Child Psychology and Development Midterm Review

Comprehensive review flashcards covering major child development theories, prenatal brain development, genetic foundations, research concepts, and early infancy milestones.

When did the formal study of child development begin?

In the late 19th to 20th century.

B.F. Skinner developed what mode of conditioning? what mechanisms are used to shape behavior?

Operant Conditioning;

Voluntary, reinforcers and punishers

What two developmental theories did Charles Darwin create?

Survival of the Fittest,

No two individuals are exactly alike.

Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory determines who a person becomes, based on what?

How the child navigates

biological forces and social expectations

Sigmund Freud’s Psycho Sexual Theory determines the impact of what variable?

Parent-Child relationship,

shapes the child’s sexual and aggressive drive.

Sigmund Freud believed in balancing three parts of a personality, what are they?

Id (impulse)

Superego (moral)

Ego (conscious choice of id+superego)

Alfred Binet (French) developed a test of what?

The first IQ test,

Dividing children's thinking into good judgment, planning, and critical thinking.

What theory did Albert Bandura develop?

Social Learning Theory,

Emphasizing modeling or imitation.

Modifying behaviors by modeling behavior & reinforcing with rewards.

What was Jean Piaget's Theory?

Cognitive Development Theory,

Curate a safe environment for children to learn new information through discovery play.

What theory does Lev Vygotsky's expand upon Piaget's Cognitive theory?

Sociocultural Theory,

Adds that a child's culture has tremendous influence on development,

Along with adults acting as scaffolding for children challenges.

What has the Neurobiological Theory focused on over the past 20 years?

Combines psychology, biology, neuroscience, and medicine.

Examining the connection between brain function and cognitive development.

What is Brofenbrenner's theory?

Ecological System,

How a child is connected to various parts of society,

Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem

What is the core approach of Dynamic System theory in child development?

An integrated system of body, mind, and social worlds,

Draws on multiple theories of development.

What is the "Goldilocks effect"?

Babies learn best in environments with just the right balance of sleep, exercise, and nutrition,

Not understimulating or overstimulating.

What percentage of the brain is composed of neurons, and what is their primary function?

Neurons make up $10\%$ of the brain,

They do the thinking and develop the 5 senses.

What is synaptogenesis, and when does it occur?

The process where a baby’s neurons begin migrating and wiring together,

Starting in the second half of pregnancy 17% and continuing until approximately age $20$ (older for males).

Which organ is the last to form during human development?

The brain.

How can maternal stress impact a developing fetus?

Stress from the mother can pass directly through the placenta walls.

What is a genotype?

An individual's unique genetic characteristics.

What are chromosomes, and what do they do?

Are made up of DNA,

And transmit our genetic information.

Approximately what percentage of DNA is shared among all humans?

Approximately $99.1\%$.

In genetic outcomes, how do dominant and recessive genes differ?

The dominant gene affects the visible outcome, while the recessive gene does not.

Generic counseling offers parents what?

Information about potential genetic outcomes,

Such as hereditary diseases.

What are teratogens, and what are common examples?

Environmental factors that may alter DNA

and harm the fetus,

Including pesticides, drugs, and medications.

What are mutations?

A sudden and permanent change to the segment of DNA.

What is Validity?

Measures what the researcher set out to measure.

What is Correlation?

A number which describes the correlation between two measures,

+1 or -1.

What is Experimental Design?

Measures effect,

How the independent variable changes the dependent variable.

What is Laboratory Design?

Allows for cause and effect in a controlled environment.

What are Field Experiments?

Naturalistic observations outside a controlled environment,

Open-ended questions.

What is Longitudinal Design?

Long duration of research on the same participant.

What is Cross-Sectional Design?

Range of ages studied at the same shorter time period.

What is Sequential Design?

Studying same age during different years,

Or studying different ages over the same years.

What is Micro-genetic Design?

A task is presented,

And the skill is observed.

What are Reflexes?

Automatic response to stimuli,

Part of the central nervous system.

What 1973 assessment tool was created by T. Berry Braselton to assist with early intervention?

The Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale,

Low birth weight.

What cognitive benefit do infant sleep cycles provide?

Sleep enhances memory and cognitive development.

What are the primary focal areas of emotional development in infancy?

Basic universal human emotions, attachment theory, and their long-term effects on relationships.

What is Intermodal Perception?

Overlap of two senses to understand the world.

What factors affect physical growth?

Nutrition, malnutrition, obesity, infectious disease, immunization, emotional well-being.

What is Attachment Theory?

Survival behavior, seeking comfort in primary caretaker.