ch 4 Flashcards
(21 cards)
zygote
the fertilized human egg, containing 23 chromosomes from the father and 23 chromosomes from the mother
germinal period
the period in prenatal development from conception to implantation of the fertilized egg in the wall of the uterus
embryonic period
the period of prenatal development lasting from implantation to the end of the eighth week
fetal period
the period of prenatal development lasting from the ninth week until birth
teratogens
environmental agents- such as disease organisms or drugs- that can potentially damage the developing embryo or fetus
fetal alcohol syndrome
if you drink 5 or more drinks a day, you’re 30% more likely to give birth to a child with this condition. marked by physical deformities, reduction in size of certain brain structures, and increased risk of intellectual disabilities
“bloom and prune” process
when neurons that are not used simply die
the nervous system matures in what type of fashion?
“down and out”- from the head down and from the center out
puberty
period during which a person reaches sexual maturity and is potentially capable of producing offspring
dementia
technical name for physically based loss in mental functioning
tools psychologists use to test perceptual development in babies (3)
- preference technique
- habituation technique
- using rewards
longitudinal design
research design in which the same people are studied or tested repeatedly over time. ex. track baby Howard at various points in Howard’s life.
cross-sectional design
a research design in which people of different ages are compared at the same time. ex. instead of testing Howard at 2,5,and 10, test a group of 2 yr olds, 5 yr olds, and 10 yr olds simultaneously.
How are infant perceptions different than adult perceptions (specifically in the first 2 months)?
cannot see as well as adults (20/400 vision), can’t perceive shapes and forms the same way, can’t hear as well, require sounds to be louder than adults, have trouble selectively listening for a noise
Which scholar first convinced psychologists that children think quite differently than adults?
Jean Piaget
schemata
mental models of the world that we use to guide and interpret our experiences. very different in children and adults and not based on real life experience but rather a fundamental misconception of how the world is structured
assimilation
the process through which we fit- or assimilate- new experiences into existing schemata. ex. you grow up in a house with cat. your neighbor gets a bunny. because it’s small and furry you think it’s another type of cat. you fit the bunny into your existing worldview.
accommodation
the process through which we change or modify existing schemata to accommodate new experience. ex. you note the neighbors “cat” hops and doesn’t walk. you revise your concept of small and furry things and change your existing worldview to now include bunnies
The Sensorimotor Period
Birth to two years. 1st stage of cognitive development. schemata revolve around sensory and motor abilities. ex. sucking reflex (suck on object placed in mouth) and rooting reflex (turn head in direction someone touched their cheek)
object permanence
the ability to recognize that objects still exist when they’re no longer in sight. babies lack this ability in the first year.
The Preoperational Period
2 to 7 years. 2nd stage of cognitive development. children begin thinking symbolically but often lack the ability to perform mental operations such as conversation.
