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.