Psyc 1

The Zygote

creates a new human cell with 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs are known as a Phenotype

Phenotype

 Individual observable characteristics such as the color of your hair

 Genotype

to describes the genome that contributes your phenotype like genetic diseases such as sickle cell.

Three stages of labor

1.     Dilation and Effacement of Cervix: Begins with contractions and ends with full dilation of cervix (10 cm)

2.     Pushing: delivery of baby begins with full dilation and ends with birth

3.     Delivery of the placenta

Infant Reflexes

automatic motor responses to stimuli to help them adjust to the world

Teratogens

Factors in a parent’s body or the environment that damage the fetus

Self-Talk

self-talk ends and maturity happens when self-talk ends (Piaget) an adult doesn't talk to themselves out loud

Private speech

is self-guidance helps with mental activities (Vygotsky) talking to yourself can help with things like mental math

Distinguish Between Five Theoretical Perspectives

Biological Perspective

Psychoanalytic Perspective

Learning Perspective

Cognitive Perspective

Contextual Perspective

Contextual Perspective

Emphasizes the importance of the environment, culture, and historical context in shaping development. Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory is a key example.

Cognitive Perspective:

Focuses on internal processes like thinking, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making. Piaget’s cognitive development stages and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory are key examples.

Learning Perspective:

Focuses on how behavior is acquired through interactions with the environment. It includes theories like operant conditioning (Skinner) and social learning theory (Bandura).

Psychoanalytic Perspective

Emphasizes the role of unconscious desires, early experiences, and childhood development. Freud and Erikson’s theories fall under this perspective.

Biological Perspective

Focuses on genetic, neurological, and physiological processes in development. Emphasizes the role of inherited traits and biological processes in shaping behavior and development.

Formation of Sex Cells: meiosis

DNA replicates itself each time through mechanism known as. Gametes are created through a process known as meiosis in which the chromosomes in the nucleus of a cell are shuffled recombined and divided in half

Cephalocaudal Development:

Head to toe (e.g., head control before leg control).

Proximodistal Development:

Center to outer parts (e.g., torso control beforehand/finger control).

Emergent Literacy

knowing something like a stop sign means stop without the ability of reading or writing.

Three stages of pregnancy

1.     Germinal: the single celled zygote divides and implants into the uterus

2.     Embryonic: in weeks 2 to 8 the embryo develops the major parts of its body from legs to brain

3.     Fetal: the fetus finally looks like a baby and adds pounds and the organs and brain structures that will allow it to survive on its own

The Functions of Theories

Biological Theories: Evolutionary theory, the idea that all life on earth develops and changes to adapt to its environment over successive generations: successful genes, traits or behaviors for next gen

Ethological theory: Some humans behaviors are universal: learning how to communicate, move and relate to the world

Epigenetic theory: Builds on the biological perspective by examining how our physical and inborn characteristics including how our genes operate and are changed by our environment.

 

The life-span typically consists of several broad stages:

1. Prenatal: Conception to birth.

2. Infancy: Birth to 2 years.

3. Early Childhood: 2 to 6 years.

4. Middle Childhood: 6 to 12 years.

5. Adolescence: 12 to 18 years.

6. Young Adulthood: 18 to 40 years.

7. Middle Adulthood: 40 to 65 years.

8. Late Adulthood: 65 years and beyond.

Three Basic Issues of Human Development

1. Continuous vs. Discontinuous:

   • Continuous: Development is gradual and smooth, where skills and abilities build up over time.

   • Discontinuous: Development happens in distinct stages, where individuals undergo significant transformations.

2. Universal vs. Unique:

   • Universal: Suggests that there are common patterns or stages that everyone goes through.

   • Unique: Suggests that development is shaped by individual experiences, meaning every person’s path is different.

3. Influences on Development:

   • Nature vs. Nurture: How much development is influenced by genetic inheritance (nature) versus environmental factors (nurture)?

   • Critical and Sensitive Periods: Some periods are more important than others in development, especially for certain skills (e.g., language).

Six Key Principles of Baltes’s Approach

1. Development is lifelong: Human development does not stop at any point in life; it continues across the lifespan.

2. Development is multidimensional: It includes physical, cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions.

3. Development is multidirectional: Growth and decline can occur simultaneously across various aspects of life.

4. Development is plastic: There is potential for change at any age.

5. Development is contextual: The environment plays a major role, and development occurs within different contexts.

6. Development involves growth, maintenance, and regulation of loss: People seek to optimize development by maintaining abilities and compensating for losses, particularly in later stages of life.

   Development is life long, multidimensional, multidirectional, Biology and context, allocated resource and plasticity

Major Motor Milestones

• Lifting head (around 1-3 months)

• Rolling over (around 4-6 months)

• Sitting without support (around 6-8 months)

• Crawling (around 6-10 months)

• Walking (around 9-15 months)

Early Language Development

• Comprehension (Receptive language): This is the ability to understand words and phrases. Infants begin to comprehend simple words and phrases as early as 6 months.

• Production (Expressive language): This is the ability to produce words or sounds. Around 9-12 months, infants start using their first words.

language development from birth till age 6

birth: crying

1-2mnths: “coo” happy noses and laughing

3-5mnths: vocal play

6mnths: babbling

1-11/2yrs: first words, single words not phrases

overly extension: every car is a car(trucks, cars and other)

under extension:

what are the domains of human development

physical

cognitive

psychological

Brain Development: Synaptogenesis, Pruning, Plasticity

• Synaptogenesis is the formation of synapses (connections between neurons). It occurs rapidly in the early years, with the brain creating more synapses than it needs.

• Pruning is the process where unused synapses are eliminated, allowing for more efficient brain functioning.

• Plasticity refers to the brain's ability to adapt and change in response to experience. It’s especially high during early childhood and allows children to learn new skills and adapt to environmental changes.

Six Substages of Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage

Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage (birth to around 2 years old) is divided into six substages:

1. Reflexive schemas (0-1 month): Newborns' actions are reflexive.

2. Primary circular reactions (1-4 months): Infants repeat actions centered on their bodies (e.g., thumb sucking).

3. Secondary circular reactions (4-8 months): Actions are repeated because of their effect on the environment (e.g., shaking a rattle).

4. Coordination of secondary circular reactions (8-12 months): Infants start using intentional actions to achieve goals.

5. Tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months): Infants experiment with new actions to see the outcomes.

6. Mental representation (18-24 months): Infants can now think about and represent the world mentally (e.g., using symbols).

Piaget’s 4 Stages of Cognitive Development

1. Sensorimotor (0-2 years): Infants explore the world through their senses and actions.

2. Preoperational (2-7 years): Children begin to use symbols and language but lack logical reasoning.

3. Concrete Operational (7-11 years): Children develop logical thinking but struggle with abstract concepts.

Formal Operational(12 years and beyond): Adolescents can think abstractly and reason logically about hypothetical situation

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

• Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): The range between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with help.

• Scaffolding: The process by which adults or more skilled peers provide support to help learners accomplish tasks within their ZPD.

• Cultural Tools: Language, signs, symbols, and tools passed down through culture that aid cognitive development.

Methods for Obtaining Data: Observation & Self-Report

1. Observation: Researchers observe participants in natural or controlled settings, collecting data on behavior without interference.

   • Naturalistic Observation: Observing in real-world settings.

   • Structured Observation: Observing in a controlled environment with predefined conditions.

2. Self-Report: Individuals provide their own answers to questions, often through interviews, questionnaires, or surveys. This method can offer insight into personal perceptions, attitudes, or behaviors.

Correlational Research: Association, NOT Causation

Correlational Research studies the relationship between two variables. It shows whether or not they are related (positive, negative, or no correlation), but it does not imply cause-and-effect. For example, while there may be a correlation between ice cream sales and drowning, this does not mean ice cream sales cause drowning.

Developmental Research Methods

1. Correlational Research: Measures the relationship between two variables but cannot determine causation.

2. Cross-Sectional Research: Involves studying different age groups at one point in time to identify differences in development. It is efficient but cannot track individual changes over time.

3. Longitudinal Research: Follows the same group of individuals over a long period of time, providing insights into changes over time. However, it is time-consuming and can be subject to participant drop-out.

4. Sequential Research: Combines aspects of both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs, studying multiple cohorts over time. It is more flexible and can reveal both age-related changes and cohort effects.

5. Microgenetic Research: Focuses on small, short-term changes in individuals’ development, often in response to specific learning experiences. It allows for in-depth analysis of immediate change.