Critical periods
Specific time during an organism’s life span when it is most sensitive to environmental influences/stimulation.
Sensitive periods
Stimulation and learning have more of an impact than any other time point.
Klinefelter’s syndrome
Only in men. Extra X chromosome, XXY. Smaller, less intelligent, and abnormal development of sex characteristics.
Turner’s syndrome
Only in women, missing X (X0). Abnormal development of secondary sexual characteristics (no menstruation/ovulation).
Down’s syndrome
3 chromosomes on chromosome 12.
PKU
Autosomal recessive disorder caused by a defective gene that affects metabolism.
Hemophilia
Excessive bleeding.
Sickle-cell anemia
Occurs primarily in african americans. Deformed, fragile red blood cells that can clog blood vessels.
Development of vision
Bad at birth. Peripheral developes from 2-10 wks. Color perception poor until 4 mo. No binocular vision until 4-5 mo.
Developmental milestones
Lift head - 6 weeks Roll over - 4 mo Sit alone - 7 mo Crawl - 9 mo Stand - 9 Stand alone -12 mo First steps - 12-15
5 stages of brain development
Health Belief Model
Focuses on how perceptions of vulnerability and beliefs about illness influence health behaviors (e.g., to what extent someone modifies diets).
Stages of language development
Sapir-whorf hypothesis
Speakers of different laguages think differently because of the structure of their languages.
Piaget’s stages: Sensorimotor
Birth until time of significant language acquisition (age 2).
Sensorimotor stage - Object Permanence
Ability to understand that objects continue to exist independent of the child’s involvement with them.
Preoperational stage
2-7. Increased use of symbols and language.
Preoperational stage - Phenomenalistic causality
Events that occur together are thought to cause one another.
Preoperational stage - animism
endowing physical objects with psychological attributes.
Preoperational stage - irreversibility
inability to mentally undo something.
Concrete operational
7-11. Operate/act on real or imagined concrete objects.
Concrete operational - operational thought
Permits attending to a wide array of information.
Concrete operational - conservation
Ability to recognize that even though shape and form might change, objects still conserve other characteristics.
Formal operational stage
11-adolescence. Ability to apply operations to abstract concepts in addition to concrete objects.