Behavioral Genetics and Developmental Psychology Review

Module 6

• Behavioral Genetics

  • Definition: The study of the interplay between genetic and environmental influences on behavior.
  • Key Concepts:
  • Heredity: Genetic transmission of traits from parents to offspring.
  • Environment: External factors influencing an individual's development and behavior.

• Chromosomes, DNA, and Genes

  • Chromosomes: Structures within cells that contain DNA. Humans have 46 chromosomes, arranged in 23 pairs.
  • DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid): Molecule that carries the genetic instructions.
  • Genes: Segments of DNA that determine specific traits.

• Monozygotic vs. Dizygotic Twins

  • Monozygotic Twins (Identical): Formed from one fertilized egg that splits into two.
  • Dizygotic Twins (Fraternal): Formed from two separate eggs fertilized by two separate sperm.

• Twin and Adoption Studies

  • Tools used to assess the contribution of genetics vs. environment.
  • Help understand behavioral traits, intelligence, and personality.

• Nature vs. Nurture Debate

  • Examines the relative contribution of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) in shaping personality and behavior.

• Evolutionary Psychology

  • Focuses on how evolutionary principles influence human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
  • Natural Selection: Process by which traits that enhance survival are passed on.
  • Mutation: Change in a DNA sequence that can create new traits.

Module 10

• Developmental Psychology

  • Study of how people grow and change throughout life.
  • Major issues:
  • Nature vs. Nurture
  • Continuity vs. Discontinuity
  • Stability vs. Change

• Definition of Conception

  • The process of fertilization, leading to the development of a new individual.

• Stages of Prenatal Development

  1. Germinal Stage: First two weeks after conception; zygote formation and cell division.
  2. Embryonic Stage: Weeks 3-8; organs and structures begin to develop.
  3. Fetal Stage: Weeks 9-birth; growth, refinement of structures, and organ systems mature.

• Basic Reflexes

  • Innate responses that infants exhibit, such as rooting and grasping.

Module 11

• Maturation

  • Process of biological growth and development, leading to changes in behavior and skills.

• Cognitive Development

  • Influential Psychologist: Jean Piaget

• Key Concepts:

  • Schema: Frameworks for understanding the world.
  • Assimilation: Integrating new experiences into existing schemas.
  • Accommodation: Modifying schemas to incorporate new information.

• Piaget’s Four Stages of Development:

  1. Sensorimotor: Birth to 2 years; understanding through sensory experience.
  2. Preoperational: 2 to 7 years; symbolic thinking, egocentrism.
  3. Concrete Operational: 7 to 11 years; logical thinking about concrete events, conservation.
  4. Formal Operational: 12 years and up; abstract reasoning and problem-solving.

• Key Concepts:

  • Conservation: Understanding that quantity doesn't change despite shape alterations.
  • Object Permanence: Knowing objects exist even when out of sight.
  • Egocentrism: Difficulty in seeing things from perspectives other than one’s own.
  • Theory of Mind: Understanding that others have different beliefs and desires.

• Types of Mother-Infant Attachment:

  • Secure, Avoidant, Ambivalent/Resistant, and Disorganized.

• Parenting Styles:

  • Authoritarian: Demanding, not responsive.
  • Authoritative: Demanding and responsive, encourages independence.
  • Permissive: Lenient, indulgent, few demands.

Module 12

• Primary vs. Secondary Sex Characteristics:

  • Primary: Body structures directly involved in reproduction.
  • Secondary: Non-reproductive traits, e.g., breasts, body hair.

• Adolescence

  • Period of development from puberty to adulthood, roughly ages 12-18.

• Kohlberg’s Levels of Moral Reasoning:

  1. Pre-Conventional: Morality based on reward and punishment.
  2. Conventional: Morality based on social norms and laws.
  3. Post-Conventional: Morality based on abstract principles and values.

• Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Stages:

  • Focus on the conflicts faced at different life stages leading to psychological growth.

Module 13

• Physical Changes in Middle and Late Adulthood: Aging processes affecting health and physical state, e.g., changes in skin elasticity, muscle mass.

• Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence:

  • Fluid Intelligence: Ability to reason and solve problems in novel situations.
  • Crystallized Intelligence: Accumulated knowledge and experience.
  • Intelligence does not necessarily decrease with age; it varies by type.

• Memory and Age:

  • While some aspects of memory may decline with age, others remain stable or improve (e.g., semantic memory).

Module 14

• Sex vs. Gender:

  • Sex: Biological differences; chromosomes, reproductive organs.
  • Gender: Socially constructed roles, behaviors, and attributes society deems appropriate for men and women.

• Aggression and Gender:

  • Research suggests males may display higher levels of aggression, but context and type of aggression play critical roles.

• Gender Differences in Play:

  • Boys and girls often exhibit different styles and preferences in play, influenced by societal norms.

• Gender Identity and Roles:

  • Gender Identity: One’s personal sense of their gender.
  • Gender Roles: Societal norms dictating appropriate behaviors and attitudes for each gender.

• Transgender vs. Transsexual:

  • Transgender: Individuals whose gender identity differs from their birth sex.
  • Transsexual: Individuals who seek or undergo medical interventions to align their physical identity with their gender identity.

Module 15

• Factors Correlating with Teenage Pregnancy:

  • Include socio-economic status, education, lack of access to contraception, and peer influences.

• Sexual Orientation/Identity:

  • Refers to an individual’s enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to men, women, or both.

• Nature vs. Nurture in Sexual Orientation:

  • Ongoing debate regarding the extent to which genetic and environmental factors influence sexual orientation.