Ch. 5 - Human Development [Exam 2]

germinal:

STAGE 1 OF PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT • zygote [the fertilized egg] - 2-week period of rapid cell division around 36 hours after conception [undifferentiated blastocyst] - begins at conception and lasts for 2 weeks - blastocyst travels down the mother's fallopian tube and attaches to the uterine wall -- between 30% and 50% don't implant properly and the pregnancy ends w/o woman ever knowing

embryo:

STAGE 2 OF PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT • prenatal period from 2 weeks through 8 weeks • marked by the formation of the major organs: nervous system, heart, eyes, ears, arms, legs, teeth, palate, and external genitalia • central nervous system takes longest amount of time to develop

fetus:

STAGE 3 OF PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT • prenatal period from 8 weeks to birth • all major organs have already begun to form

social referencing:

the ability to make use of social and emotional information from another person - especially a caregiver - in an uncertain situation

temperament:

the biologically based tendency to behave in particular ways from early in life

puberty:

the period when sexual maturation begins; it marks the beginning of adolescence

epigenetics:

the study of how the environment affects gene expression

cross-sectional design:

examine people of different ages at a single time

wisdom:

increased ability to know what matters, to live well, and to show good judgement; comes from experience!

assimilation:

interpreting one's new experience in terms of existing schemas

crystallized intelligence:

knowledge we've gained from experience and learning, education, and practice

dementia:

loss in mental functioning caused by physical changes in the brain

critical periods:

particular stages of development when certain environmental influences strongly impact development

fluid intelligence:

raw mental ability, pattern recognition, and abstract reasoning and is applied to a problem that a person has never confronted before

attachment:

strong emotional ties formed to one or more intimate companions

teratogen:

substances that can cause permanent damage to the developing embryo or fetus

cognitive development [child/infant]:

• *assimilation:* interpreting one's new experience in terms of existing schemas - can lead to errors, biases, prejudice • *accommodation:* adapting schemas to include new experiences • 8 month old infants understand the basics of statistics and probability

personality development:

• *attachment:* strong emotional ties formed to one or more intimate companions • how does attachment start? - contact comfort - familiarity - responsive parenting • *separation anxiety:* the distress reaction shown by babies when they are separated from their primary caregiver • *attachment theory* - a responsive and accessible caregiver creates a secure base for the child, who needs to know that the caregiver is accessible and dependable - infants internalize the bonding relationship, which provides a mental model on which they build future friendships and love relationships

concrete operations stage:

• *concrete operations stage:* Piaget's *third* stage of cognitive development in which the school-age child becomes capable of logical thinking but is not yet capable of abstract thinking. - about ages 7 through 11 - rule-driven (I'm telling!) - have conservation - can perform simple logic (math, problem solving) - difficulty with abstract concepts (e.g., freedom)

accommodation:

adapting schemas to include new experiences

levels of morality:

• *pre-conventional:* consequences determine morality - get something good = morally good - get something bad = morally bad - avoid punishment - judgments based on personal needs • *conventional:* society's norms determine morality - rules/laws = moral - child marriage? Slavery? Public hangings? - rules are rules and they're not to be broken - judgments based on needs of society; individual needs serve group needs • *post-conventional:* morality decided upon by individual - the right thing to do = humane, justice - rules within you may conflict with society's rules - willing to break law - and suffer the consequences - if it is perceived as unjust or immoral - judgments balance needs of society with personal convictions

preoperational stage:

• *preoperational stage:* Piaget's *second* stage of cognitive development in which the preschool child learns to use language as a means of exploring the world. - about ages 2 through 7 - schemas become more sophisticated - *egocentrism:* the tendency to view the world only from one's own perspective - *animistic thinking:* the idea that inanimate objects are alive - do NOT have conservation -- *conservation:* ability to understand that changing the appearance of something does not change its volume (or mass, number, length)

attachment types:

• *secure:* happy to explore but eager to reunite; upset when caregiver departs and stranger is present. • *anxious-resistant [insecure]:* upset when caregiver leaves and angry with her when she returns. • *avoidant [insecure]:* explore without "touching base"; not upset when caregiver leaves or returns; accept strangers, avoid caregiver. • *disorganized-disoriented [insecure]:* seem fearful, dazed, and/or depressed in both situations; sometimes abused or neglected.

sensorimotor stage:

• *sensorimotor stage:* Piaget's *first* stage of cognitive development in which the infant uses its senses and motor abilities to interact with objects in the environment. - birth through age 2 - schemas revolve around sensorimotor info -- *object permanence:* ability to form cognitive representation that objects exist even when they are out of sight [-9 months]

cognitive changes and aging:

• crystallized intelligence stays high, but fluid intelligence drops off - *crystallized intelligence:* knowledge we've gained from experience and learning, education, and practice - *fluid intelligence:* raw mental ability, pattern recognition, and abstract reasoning and is applied to a problem that a person has never confronted before • *wisdom:* increased ability to know what matters, to live well, and to show good judgment; comes from experience!

[adulthood] physical changes:

• early adulthood marks the peak of physical health • from about 18 to 25 years of age: - strength is greatest - reflexes are quickest - chances of dying from disease are minimal • during middle adulthood people gradually become aware of changes in their bodies: - weight gain is common - sense organs become less sensitive - reactions to stimuli are slower - slowing reaction times contribute to increased accident risks among those 75 and older

formal operations:

• formal operations: Piaget's last *(fourth)* stage of cognitive development in which the adolescent becomes capable of abstract thinking. - approximately adolescence - can consider imaginary concepts, hypothesize, think in the abstract, "what if...?" (hypothesis testing) - thinking is now adult-like

cognitive development:

• initially immature nervous system • 1 year - cerebellum; 3-6 years - frontal lobe • association areas are the last to develop - brain growth is mostly neural complexity, not new neurons - environment [nurture] affects brain development

physical development in adults:

• most of us reach our physical peaks in early 20s - strength, coordination, speed of cognitive processing, and physical flexibility • declines begin shortly thereafter in muscle tone, sensory processes, and fertility • menopause signals the end of a female's reproductive ability

motor development:

• motor behaviors • infants are born with a large set of automatic motor behaviors [reflexes] - sucking and rooting reflexes -- *rooting:* if you stroke a babies check they'll turn their head in expectation of a breast • wide range in the rate and manner in which children achieve motor milestones • influenced by physical maturity, as well as cultural and parenting practices

prenatal development:

• nature AND nurture matter in utero - *critical periods:* -- *teratogen:* --- *fetal alcohol spectrum disorder [FASD]:* causes damage to the brain and central nervous system, mental retardation, low birth weight, physical abnormalities in the face, head, heart, and joints, and behavioral problems -- maternal nutrition --- schizophrenia and antisocial personality disorder are more likely to occur if the mother is malnourished during pregnancy --- if pregnant women smoke, the risk of the child developing bipolar disorder later in life doubles --- may have a built-in toxic detector called pregnancy sickness or morning sickness. Possibly because these foods can cause birth defects. --- *epigenetics:* -- Maternal stress

adulthood and the brain:

• neurons do die with age - however, they can continue to increase in complexity • *dementia:* loss in mental functioning caused by physical changes in the brain - fewer than 1% of those over 65 have dementia - about 20% over 80 have dementia - Alzheimer's disease is one form of dementia

adolescence:

• puberty - girls at about 11 and boys at about 13 • causes changes in primary and secondary sex characteristics - menarche and spermarche -- *menarche:* onset of menstruation -- *spermarche:* first ejaculation • genetic and environmental influence timing of puberty Motor Development

developmental psychology:

• study of physical, mental, and social changes throughout the human life span

the developing fetus:

• the brain is the first major organ to form. The heart develops about a week later. • we pass more biological milestones before birth than we will during the rest of our lives

vygotsky's theory:

• theory focused on social and cultural influences on cognitive development • *zone of proximal development:* and developmental readiness for learning - the distance between what a child can learn alone and what that child can learn assisted by someone else - when a child is near his/her potential [in the zone] a more experienced person can aid the child in learning and more and learning faster than they would alone