PSY 3341 TEST 1

Physical development

growth of body and its organs; the functioning of physiological systems include the brain, physical signs of aging, etc.

Cognitive development

changes and continuities in perception, language, learning, memory, problem solving, and other mental processes

Psychosocial development

changes and carryover in personal and interpersonal aspects of development, such as motives, emotions, etc.

Development

systematic changes and continuities in the individual that occur between conception and death

Life-span perspective

development is a lifelong, multidirectional process that involves both gain and loss, plasticity, shaped by historical-cultural context

Prenatal period

conception to birth

Infancy period

first 2 years of life

Preschool period

2-5 years old

Middle childhood period

6 to about 10 years old (until the onset of puberty)

Adolescence period

approximately 10 to 18

Emerging adulthood period

18 to 25 years old (or later)

Early adulthood period

25 to 40 years old (adult roles are established)

Middle adulthood period

40 to 65 years old

Late adulthood

65 years or older

Age grade

socially defined age group with different statuses, roles, and responsibilities

Age norms

expectations for "how to act your age"

Social clock

person's sense of when things should be done and when he or she is ahead or behind of age norms

Nature-nurture issue

question of how biological forces and environmental forces act and interact to make us what we are

Maturation

biological unfolding of the individual as sketched out in the genes

Genes

hereditary material passed from parents to child

Learning

process by which experience bring about relatively permanent changes in thoughts, feelings, or behavior (supports nurture)

Terms supporting nature

heredity, maturation, genes, innate predispositions

Terms supporting nurture

learning, environment, experience, cultural influences

Continuity-discontinuity issue

focuses on whether the changes people undergo over the lifespan are gradual or abrupt

Continuity

changes occur in small, smooth steps

Discontinuity

change occurs in a series of stair steps with completely new/advanced levels of functioning

Activity-passivity issue

extent to which human beings are active in creating and influencing their own environments and producing their own development

Universality-context specificity issue

extent to which developmental changes are common to all humans or are across cultures, subcultures, etc.

Life's road map

events, timing, sequencing, duration, transitions

Characteristics of young college student

first time away from home, learning study habits/skills, further identity growth

Characteristics of old college student

self conscious, hesitant, outside of role demands

SODs

start over dads; older men who are having children at a later stage in life

Nature

innate characteristics based on heredity and genes

Nurture

any environmental influence on a person's characteristics

DNA

double helix molecule whose chemical code makes up chromosomes

Gene

sequence of nucleotide pairs that codes for a protein

Chromosome

threadlike structure made of genes

Nucleotide pairs

Adenine pairs with Thymine; Cytosine pairs with Guanine

Nucleosomes

histone protein clumps with DNA wrapped around it; allows for control of gene expression

Karyotype

a picture of the matched pairs of chromosomes

Genotype

the actual gene coding, or "blueprint," that is inherited

Phenotype

observable characteristics displayed by the organism

Allele

alternate forms of a gene

Dominant characteristics

relatively powerful genes that can mask others and will always be seen when present

Recessive characteristics

expressed only if both copies are present; can be masked by a stronger trait

Incomplete dominance

expresses traits some of the time; sickle cell anemia

Co-dominance

both traits are expressed all the time; AB blood

Carrier

has one copy of the recessive trait; doesn't express it but could pass it on to offspring

Sex-linked

genes are on X and Y chromosome; usually x-linked; hemophilia

Polygenetic

when a trait is controlled by 2 or more genes; eye color

Single gene

difference in a single gene can cause a disorder; Huntington's

Chromosomal abnormalities

entire chromosome is missing or an extra one is present; Trisomy 21

Sickle-cell anemia

recessive, incomplete dominance; alters shape of oxygen carrying red blood cells; aren't healthy enough to carry sufficient oxygen

PKU

recessive disorder for the gene PAH which changes phenylalanine to tyrosine; this can lead to excess production of epinephrine

Muscular dystrophy

sex-linked; damage/weaken muscles over time due to talk of protein called dystrophin

Hemophilia

sex-linked; ability for blood to clot is significantly reduced; can bleed severely from slight injury

Huntington's disease

dominant disorder that produced huntingtin which causes misfolding of proteins; causes problems in motor function, memory, speech, etc.

Ultrasound

use sound waves to scan womb and create a visual image

Fetal MRI

radio waves and magnetic field to form picture

Amniocentesis

inserts needle and remove amniotic fluid; safe at 15th week of pregnancy

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)

insert catheter through vagina and cervix to collect small hair cells; safe at 10th week

Maternal blood sampling

obtain embryonic DNA from mother's blood

PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis)

genetic testing when the egg is fertilized in lab and inserted into the mother's uterus

Down's Syndrome

Trisomy 21; an individual has an extra copy of chromosome 21; leads to physical differences and cognitive disabilities

Turner's Syndrome

A genetic defect in which affected women have only one X chromosome, causing developmental abnormalities and infertility.

Klinefelter's Syndrome

a chromosomal trisomy in which males have an extra X chromosome resulting in an XXy condition; affected individuals typically have reduced fertility

Gene expression

The process by which information encoded in DNA directs the synthesis of proteins or, in some cases, RNAs that are not translated into proteins and instead function as RNAs.

Gotlieb's Epigenetic Theory

development is the product of interacting biological and environmental forces that form a larger system

Epigenetics

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

Rat pup study

study that showed that rats with more attention demethylate while rats with hostile attention methylate

Histone acetylation

when an acetyl group attaches and looses the interaction between histone proteins and DNA; enhances transcription

DNA methylation

addition of methyl groups to cytosine in DNA; represses transcription

Natural selection

the process in which individuals in a species with the most favorable traits are most likely to survive and reproduce

Sexual reproduction

composed of fertilization and meiosis; increases variation

Crossing over

when non-sister chromatids share information in meiosis (prophase 1)

Mutation

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change

Inbreeding

breed from closely related people or animals, especially over many generations.

Outbreeding

the process of mating less closely related individuals when compared to the average of the population

Meiosis

produces gametes; 4 genetically variable, haploid cells

Mitosis

produces somatic cells; 2 genetically identical, diploid cells

Child to parent relatedness

50%

Sibling relatedness

50% (on average)

Grandchild to grandparent relatedness

25%

Identical twin relatedness

100%

Fraternal twin relatedness

50%

Monozygotic twins

identical/maternal twins; come from 1 fertilized egg with one sperm; exact same genetic make-up

Dizygotic twins

fraternal twins; come from 2 separately fertilized eggs; share the womb

Passive influence

parents provide both genes and environment to children

Evocative influence

A child's genetically influenced behaviours may evoke certain responses from others

Active influence

Person with particular genotype may seek out particular environments that suit them

Sex determination

mechanism by which sex is established; determined by the father's sperm since he has the deciding X and Y

Conception

exact moment of fertilization of the traveling egg by sperm; occurs in fallopian tubes

Artificial insemination

method of conception that involves injecting sperm from a woman's partner or donor into the uterua

IVF

in vitro fertilization; eggs are fertilized by sperm in a lab and transferred into a woman's uterus; costs between 12,000 and 15,000

Morula

solid ball of cells

Blastula

ball of cells with cavity

Blastocyst

hollow sphere of 100-150 cells that the cell forms by rapid cell division

ZEF

zygote (0-2 weeks), embryo (2 weeks-2 months), fetus (2 months to birth)

Germinal period

begins with conception in fallopian tube; cell division every 24 hours; formation of morula, blastula, and blastocyst; called a zygote

Embryonic period

highlighted by placenta, amnion, and chorion; oranogenesis takes place; teratogens because a major threat