Development Psych MC Practice Unit 8

behavior genetics

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

environment

the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

heredity

Passing of traits from parents to offspring

chromosome

a threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

A double-stranded, helical nucleic acid molecule capable of replicating and determining the inherited structure of a cell's proteins.

genes

DNA segments that serve as the key functional units in hereditary transmission.

genome

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes

identical twins

twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms (monozygotic)

fraternal twins

twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. They are genetically no closer than brothers and sisters, but they share a fetal environment. (dizygotic)

temperament

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

interact

to act on or affect each other

molecular genetics

the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes

molecular behavior genetics

the study of how the structure and function of genes interact with our environment to influence behavior

epigenetics

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

developmental psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

continuity

some parts of development are gradual and continuous

stages

some parts of development change abruptly in separate stages

stability

early personalities are stable and not subject to a lot of change

change

personalities change and develop over time

prenatal development

The baby's development during a pregnancy

conception

the moment at which a female becomes pregnant

zygotes

the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo

embryo

the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month

fetus

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

teratogens

agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

fetal alcohol syndrome

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking

epigenetic effect

chemical marks on DNA that switch genes abnormally on or off

newborn reflex response

automatic reflexes that newborns have

habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner.

maturation

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience

pruning process

A use-it-or-lose-it process that shuts down unused links and strengthens others

motor development

the emergence of the ability to execute physical action

infantile amnesia

the inability to remember events from early childhood

Jean Piaget

Known for his theory of cognitive development in children

schemas

Concepts or mental frameworks that organize and interpret information.

assimilation

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

accomodation

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

sensorimotor stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

object permanence

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

stranger anxiety

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age

preoperational stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

egocentrism

in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view

concrete operational stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

conservation

the principle (which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects

mental operations

solving problems by manipulating images in one's mind

theory of mind

people's ideas about their own and others' mental states—about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict.

formal operational stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

abstract logic

Hypothetical situations, ideas like communism

Lev Vygotsky

child development; investigated how culture & interpersonal communication guide development; zone of proximal development; play research

scaffolding

the support for learning and problem solving that encourages independence and growth

autism spectrum disorder

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

social development

The increasing complexity of behaviour patterns used in relationships with other people.

attachment

an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation

Harry Harlow

Studied attachment in monkeys with artificial mothers

secure base

refers to the idea that the presence of a trusted caregiver provides an infant or toddler with a sense of security that makes it possible for the child to explore the environment

critical period

an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development

imprinting

the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life

mere exposure effect

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them

strange situation experiment

Mary Ainsworth experiment; observed children and mother during first six months and later observed the 1 year old infants in strange situation

secure attachment

a relationship in which an infant obtains both comfort and confidence from the presence of his or her caregiver

insecure attachment

attachments marked by anxiety or ambivalence

Mary Ainsworth

developmental psychology; compared effects of maternal separation, devised patterns of attachment; "The Strange Situation": observation of parent/child attachment

anxious attachment

attachments marked by anxiety or ambivalence. an insecure attachment style

avoidant attachment

attachments marked by discomfort over, or resistance to, being close to others

separation anxiety

emotional distress seen in many infants when they are separated from people with whom they have formed an attachment

Erik Erikson

neo-Freudian, humanistic; 8 psychosocial stages of development: theory shows how people evolve through the life span. Each stage is marked by a psychological crisis that involves confronting "Who am I?"

basic trust

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers

deprivation of attachment

children become withdrawn, frightened, unable to develop speech

self concept

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?"

authoritarian parenting

style of parenting in which parent is rigid and overly strict, showing little warmth to the child

permissive parenting

A parenting style characterized by the placement of few limits on the child's behavior.

authoritative parenting

parenting style characterized by emotional warmth, high standards for behavior, explanation and consistent enforcement of rules, and inclusion of children in decision making

life span perspective

an approach to the study of human development that takes into account all phases of life, not just childhood or adulthood

Adolescence

the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence

primary sex characteristics

the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible

puberty

the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing

secondary sex characteristics

nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair

menarche

the first menstrual period

adolescent brain development

synaptic pruning continues, expansion of synaptic connections (myelination), neurotransmitter response changes

moral reasoning

the thinking that occurs as we consider right and wrong

Lawrence Kohlberg

moral development; presented boys moral dilemmas and studied their responses and reasoning processes in making moral decisions.

preconventional morality

first level of Kohlberg's stages of moral development in which the child's behavior is governed by the consequences of the behavior

conventional morality

second level of Kohlberg's stages of moral development in which the child's behavior is governed by conforming to the society's norms of behavior

postconventional morality

third level of Kohlberg's stages of moral development in which the person's behavior is governed by moral principles that have been decided on by the individual and that may be in disagreement with accepted social norms

moral intuition

quick gut feelings that precede moral reasoning

moral action

doing the right thing

empathy

the ability to understand and share the feelings of another

delayed gratification

Voluntarily postponing an immediate reward in order to complete a task before enjoying a reward.

psychosocial development

pattern of change in emotions, personality, and social relationships

trust vs mistrust

If needs are dependably met, infants develop a sense of basic trust. if not, then they don't

autonomy vs doubt

Doing things themselves or a sense of incompetence

initiative vs guilt

finds independence in planning, playing and other activities or feels guilty about gaining independence

competence vs inferiority

children learn the pleasure of applying themselves to tasks, or they feel inferior

identity vs. role confusion

teenagers work at refining a sense of self by testing roles and then integrating them to form a single identity, or they become confused about who they are

intimacy vs isolation

young adults struggle to form close relationships and to gain the capacity for intimate love, or they feel socially isolated

generativity vs stagnation

In middle age, people discover a sense of contributing to the world, usually through family and work, or they may feel a lack of purpose

integrity vs despair

Older adults try to make sense out of their lives, either seeing life as a meaningful whole or despairing at goals never reached.

social identity

the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "Who am I?" that comes from our group memberships

intimacy

the ability to form close, loving relationships

emerging adulthood

a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood