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Developing Through the Life Span Flashcards

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6212494682GeneticsThe science of heredity0
6212496419DNAA complex molecule containing the genetic info that makes up the chromosomes1
6212501310GeneA segment of DNA capable of synthesizing a protein2
6212504611ChromosomesThreadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes3
6212505980TraitAny measurable quality of an organism --E.g., height, eye color, blood type4
6212508676GenotypeThe allele combination at a gene location --One is inherited from each parent --Bb, BB, bb5
6212513690PhenotypeThe observed characteristic --Brown eyes, O-negative blood type6
6212522791AlleleA variant form of a gene A Gene "potential"7
6212526013Dominant AlleleAn allele that codes for the functional protein Actively controls the expression of a trait8
6212530385Recessive AlleleAn allele that codes for nonfunctional protein Only influences the expression of the trait when paired with an equally powerful allele9
6212616859HeterozygousBb --Phenotype=Brown eyes10
6212624101Homozygous-DominantBB --Phenotype=Brown eyes11
6212630592Homozygous-Recessivebb --Phenotype=Blue eyes12
6212634191Combined expressionWhen two alleles are so equally dominant or recessive that the organism exhibits a "blended" trait --br ----Phenotype=Strawberry blonde13
6212647120Polygenic inheritanceThe idea that almost all traits are controlled by the expression and repression of multiple pairs of genes Height. --There is no single gene location at which there is an allele combination that codes for "tall" of "short" --400 different locations14
6212667386Discontinuous and continuous variationDiscontinuous genetic variation --When a trait observed in individuals within a population appears in two or more distinct forms --An organism will display only one of the forms ---E.g., biological sex, blood type, eye color, hair color Continuous genetic variation --When a trait is not divided into two or more distinct forms ----E.g., height, weight ----(Graded scale) --Polygenic15
6212703118PolymorphismA discontinuous genetic variation that results in several different forms or types of a given trait among the members of a single species --E.g., blood type Each form is common enough (form > 1% among population) that it isn't due to mutation alone16
6212719243Wild type alleleThe allele that encodes the instructions for the phenotype most common to a particular natural population Isn't always a dominant form of the allele17
6212721760Mutant alleleAny other form of an allele that is not the wild type18
6212741712ConceptionThe moment at which a female becomes pregnant19
6221041970OvumThe female sex cell20
6221041971FertilizationThe union of the ovum and the (male) sperm21
6221043199ZygoteThe fertilized egg Enters into a two-week period of rapid cell division and becomes an embryo Differentiation --Cell specialization in structure and function22
6221052649EmbryoThe developing human organism from about two weeks to the end of the second month Organs begin to form and function The heart begins to beat23
6221055955PlacentaTransfers nutrients and oxygen from the mother to the embryo (and later to the fetus) Forms as the zygote's outer cells attach to the uterine wall24
6221057190Umbilical cordConnects the developing embryo to the placenta Supplies the embryo with nutrient-rich, oxygenated blood Formed by the end of the fifth prenatal weel25
6221059195TeratogenAny factor that can cause a birth defect Chemicals and viruses are prominent teratogens Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) --Physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's consumption of alcohol26
6239377896FetusThe developing human organism from nine weeks after conception to birth27
6239379680Coordinated reflexesTurning toward touch Withdrawing limbs from pain Rooting, sucking, and swallowing (a coordinated series of reflexes) Breathing28
6239381559Social ResponsivenessTurning toward the sound of human voices Gazing longer at a figure that resembles a human facial configuration than at one that doesn't29
6239384309InfancyNewborn to toddler30
6239385201ChildhoodToddler to adolescent31
6239386451ReflexesInnate, involuntary behavior patterns --Grasping --Startle --Rooting --Stepping --Sucking32
6239389544PruningUnused neural connections are shut down as used neural connections are bolstered Influenced by experience33
6239390471MaturationBiological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior Relatively uninfluenced by experience34
6239392351Universal similaritiesSequence --Roll over --Sit unsupported --Crawl --Walk35
6239393449Individual Differences25% of US babies walk by 11 months 50% walk within a week of their first birthday 90% walk by 15 months36
6239397481Genetic InfluenceIdentical twins typically begin sitting up and walking on nearly the same day37
6239402426Infantile AmnesiaThe inability of people to remember anything that occurred before age three38
6239403380Dual level memory processingConscious recall --Basically nonexistent before age 3.5 --Explains infantile amnesia Unconscious processing --Infants can learn and retain associations when they are just months old39
6239416614Jean Piaget's theoryStage-based model of children's cognitive development Cognition --All the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating Schemas --Concepts or frameworks that organize and interpret information --Assimilation ----Interpreting new experience in terms of existing schemas --Accommodation --Adapting one's current understanding (schemas) to incorporate new information Piaget's basic theory --Children develop a more advanced understanding of their world through experience that usually comes in the form of spurts of change40
6239453488Piaget's stagesSensorimotor Preoperational Concrete operational Formal operational41
6239457052Sensorimotor stageInfants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities Birth to about two years Developmental phenomena --Object permanence ----The awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived --Stranger anxiety ----The fear of strangers that infants commonly display42
6239477614Preoperational stageThe stage during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic Two years to about six or seven years43
6239481932Developmental phenomenaAnimism --The belief that anything that moves is alive Conservation --The principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects --Not well-developed Egocentrism --Difficulty taking another's point of view Theory of mind --People's ideas about their own and others' mental states --Not well-developed44
6251268831Concrete operational stageThe stage during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events Six or seven years to about twelve years45
6251272597ConservationUnderstood by a child in the concrete operational stage46
6251274451Concrete conceptsConcepts about objects, written rules, and things that can be sensed physically47
6251275723Abstract conceptsConcepts that do not have a concrete, physical reality Not well-developed in this stage48
6251275724Mathematical transformationsAre understood by children in this stage49
6251284906Formal operationalThe stage during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts Twelve years and up Developmental phenomena --Abstract logic ----Is understood by people in this stage --Mature moral reasoning ----Potential increases as adolescents understand hypothetical propositions and infer consequences50
6251299616Reflecting on Piaget's theoryAccepted ideas --Significant cognitive milestones (e.g., egocentrism, conservation) --Sequential (rather than age-dependent) development Modified ideas --Development is more continuous than Piaget proposed --Beginning of each type of thinking occurs at earlier ages --Formal logic is a smaller part of logic than Piaget proposed51
6251318489Lev Vygotsky theoryEmphasized children's social interactions, especially with more highly skilled children and adults Scaffolding --The process by which a more skilled learner gives help to a less skilled learner, reducing the amount of help as the learner becomes more capable Zone of proximal development (ZPD) --The difference between what a child can do alone and what a child can do with the help of a teacher52
6262924795TemperamentA person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity Present very early in life Infants Easy --Regular (predictable) in their schedules of sleeping and eating --Adaptable to change --Generally happy; easy to soothe when distressed Difficult --Irregular in their schedules of sleeping and eating --Unhappy about change --Loud, active, and irritable53
6262947222Stranger AnxietyThe fear of strangers that infants commonly display Begins around eight months54
6262954875AttachmentAn emotional tie with another person Primary predictors of attachment in humans --Body contact --Familiarity55
6262961987Body ContactThe Harlow monkey studies (1957-1963) The prevailing opinion --Attachment derives primarily from an association with nourishment The study --Created two artificial mothers ----A bare wire cylinder with a wooden head and an attached feeding bottle ----A cylinder wrapped in terry cloth (with no feeding tube) The results --The monkeys overwhelmingly preferred the cloth mother The conclusion --Body contact, rather than nourishment, is the single strongest predictor of attachment56
6263013480FamiliarityThe amount of exposure an organism has to a given stimulus57
6263015065Critical periodAn optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development58
6263018336ImprintingThe process by which certain nonhuman animals form strong attachments during a critical period very early in life Konrad Lorenz's studies --Demonstrated that ducklings would imprint to many different things Human children --Exposure (familiarity) strengthens bonds, but children don't imprint59
6263066254Strange situation studiesExperiments that place children in a novel environment Measure secure vs. insecure attachment The setup --Caregiver (usually the mother) is present initially, then leaves for a period of time, then returns60
6263088600Secure attachmentIn presence of caregiver --Play comfortably and happily --Explore their new environment When caregiver is absent --Are distressed When caregiver returns --Seek contact with caregiver61
6263093083Insecure attachmentIn presence of caregiver --Less likely to explore the new environment --Often cling to the caregiver When caregiver is absent --Either cry loudly or seem indifferent When caregiver returns --Either remain upset or continue to seem indifferent62
6263116077Support for heredityThere is a strong correlation between temperament and attachment style --The more difficult one's temperament is, the likelier one is to demonstrate an insecure attachment and vice versa63
6263131725Support for experienceThe research of Dymphna van den Boom The study --Randomly assigned 100 six- to nine-month old temperamentally-difficult infants to one of two conditions Experimental group --Mothers received personal training in sensitive responding Control group --Mothers did not receive personal training in sensitive responding The results (at twelve months) --68% of the infants in the experimental condition rated as securely attached --28% of the infants in the control condition rated as securely attached The conclusion --Experience is important in understanding attachment style64
6263161688Basic Trust (Eric Erikson)A sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy Formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers A characteristic of securely attached children65
6273317587Deprivation of AttachmentCan interfere with and prevent appropriate cognitive and neurological development Neglect --Leads to withdrawn, frightened, and speechless behaviors --Severe and prolonged neglect can result in stunted brain development Abuse --30% of those abused as children will become adult abusers --7.5% of those not abused as children will become adult abusers66
6273335662Parenting stylesAuthoritarian Permissive Authoritative67
6273340491AuthoritarianParents impose rules and expect obedience Characteristics of children --Diminished social skills and self-esteem68
6273347319PermissiveParents submit to children's desires, make few demands, and use little punishment Characteristics of children --Aggressive and immature69
6273354944AuthoritativeParents are both demanding and responsive Rules are set and enforced; justification of rules is explained Open discussion about rules is encouraged Characteristics of children --High self-esteem, high self-reliance, high social competence70
6273368040AdolescenceThe transition period from childhood to adulthood71
6273372658PubertyThe period of sexual maturation, when a person becomes capable of reproducing Primary sex characteristics --The body structures that make reproduction possible Sequence --The order of changes during puberty is highly predictable Timing --The ages at which changes occur during puberty vary greatly on an individual basis72
6273380321Brain developmentMyelin production --Increases during adolescence Frontal lobe development --Leads to improved judgment, impulse control, and long-term planning Limbic system development --Corresponds to more intense emotions --Typically precedes frontal lobe development, leading to impulsiveness, risky behaviors, and emotional outbursts73
6282813291Cognitive development74
6282814220Formal operationsDeveloping reasoning power --The primary cognitive benchmark in adolescence is abstract logic Adolescent egocentrism --Personal fable ----Type of thought in which people believe themselves to be utterly unique and protected from harm ----Typically declines across adolescence Imaginary audience --Type of thought in which people believe that other people are just as concerned about their thoughts and characteristics as they themselves are75
6282830838Developing moralityPreconventional Morality --Morality that focuses on self-interest --People obey rules either to avoid punishment or gain concrete rewards --Associated with children nine years and younger76
6282849972Moral reasoningConventional morality --Laws and social rules are obeyed because they are laws and rules --Associated with those in early adolescence77
6282855191ContPostconventional morality --One follows self-defined, basic ethical principles --People's agreed-upon rights are affirmed --Associated with those who develop consistent abstract reasoning78
6282872781Criticism of KohlbergPostconventional morality appears mostly in the European and North American educated middle and wealthy classes Kohlberg's theory is biased against the moral reasoning of those in collectivistic cultures79
6282887564Thinking and behaviorAs adolescent thinking matures, behavior becomes more caring and less selfish Empathy --The ability to adopt another's perspective --Increases across adolescence Delayed gratification --Putting off a smaller immediate reinforcer for a larger long-term reinforcer --Increases across adolescence80
6282896630Social development81
6282898142Psychosocial developmentA stage-based model of social development Psychosocial tasks --Crises between two possibilities that require resolution --One is generally beneficial, the other is generally detrimental82
6282907842contPsychosocial tasks of adolescence and young adulthood --The primary psychosocial issue of adolescence is identity vs. role confusion Identity --One's sense of self The primary psychosocial issue of young adulthood is intimacy vs. isolation Intimacy --The ability to form close, loving relationships83
6282928422Parent and peer influenceDuring adolescence, parental influence typically diminishes as peer influence grows84
6282929648Emerging adulthoodThe period of time between the end of adolescence and the full independence of the young adult A relatively new stage that is associated with Western culture85
6282938479Young adulthoodPhysical and sensory abilities typically peak in one's twenties86
6282939702Middle adulthood MenopauseMenopause --The biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines Andropause --Gradual changes in the sexual hormones and reproductive system of middle-aged males87
6282975253Older adulthoodSensory abilities --All sensory abilities decline Health Bad news --Immune system weakens ----Older people are more susceptible to life-threatening ailments (e.g., cancer and pneumonia) Good news --Abundance of antibodies ----Older people suffer fewer short-term ailments (e.g., common flu and common cold viruses)88
6282980268ContThe brain --Neural processing slows as people age --Brain regions important to memory atrophy during aging --The average brain weight decreases by 5% from age 20 to age 80 --Physical exercise ----Stimulates brain cell development and strengthens neural connections ----Seems to slow the aging of the brain89
6301512662Aging and memoryRecall and recognition Recall --To produce answers from memory ----E.g., short answer response --Younger adults have better recall than older adults Recognition --To identify answers from among a group ----E.g., multiple choice response --There is no significant difference between older and younger adults Meaningful versus meaningless information --Older adults remember meaningful information better than they remember meaningless information90
6301525967Crystallized intelligenceOnes accumulated knowledge and verbal skills Tends to increase with age91
6301533597Fluid intelligenceOnes ability to reason speedily and abstractly Tends to decrease during late adulthood92
6301553216Social ClockThe culturally-preferred timing of social events (such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement)93
6301555493"Midlife Crisis"The struggles that accompany the transition into middle adulthood Is not a universal developmental phenomenon --Unhappiness, divorce, anxiety, and suicide do not surge during this period of time94
6301577749LoveMarriage and divorce --Contemporary marriages are more likely to last when couples marry after age twenty and are well-educated --Premarital cohabitation predicts an increased probability of divorce --Marriage is a predictor of happiness and health95
6301599282contWork Work that is interesting and provides one with a sense of competence and accomplishment predicts increased levels of happiness96
6301602412Well being across the life spanHappiness and satisfaction ratings remain basically unchanged across the life span Older adults --Amygdala show diminishing activity in response to negative events while maintaining their responsiveness to positive events97
6301618260Death and dyingGrief Especially severe when death is sudden and unexpected Findings from grief research --Those who express the strongest grief immediately do not purge their grief more quickly --Bereavement therapy and self-help groups do little to enhance the healing power of time and supportive friends --Terminally ill and bereaved people do not go through predictable stages of grief98
6301647178ContIntegrity --The feeling that one's life has been meaningful and worthwhile --An important affirmation of life (completion of life cycle) in many cultures --Integrity vs. despair ----Final stage of Erikson's psychosocial development99
6301656081Cellular Clock TheoryCells are limited in the number of times they can reproduce to repair damage Telomeres --Structures on the ends of chromosomes that shorten each time a cell reproduces --When telomeres are too short, cells cannot reproduce and damage accumulates100
6301678120Free radical theoryFocuses on the damage done to cells over time Free radicals --Atoms or molecules have an unstable electron --Bounce around inside cell and "steal" electrons from other molecules ----This leads to increased damage to structures inside the cell101

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