by insufficient protein and calories, resulting in babies becoming frail and wrinkled in appearance as body tissues waste away.

Kwashiorkor

A disease affecting children who receive enough calories but not enough protein, leading to thinned hair and swelling of the face, legs, and abdomen.

Enteric Nervous System (ENS)

A division of the autonomic nervous system consisting of $400$ to $600$ million neurons embedded in the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, often called the 'second brain'.

Astrocytes

The most common type of glial cell, which maintains the neuronal environment, supplies nutrients, and controls when neurons make new synapses.

Neurogenesis

The process of generating new neurons from neural stem cells, which begins $42$ days after conception and continues in certain brain areas throughout life.

Myelination

The formation of an insulating fatty sheath around axons by oligodendrocytes to speed up the conduction of electrical messages.

Synaptogenesis

The growth of axonal and dendritic fibers to form trillions of neuronal connections or synapses, peaking at the $34\text{th}$ week of gestation.

Apoptosis

The process of programmed cell death for neurons that are not used or fail to interconnect with other neurons.

Synaptic Pruning

The process by which unused connections between neurons disappear, which is particularly substantial during adolescence.