Child and adolescent development | Quizlet

development

the process of change in an organism's physical/social/emotional/cognitive state

critical period

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

sensitive period

a point in development when organisms are particularly responsive to specific stimuli and has behaviors that are more easily modified, but it is less fixed and irreversible than a critical period; causes learning depositions and affects learning development

ecological model of human development

individual, microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, chronosystem

evolutionary psychology

a field of psychology study focusing on adoption, reproduction, and survival

evolutionary developmental psychology

an approach that uses evolutionary psychology to understand a person's development

chromosomes

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

DNA

a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

genes

short DNA segments that carry hereditary information; each gene's activation depends on hormones/environment

mitosis

cell division in which the nucleus divides into identical nuclei containing the same number of chromosomes (46); happens in the body cells

meiosis

a type of cell division that results in four children cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell (23), becoming eggs/sperm; happens in the sex cells

crossing-over

the process where DNA is exchanged between chromosome pairs in meiosis

independent assortment

the principle that each chromosomes pair splits independently of other pairs in meiosis

adenine

a component of nucleic acids; the base that pairs with Thymine in DNA

cytosine

a component of nucleic acids; the base that pairs with Guanine in DNA

alleles

different versions of the same gene

dominant alleles

an allele whose trait always shows up in the organism when the allele is present

recessive alleles

alleles that show their effects only when both alleles are the same; it is masked when there is a dominant alleles

co-dominant alleles

two different alleles at a locus are responsible for different phenotypes, and both alleles affect the phenotype of the heterozygote

heterozygous

organism that inherits a gene with two different alleles

homozygous

organism that inherits a gene with two alleles of the same type

fertilization

when an egg and a sperm fuse into a zygote

germinal stage

0-2 weeks: zygote; starts with egg being fertilized; ends when egg implants in the uterus; generally unaffected by teratogens

zygote

the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo; has 23 paired chromosomes where each parent gives half

embryonic stage

2-8 weeks: embryo develops most important physiological features; most vulnerable to teratogens

gestation

pregnancy; growth process from conception to birth

embryo

the developing human organism implanted on the uterus wall; from about 2 weeks after fertilization

amniotic sac

a fluid-filled sac that cushions and protects a developing embryo and fetus in the uterus

placenta

a disc-like structure in the uterus that nourishes and maintains the fetus through the umbilical cord

umbilical cord

a tube containing the blood vessels connecting the fetus and placenta

cephalocaudal

how fetus development starts at the brain then downward to legs

proximal-distal

how fetus development starts at internal organs then outwards

miscarriage

spontaneous end of pregnancy before the baby can survive outside

foetal period

3 months - delivery: completing development of body structures & systems; first body responses (e.g. thumb sucking)

foetus

developing organism during the foetus period

age of viability

the age (about 22 weeks after conception) at which a fetus may survive outside the parent's uterus

teratogen

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

foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

a birth defect caused by alcohol abuse by the pregnant parent; can cause facial deformities, restricted intelligence and an agitated personality

risks of smoking during pregnancy

miscarriage, premature labour, birth defects, SIDS

risks of caffeine during pregnancy

miscarriage, underdevelopment, low birth weight

diethylstilbestrol (DES)

a synthetic hormone, formerly prescribed to prevent miscarriage, later found to produce cancer in offspring

thalidomide

a drug formerly prescribed to treat morning sickness; later found to cause serious fetal malformations

Rh factor incompatibility

when the pregnant parent's blood is Rh-negative and the fetus is Rh -positive; the parent's body begins to form antibodies to the foreign Rh protein which can attack the fetus' blood cells

genital herpes

a common viral infection; if fetus is exposed to it in birth canal, it can cause serious abnormalities

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)

a viral disease; if transmitted to fetus as HIV, will weaken its immune system and cause its death

caesarean delivery

the surgical delivery of a fetus through abdominal incision

perinatal complications

difficulties surrounding the birth of a child, which can lead to developmental difficulties

perinatal risk-factors

factors that can contribute to perinatal complications.

preterm

a premature baby who still might have a birth weight appropriate to its age

low birth weight

premature baby with a weight significantly below the normal for its age

genotype

genetic makeup of an organism

phenotype

an organism's visible traits; can vary even within one genotype

congenital

present at birth

autosomal dominant

an inheritance pattern where the affected person usually has an affected parent; occurs in every generation

autosomal recessive

an inheritance pattern where the affected person has parents that are both carriers; can miss generations

X-linked dominant

an inheritance pattern where a dominant gene is carried on the X chromosome; females are more commonly affected

X-linked recessive

an inheritance pattern where it affects males much more commonly; usually in every generation

mitochondrial inheritance

an inheritance pattern where it occurs in both males and females, inherited through females only because all mitochondria of the children come from the mother

down syndrome

a condition caused by an extra chromosome; causes different appearance and difficulties with motor & mental skills

Klinefelter's syndrome

males with an extra X chromosome (XXY); causes infertility, breast enlargement, tallness, and learning difficulties

fragile X syndrome

a disorder produced by injury to a gene on the X chromosome or an atypical X chromosome; causes difficulties in cognitive/mental abilities

Turner's syndrome

females with a missing/partly detached X chromosome; causes different appearance and difficulties with math

poly-X syndrome

"superfemales"; females with extra X chromsome(s); causes intellectual disabilities

supermale syndrome

males with extra Y chromosome(s); causes tallness, more acne, and large teeth

spinabifida

a birth defect in which a developing baby's spinal cord fails to develop properly

neurofibromatosis (type 1)

multiorgan disease, where tumors evolve in our nervous system; caused by issues of Schwann cells/saltatory conduction

phenylketonuria (PKU)

an inherited disorder in which the infant lacks a liver enzyme to metabolize an amino acid and can cause intellectual disability if untreated; easily detected & treated nowadays

sickle-cell anemia

a genetic disorder that causes dysfunctional 'sickle-shaped' red blood cells; mainly affects black people

Huntington disease

hereditary disorder with brain deterioration, and difficulties with motor & psychological functions; usually not diagnosed till adulthood

behavior genetics

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

twin study

a behavioral study in which researchers compare the traits of twins that are identical or fraternal

adoption study

a behavior genetic research method that involves comparison of adopted children to their adoptive and biological parents

passive genotype-environment correlations

occur because biological parents, who are genetically related to the child, provide a fitting environment for the child that matches the genotype; e.g. musician parents encourage child to engage with music

evocative genotype-environment correlations

correlations that exist when the child's genotype characteristics affect their environment to fit the genotype; e.g. adults put a child into more sports activities because she is athletically gifted

active genotype-environment correlation

correlations that exist when a child with a particular genotype creates or seeks out a particular environment that matches their genotype; e.g. a mathematically-gifted child chooses to be in more advanced math classes by themselves

shared environment experiences (SE)

siblings' common experiences; such as their parents' personalities and intellectual orientation, the family's socioeconomic status, and the neighborhood in which they live, etc.

non-shared environment experiences

siblings' different experiences, possibly such as hobbies, friends, etc.

epigenetics perspective on development

that development interchanges between heredity and environment

gene x environment (G x E) interaction

the interaction of a specific measured variation in the DNA and a specific measured aspect of the environment; e.g how environment and genes both affect height

heritability

the proportion of variation among individuals that we can attribute to genes

selective breeding experiment

a method of studying genetic influences by determining whether traits can be bred in animals through selective mating

kinship

the extent to which two individuals have genes in common

concordance rate

indicates the percentage of twin pairs or other pairs of relatives who exhibit the same attribute

heritability coefficient

a statistic that describes the proportion of the difference between people's scores that can be explained by differences in their genes

empathetic concern

a measure of the extent one can recognize & care for others' feelings

schizophrenia

a psychological disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or diminished, inappropriate emotional expression

bipolar disorder

mood disorder in one experiences both manic and depressed episodes

neurotic disorder

a psychological disorder involving irrational thinking & behavior due to stress/anxiety

canalization

when a gene restricts the development of some characteristics to just one or a few outcomes; e.g. a person having specific taste preferences despite different foods they're exposed to

range-of-reaction principle

the idea that genotype sets limits on the range of possible phenotypes that a person might display in response to different environments

emotion

one's feelings in response to experiences that are important to them

primary emotions

emotions that are present in humans and other animals; emerges in less than 6 months; e.g. joy, anger, sadness, fear, disgust

self-conscious/secondary emotions

(start 18-24m) feelings that require a sense of self; e.g. guilt, shame, embarrassment, pride

crying

the most important communication mechanism for newborns; caregivers' response to it affects attachment

basic cry

(3m) cry that starts softly and gradually becomes more intense; often heard when babies are hungry or tired

anger cry

(3m) a variation of the basic cry, with more excess air forced through the vocal cords

pain cry

(3m) cry that begins with a sudden long burst, followed by a long pause and gasping; incited by intense stimuli

smiling

critical for infants as a key social signal and their social development

reflexive smile

a smile that does not occur in response to external stimuli; happens during the month after birth, usually during sleep

social smile

a smile in response to an external stimulus, typically a face for infants; develops in 4-6 weeks