PSY 1101 TEST 2

Zygote (Conception to 2 weeks)

A new cell formed when sperm fertilizes an egg. Each parent contributes 23 chromosomes.

Embryo (Weeks 3–8)

Female development (XX) is the default pathway. Genotypic males (XY) produce testosterone, which develops male characteristics.

Genotype

An organism’s DNA (genetic material).

Phenotype

Observable traits influenced by both genetics and the environment (e.g., disease, nutrition, exercise).

Monozygotic twins

Identical twins formed when one fertilized egg splits into two.

Dizygotic twins

Fraternal (non-identical) twins formed when two separate eggs are fertilized at the same time.

Cause of Down Syndrome

Trisomy 21 (Extra Chromosome)

Clinical Features of Down Syndrome

Intellectual disability (Median IQ 40-50 where IQ=100 is average)

“Mongolism” Almond Shaped Eyes with abnormally thick eyelids

Flattened face and back of skull

Risk Factor of Down Syndrome

Advanced Maternal Age (>40 yrs old)

Cause of Phenylketonuria (PKU)

Caused by genetic error where liver lacks enzyme (PA hydroxylase) to break down phenylalanine, contained in many foods

If an infant is tested positive for PKU

infant children are placed on a special diet that prevents brain damage and intellectual disability, and restricts phenylalanine (avoid high protein foods)

Neuronal Pruning

Neurons that are not integrated into networks, or stimulated by experience are cut away prenatally or during childhood 

Cause of Increasing brain weight

dendritic growth and myelinization

Cerebellum

Develops in early postnatal months for motor coordination

Temporal Lobes

Development occurs for language comprehension

Frontal Lobes

Full development for social judgment and abstract thinking does not occur until late adolescence

Attachment

The emotional bond formed between a child and its primary caregiver

Harlow & Harlow Experiment

Provided infant rhesus monkeys with either:

• Wire surrogate mother

• Wire surrogate mother with soft cloth covering

Result: Harlows found that soft contact comfort was more important than which surrogate mother dispensed milk.

Human Attachment (3-6 months):

Infant has preference for primary caregiver

Human Attachment (7-9 months):

Infant forms attachment for primary caregiver

Separation Anxiety

Fear and distress that occurs when infant is separated from primary caregiver. Continues until age 2-3 years.

Stranger Anxiety

Fear and distress displayed by infant when approached by unfamiliar person

First Stage of Cognitive Development (Jean Piaget)

Sensorimotor Stage

Second Stage of Cognitive Development (Jean Piaget)

Preoperational Stage

Third Stage of Cognitive Development (Jean Piaget)

Concrete Operational Stage

Fourth Stage of Cognitive Development (Jean Piaget)

Formal Operational Stage

Sensorimotor Stage

Child only understands the world by what it looks or feels like and what it does when they touch it. For example, if a baby sees you hide an object, it does not know to look for it. The baby lacks object permanence: the ability to think about the existence of an object without being able to see it or touch it.

the child can not mentally reverse a problem. They still rely on appearance, and lack conservation of liquid, mass, and number. (if you pour a liquid from a taller glass into a shorter glass, the child thinks there is less of it simply because the shorter glass makes it look as though there is not as much liquid.)

The child is egocentric and can not assume another person’s point of view. (Doll 3 mountain test: child cannot imagine what a scene would look like from the point of view of a doll on opposite side)

Concrete Operational Stage

Child can engage in mental reversals and logical reasoning. They understand conservation of liquid, mass, and number. they are only able to solve visible or tangible problems.

Formal Operational Stage

Child is able to perform abstract reasoning and able to solve problems through experimentation. Abstract reasoning is the ability to think about and solve problems on a purely conceptual basis, without having to look at our touch a physical object.

Schema

An organized knowledge structure. (schema for fish: (1) has fins (2) lives in water (3) swims)

Assimilation

Process of integrating new information into an existing schema. (Example: Child learns about swordfish or flying fish, which still fit into fish category, have fins, live in water, swim. New information about swordfish and flying fish is integrated into the existing schema of fish.)

Accommodation

Changing a schema to integrate new information. (Example: Child learns that dolphin is not a fish, but is a mammal. So child’s idea of fish category has to change. Now an animal may have fins and live in water and swim, but may not be a fish. A fish must have gills and breathe underwater, if an animal like a dolphin or whale has lungs and breathes air, it can not be a fish even if it lives in water. So schema for fish has changed because it could no longer accommodate all animals that had fins and lived in water.)

Aging

Progressive deterioration of the body over time

Hayflick Limit

Cells can only divide approximately 50 times (creates an age limit for humans of approximately 120 years)

The Trolley Problem (Moral)

• There is a straight trolley track, and a siding controlled by a switch

• The trolley, going straight will 5 workers on the track unless you act.

Scenario A: If you are at the switch and you throw the switch to direct trolley into the siding

1 man killed, 5 men saved (90% people willing)

Scenario B: If you are on the bridge and you push that ing fat man onto the track, that will stop the trolley

1 man killed, 5 men saved (5% people willing)

In A, you don’t have to touch a person, a man dies through a switch mechanism that you operate. The decision can be made logically with less emotion.

In B you must kill a person with your own hands by pushing them onto the tracks. Because that involves touching the person who will die, Scenario B engages the physical and emotional processes of the brain, which affects our moral decisions.

Transduction

The conversion of physical energy into neural impulses

Vision

Light of visible spectrum

Hearing

Sound waves in frequency range

Taste

Molecules in solid or liquid form

Smell

Molecules in gaseous form

Touch

Skin Pressure

Sensation

Detection of stimulus information from the environment

Perception

Organizing sensation into meaningful patterns, objects, and events

Light

Visible electromagnetic radiation with two characteristics (Intensity and Wavelength)

Intensity

Height to wave due to number of photons (psychological brightness)

Wavelength

Cyclic unit of light, measured from crest to crest (400-750 nm visible) (psychological color)

Photoreceptors

(Rods and cones) Neurons in the retina that convert light into neural impulses

Rods

• Work well in dim light

• Colorblind

• Concentrated in periphery of retina

• Motion Detect

Cones

• Work well in bright light

• Respond to color

• Concentrated in fovea (area at the center of the retina where vision is sharpest)

• Acuity

Bipolar Cells

Receive input from photoreceptors

Ganglion Cells

Receive input from Bipolar Cells and project into the brain through the optic nerve