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76 Cards in this Set

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GENERAL:

What are the main themes in developmental psychology? Tell me about each of them.
1) NATURE vs. NURTURE
- Nature: inherited characteristics
- Nurture: external/envionmental conditions
2) CONTINUITY vs. DISCONTINUITY
- Continuity: developmental changes are slow but continuous.
- Discontinuity: developmental changes are sudden and qualitative.
3) UNIVERSALITY vs. DIVERSITY
- Universality: sequence of development is the same everywhere.
- Diversity: connections between development and the context/culture in which it takes place.
GENERAL:

Who were some of the founders of studying child development and what are they known for? (6)
1) JOHN LOCKE: tabula rasa; babies' minds are a "blank slate" that will be written on by experience.
2) JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU: child is born innately good.
3) CHARLES DARWIN: theory of evolution; baby biographies.
4) G. STANLEY HALL: 1st American to get a Ph.D. in psychology; moved away from case study approach; generalized similarities by studying multiple infants.
5) ARNOLD GESSEL: 1st to come up with developmental norms.
6) BINET-TERMAN: intelligence testing; studied individual differences.
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

Tell me about the PSYCHOANALYTIC perspective of development...
- Emphasis on unconscious drives and motives.

Examples
- Freud: psychoanalytic theory
- Erikson: psychosocial theory (fundamental conflicts characterize each stage of development)
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

Tell me about the LEARNING THEORY perspective of development...
- Emphasis on behaviors and inner motives.

Examples
- Pavlov's dogs (classical conditioning)
- Skinner: operant conditioning
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

Tell me about CLASSICAL CONDITIONING...

(what is it? what are the four major aspects and their specifics?)
Classical Conditioning (CC): process of learning through which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus so that the organism comes to respond to the former as if it were the latter.

- Unconditioned stimulus: involuntary stimulus (ex. FOOD causes salivation)
- Conditioned stimulus: previously neutral stimulus that takes on meaning through CC (ex. BELL that replaces food)
- Unconditioned response: involuntary response (ex. SALIVATION caused by food)
- Conditioned response: response learned via CC (ex. salivating in response to bell)
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

What is OPERANT CONDITIONING?
***
OPERANT CONDITIONING: tendency to learn a particular behavior is gradually strengthened through its association with reinforcement.

Example: teaching pigeons to press bars in order to receive food.
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

Tell me about the CONTEXTUAL perspective of development...
- Emphasis on environmental and cultural influences on development.

Examples
- Vgotsky: sociocultural theory
- Bronfenbrenner: ecological systems theory
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

Tell me about Vgotsky's SOCIOCULTURAL THEORY in terms of...

- ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT
- SCAFFOLDING
ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT (ZPD): tasks that children cannot yet master on their own can be accomplished with help.

SCAFFOLDING: support provided by elders that help children master harder tasks (ZPD); "boosting mechanism."
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

What was the video example of the ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT we saw in class?
1) Boy counts bears, but misses a few.
2) Teacher helps him point to each bear as he recounts them.
3) Boy counts correct number of bears.
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

Tell me about Bronfenbrenner's ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS THEORY...

(what are the stages and what do they represent?)
1) MICROSYSTEM: everything that directly involves child (ex. family, school, etc.)
2) MESOSYTEM: interconnections between diff. parts of microsystem (ex. parent-teacher conference)
3) EXOSYSTEM: everything that indirectly involves child (ex. neighbors, media, institutions, etc.)
4) MACROSYSTEM: culture surrounding child (ex. attitudes and ideologies)
5) CHRONOSYSTEM: everything else that effects other systems (ex. generation, temporal changes, etc.)
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

Tell me about the COGNITIVE perspective of development...
- Emphasis on children as active learners who construct their own understanding of the world.

Example
- Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

Tell me about Piaget's stages of cognitive development in his COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY...
1) SENSORIMOTOR
- Age: birth - 2 yrs.
- Encounters world through sensory experiences.
- Example: babies put everything in their mouths.
2) PREOPERATIONAL
- Age: 2 - 7 yrs.
- Development of language, symbolic representation, and pretend play; thoughts lack logical coherence.
3) CONCRETE OPERATIONAL
- Age: 7 - 11 yrs.
- Capable of logical thought but no appreciation of abstract concepts.
4) FORMAL
- Age: 11 yrs. and up
- Capable of abstract, scientific thought.
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

Tell me about the BIOLOGICAL perspective of development...
- Emphasis on human behavior as biologically programmed.

Example
- Lorenz: ethology
- Bowlby: attachment theory
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

Tell me about the patterns of attachment in Bowlby's ATTACHMENT THEORY...
1) Secure attachments:
2) Insecure attachments:
3) Disorganized attachments:

***need answers
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

How did Bowlby test her ATTACHMENT THEORY?
(we saw a video of it in class)
The Stranger Situation: mom leaves baby alone in room, experimenters watch baby's reaction to being alone, interaction with stranger, and reunion with mom.

- Experiment examined the bond of mom and child
- Level of attachment was determined by the REUNION of mom and child
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

What is the significance of the CRITICAL and SENSITIVE PERIODS in ethology?
***
CRITICAL PERIOD: limited window of time during which imprinting must take place.
[ex. young birds must see a moving object (usually mom) within hours of their birth for imprinting to occur.]

SENSITIVE PERIODS: developmental periods when a particular type of learning proceeds most rapidly.
[boundaries are less defined (in terms of nature of stimuli and window of time involved) than the critical period.]
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES:

Tell me about the DYNAMIC SYSTEMS perspective of development...
- Self-organizing nature of development over time.
- Variety of pathways can lead to similar developmental outcomes.
- Kids choose their own based on indiv. differences, environments, etc.
- Emphasis on EMERGENCE (standard developmental milestones)

Example
- Thelen: reaching behavior (subjects exhibited behavior at different ages and used different strategies, but both were able to reach for objects in the end)
METHODS:

What is the most important distinction among the types of research designs? Tell me about them...
CORRELATIONAL
- Study relationship between variables and how changes to one affect changes in another.
- Cannot establish cause and effect.

EXPERIMENTAL
- Study effect of independent (manipulated) variable/s on dependent (unchanged) variable/s.
- Establishes causation
- RANDOM ASSIGNMENT
METHODS:

What are the major designs for studying child development over time? Tell me about them...
LONGITUDINAL: follow same individuals over time.

CROSS-SECTIONAL: study people at different ages at the same time (cross-section of a population)

CROSS-SEQUENTIAL: following groups of people at different ages over time (aka. cohort sequential)

**Cohort effect: effects associated with a particular group of people (generation/time period)
METHODS:

What is the significance of RELIABILITY and VALIDITY in research?
***
RELIABILITY: the consistency of results; reliable test gives same results each time it is administered (aka. test-retest reliability)

VALIDITY: extent to which a test measures what it was designed to measure.
GENETICS/HEREDITY:

What is the difference between MITOSIS and MEIOSIS?
MITOSIS: process of duplication and division of all cells except sex cells.

MEIOSIS: process of division that produces sex cells, each containing 23 chromosomes.
GENETICS/HEREDITY:

What is the significance of ALLELES in the inheritance of characteristics?
- There are 2 versions of each gene, one from mom and one from dad.
- Each version is called an ALLELE.
- When the alleles for a particular characteristic match, they are HOMOZYGOUS.
- When the alleles for a particular characteristic do not match, they are HETEROZYGOUS.
GENETICS/HEREDITY:

Tell me about the different inheritance patterns. (2.5)
DOMINANT-RECESSIVE PATTERN
- When one allele is dominant for a characteristic, it determines the outcome, regardless of the other allele.
- DOMINANT: pair that is expressed (ex. Huntington's disease)
- RECESSIVE: pair that is not expressed (ex. Myopia)

CODOMINANCE
- Both alleles influence the trait; often affected by environmental factors.
- Neither is entirely dominant or recessive.

POLYGENIC INHERITANCE
- Involves joint action from many genes to control the expression of a single characteristic (ex. skin color)

**POLYGENIC = CODOMINANCE
GENETICS/HEREDITY:

Which sex is more susceptible to genetic defects and why?
- Most inherited sex-linked (recessive) genes are carried on the X chromosome because it is larger than the Y chromosome and contains more genes.
- MALES ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE because, unlike females, they do not have a back-up X chromosome to take the place of a bad one.
GENETICS/HEREDITY:

What is a MUTATION?
MUTATION: change in a gene caused by chance or environmental factors.
GENETICS/HEREDITY:

Why would people seek genetic counseling and what are some examples of genetic screening (3)?
GENETIC COUNSELING
- Family history of genetic disorders
- Difficulty conceiving
- Difficulty carrying to term

GENETIC SCREENING: tests for genetic disorders
- Amniocentesis: sample fluid around fetus
- Chronic Villus sampling: taken from villi; can be done early on.
- Fetal blood sampling: taken from chord blood.
GENETICS/HEREDITY:

DOWN SYNDROME and WILLIAM'S DISEASE are inherited chromosomal abnormalities. Tell me about them...
DOWN SYNDROME:
- Cause: 3 copies of 21st chromosome (rather than 2)
- Traits: mentally/physically retarded

WILLIAM'S DISEASE:
- Cause: tiny deletion of a small number of genes on the 7th chromosome.
- Traits: mental retardation and cognitive deficits in visuo-spatial tasks w/ relatively fluent use of language and face processing.
- Also: known for excellent social skills.
GENETICS/HEREDITY:

SICKLE-CELL ANEMIA and PHENYLKETONURIA (PKU) are inherited chromosomal abnormalities. Tell me about them...
SICKLE-CELL ANEMIA:
- Cause: recessive gene
- Traits: abnormal blood cells (crescent-shaped and sticky) cause circulatory problems.
- Incidence: prevalent among African Americans; adaptive disorder that provided malaria immunity.

PHENYLKETONURIA (PKU):
- Cause: lack of ability to digest certain enzymes, resulting in retarded development of prefrontal cortex.
- Traits: severe retardation.
- TREATABLE: PKU infants low diet of phenylalanine which reduces (but does not eradicate) severity of mental retardation.
GENETICS/HEREDITY:

What is the difference between MONOZYGOTIC and DIOZYGOTIC twins?
MONOZYGOTIC:
- Identical
- Share the same egg and identical genes

DIOZYGOTIC:
- Fraternal (no more related than siblings)
- Two eggs fertilized by same sperm.
GENERAL:

Define GENOTYPE, PHENOTYPE, and ENVIRONMENT, and tell me how they interact.
GENOTYPE + ENVIRONMENT = PHENOTYPE

- GENOTYPE: genetic make-up.
- ENVIRONMENT: conditions and circumstances that surround an individual.
- PHENOTYPE: observable characteristics that come from the interaction between genotype and environment.

Example of PHENOTYPE:
Sickle Cell Anemia (recessive genes + malaria-infested environment = development of protective disease)
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT:

Define ZYGOTE, BLASTOCYST, and EMBRYO.
ZYGOTE: fertilized ovum (egg)

BLASTOCYST: multicellular ball that grows from the zygote

EMBRYO: developing organism that develops from the embryonic disk (cells inside the blastocyst)
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT:

What are the stages of PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT and what happens in each?
1) GERMINAL
- Weeks 1 - 2; fertilization to implantation.
- Zygote undergoes cell division and turns into the blastocyst.
- Differentiation starts (cells organize into organs and systems)
- Blastocyst implants into the uterine wall.
2) EMBRYONIC
- Weeks 3 - 8; implantation to 8wks.
- Formation of placenta and umbilical cord.
- Formation of organs (heart, brain, spinal cord, etc.)
3) FETAL
- Weeks 9 - 38; wk. 9 to birth.
- Begins with first hardening of the bones.
- Rapid growth in size, maturity, and detail.
- Languo and vernix development.
- Axon, dendrite, and neural pathway development.
- Senses begin to function.
- Some learning takes place.
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT:

Tell me about FETAL LEARNING...
Babies recognize familiar sounds heard when in the womb.

Example
- Cat in the Hat experiment
- Mothers read story to baby while still in the womb
- After birth, infants' sucking patterns were monitored when Seuss story was being read.
- Finding: infants preferred familiar story to unfamiliar one (modified rates of sucking in direction of Suess)
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT:

Tell me about TERATOGENS...

(definition and influences)
TERATOGEN: environmental agent that interferes with normal prenatal development (ex. cigarettes, alcohol, advil, etc.)

INFLUENCES:
- Dosage effects (how much exposure)
- Susceptibility (usually depends on mother's state and health)
- Pattern of action (what type of development it affects)
- Individual differences
- Timing
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT:

What are the critical periods of prenatal development for TERATOGEN influences?
1) GERMINAL PERIOD: prenatal death.
2) EMBRYONIC PERIOD: major structural abnormalities; most vulnerable when first forming.
3) FETAL PERIOD: psychological defects and minor structural abnormalities.
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT:

What is the process of CONCEPTION?
1) Ovum is released from ovaries 2 weeks after start of period (aka. ovulation) into the fallopian tube.
2) Sperm swims up fallopian tube and penetrates ovum's outer covering.

*EGG CELLS = largest cells in body
*SPERM CELLS = smallest cell in body
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT:

What are some environmental influences?
- MATERNAL NUTRITION (ex. lack of folic acid leads to neural tube defects like spina bifida)
- MATERNAL STRESS (mixed research results) and ATTITUDES (major influence on health of infant)
**psychological stress during pregnancy associated w/ premature delivery and LBW.
- MENTAL STATE of mother (ex. depression)
- DRUGS, ALCOHOL, TOBACCO
- DISEASES
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT:

What are the effects of TOBACCO and ALCOHOL on fetal development?
TOBACCO
- Lower birth weight
- Higher mortality
- Greater risk of behavioral and cognitive problems
- Nicotine causes abnormal growth of placenta.

ALCOHOL: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Abnormal facial features
- Growth deficiencies
- Hyperactivity
- Learning disabilities
- Low IQ
- Other problems
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT:

What are the effects of diseases like RUBELLA and HIV/AIDS on fetal development?
(symptoms, precautions, prevalence)
RUBELLA (German measles)
- Congenital heart disease
- Blindness and deafness
- Mental retardation
- Symptoms affect 50% of all babies born to moms who had disease in first 12 wks. of pregnancy.

HIV/AIDS
- Use of meds can dramatically lower child's chances of being affected.
- Precautions: don't breast feed and c-section deliveries.
- Approx. 30% of babies born to AIDS positive mothers contract disease.
- Average life span of child with HIV in the US = 5 years.
BIRTH/NEWBORN:

What are the stages of CHILDBIRTH?
STAGE 1: LABOR
- Contractions become stronger and more frequent
- Cervix dilates and effaces (thins)
- Transition occurs (cervix opens and is ready for stage 2)
STAGE 2: DELIVERY
- Baby descends through birth canal and is born
- Umbilical cord is cut
- Baby's health is assessed
STAGE 3: DELIVERY OF PLACENTA
BIRTH/NEWBORN:

Tell me about the baby during and after labor and delivery.
(5)
- Head may be misshapen (molding)
- Remnants of lanugo and vernix may be present
- Skin may have a blue tint
- Fontanels present (soft spots in skull before it fuses together)
- First lungful of air is inhaled (harder than any other breath we will ever take)
BIRTH/NEWBORN:

What is the number 1 screening/assessment procedure for newborns?
APGAR
- Done at 1 minute and 5 minutes.
- Five vital signs are rated from 0 - 2:
. + Pulse (heart rate)
. + Respiration (breathing/effort)
. + Appearance (color)
. + Grimace (reflex irritability)
. + Activity (muscle tone)
- Final score is on a scale from 1 - 10.
. + 7 or above: healthy
. + 4 - 7: needs medical attention
. + Under 4: needs immediate and invasive medical attention
NEWBORN:

What are non-immediate assessment scales? (2)
***
1) NEONATAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT SCALE
- Reflexes
- Changes of state
- Responses to people and objects
**Useful in identifying individual and cultural differences
2) NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NETWORK NEUROBEHAVIORAL SCALE
- More complete analysis of baby's neurological and behavioral organization
- Focus on high-risk infants
- Identifies problems early
BIRTH/NEWBORN:

What other screening/assessment procedures are done for newborns?
BLOOD TESTS
- PKU
- Sickle cell anemia
- And others (which may be required by state law)
MEDICAL TECHNIQUES USED DURING LABOR AND DELIVERY:

Tell me about FETAL MONITORS and INDUCED LABOR...
FETAL MONITOR
- External and internal.
- Tracks heartbeat and other vital signs

INDUCED LABOR
- Drug given to mom to thin membrane in the cervix
- Used when mom or baby is at risk
- Might sometimes be used for doctor convenience
- Common in first time moms
MEDICAL TECHNIQUES USED DURING LABOR AND DELIVERY:

Tell me about INSTRUMENT DELIVERY and CESAREAN SECTIONS...
INSTRUMENT DELIVERY
- Forceps ("salad tongs")
- Vacuum extractor ("suction cup")
- Either is placed around head to guide/pull infant out

CESAREAN SECTION
- Surgical removal of the baby
- Used when complications like breech position or vaginal infection are present
- Increase in recent years
LABOR:

What are some pain medications given to mothers during childbirth?
SYSTEMIC ANALGESICS
- Reduce pain
- Work on entire nervous system

EPIDURAL BLOCK
- Eliminates pain
- Anesthesia to numb lower body

**Both pass through the placenta and enter fetus' circulatory system
**Less attentive and responsive, irritable, gain weight slowly; findings not consistent.
NEWBORN:

Tell me about preterm infants...
PREMATURE: born more than 3 weeks earlier than the full 38 weeks.

1) LOW BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS (LBW): weigh less than 5 1/2 lbs.
*Causes: intrauterine growth retardation or prematurity
2) VERY LOW BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS (VLBW): weigh below ~ 3 lbs.
3) EXTREMELY LOW BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS (ELBW): weight below ~ 2 lbs.
NEWBORN:

What are some causes of premature labor?
- Ruptured amniotic sac
- Infections (cervix or urinary tract)
- Weak cervix (opens early due to excessive weight gain)
- Previous premature delivery
- Malnutrition
- Substance abuse
- More...
NEWBORN:

CEREBRAL PALSY and BIRTH ASPHYXIA are 2 more birth complications. Tell me about them.
CEREBRAL PALSY
- Covers a range of neurological disorders that appear in infancy/early childhood.
- Permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination.
- Cause: oxygen deprivation (anoxia)

BIRTH ASPHYXIA
- Lack of oxygen and perfusion (blood delivery) to brain at birth.
- Cause: poor placenta, umbilical cord blood flow, or mechanical restriction to delivery.
- Degree of asphyxia assessed by Apgar; outcomes predictable by 5 minute score.
NEWBORN:

IMMATURE LUNGS and LOW BIRTH WEIGHT are 2 birth complications. Tell me about them.
IMMATURE LUNGS
- Leading cause of death in premature infants.
- Aka. respiratory distress syndrome

LOW BIRTH-WEIGHT
- LBW + preterm = development that has proceeded normally is cut short.
- Born near expected birth date but have small IUGR (intrauterine growth retardation)
- Causes: multiple births; intrauterine infections; maternal smoking, substance use, or malnutrition.
NEWBORN:

What are some lasting effects for VLBW and ELBW children?
- Lower scores on intelligent/achievement tests
- Social isolation, depression, and anxiety.
- Some experience life-long problems; others develop exactly the same as kids of normal birth weight.
NEWBORN:

Tell me more about IUGR.
Mothers that deliver IUGR have higher prevalence of non-nutritional risk factors which may compromise postnatal development.
- Less and later prenatal care
- Higher rate of smoking
- Lower SES
- Higher rate of personal chronic diseases
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

The cortex is divided into four lobes...tell me about each of them.
1) FRONTAL LOBE: higher order cognition (planning, problem solving, working memory)
2) OCCIPITAL LOBE: visual info and recognition
3) PARIETAL LOBE: sensory info and spatial processing
4) TEMPORAL LOBE: auditory info

*Temporal and occipital lobes: first to develop
*Frontal lobe: last to develop and continues through adolescence.
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

What are the different parts and function of a NEURON?
NEURON: transmit info throughout the brain.

1) CELL BODY
2) DENDRITES: receive electrical signals from other cells
3) AXON: sends signals from dendrites to other neurons
4) AXON TERMINALS: transmit signals to dendrites of adjacent neurons
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

What is a SYNAPSE?

Tell me about GLIAL CELLS.
SYNAPSE: connections between neurons that allows for transmission and reception of signals

GLIAL CELLS
- Many different types
- Nourish, repair, and mylenate neurons
- Crucial for development: neurons climb up glial cells to get to designated areas of the brain
- Support system of the brain (structural and functional)
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

What is GYROFICATION and when does it occur?
GYROFICATION
- Formation of bumps and valleys in brain
- Between 25 and 27 weeks
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

What are the different stages of CORTICAL development? (8)
1) NEURULATION
2) PROLIFERATION
3) NEURAL MIGRATION
4) NEURAL DIFFERENTIATION
5) AXONAL AND DENDRITIC GROWTH
6) SYNAPTOGENESIS
7) MYELINATION
8) PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

Tell me about NEURULATION.
NEURULATION: construction of neural tube
- Different layers of neural plate fold in on itself to form neural tube.
- Neural tube closes; eventually brain will form at one end and spinal cord grows at other end.
- Tube itself eventually becomes neural ventricles.
- Occurs 18 days prenatal.
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

Tell me about NEURAL PROLIFERATION.
NEURAL PROLIFERATION: growth of neurons.
- New cells born in ventricular layer of neural tube.
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

Tell me about CELLULAR MIGRATION.
CELLULAR MIGRATION: construction of the cortex.
- Cells migrate to their final destination in developing brain.
- Brain is built layer by layer.
- Creates a radial inside-out pattern of development.
- Importance of radial glial cells.
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

Tell me about CELLULAR DIFFERENTIATION.
CELLULAR DIFFERENTIATION: maturation of cells.
- Migrating cells are structurally and functionally immature.
- Once they reach their destination, particular genes are turned on; growth of axons, dendrites, and synapses.
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

Tell me about AXONAL AND DENDRITIC GROWTH.
AXONAL AND DENDRITIC GROWTH
- Proteins signal where they should grow.
- Overproduction of dendritic branches (pruned like synapses)
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

Tell me about SYNAPTOGENESIS.
SYNAPTOGENESIS: production of synapses.
- Takes place as dendrites and axons grow.
- Involves linking together of billions of neurons in brain.
- Massive overproduction (under genetic control), followed by pruning; based on experience.
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

Tell me about MYELINIATION.
MYELINIATION: process whereby glial cells wrap themselves around axons.
- Increases speed of neural conduction by insulating the cell.
- Begins before birth and continues into late adolescence.
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

Tell me about PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH.
PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH
- Aka. APOPTOSIS
- As many as 50% of neurons die as normal part of development because they need to make room for useful neurons.
[brain only keeps neurons that it will use; ex. all babies are born with ability to pronounce any letter/sound; brains of chinese babies prune out neurons for pronunciation of R's because they are not needed in their language]
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

Why is folic acid important in brain development?
Reduces failure of closure of neural tubes (which otherwise results in spina bifita or anencephaly)
INFANT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT:

What are some methods of studying brain development?
1) MRI/fMRI: reveals where things are happening in the brain.
- MRI: uses radiowaves to contruct a 3-D x-ray/picture
- fMRI: picture of activity; measures blood flow
**Difficult to use with young kids.
2) EEG/ERP: reveals when things are happening in the brain.
- EEG can be used to localize epileptic seizures.
3) NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY: reveals where things are happening in the brain.
- Newer method; sends light into brain and picks it back up to get an idea of blood flow.
- Better for use with young kids.
NEWBORN:

What are the six states of consciousness and what do they entail?
Three awake states:
1) QUIETLY ALERT: don't move much; look around and listen intently.
2) ACTIVELY ALERT: looks around and moves arms and legs.
3) CRYING

One transitional state:
4) DROWSINESS: suspended between sleep and waking; completely relaxed.

Two sleeping states:
5) QUIET SLEEP: baby is still, eyes don't flutter.
6) ACTIVE SLEEP: moves around, makes faces, eyelids flutter.
NEWBORN:

Tell me about newborn visual abilities.
(quality and preferences)
QUALITY: nearsighted (20/500)

PREFERENCES:
- Stripes over plain colors.
- 3D objects over 2D objects.
- Human faces over scrambled facial features.
- Contrast and edges.
- Mother's picture

ALSO: vision is blurred; takes 2 mths. to get clearer; isn't as good as "Aadult" vision until 6-9 mths.
NEWBORN:

Tell me about newborn auditory abilities.
(quality and preferences)
QUALITY: functions well at birth

PREFERENCES:
- Pitch and loudness of female voice.
- Can make fine distinctions between sounds.
- Can discriminate between mom's voice and other females.
NEWBORN:

Tell me about newborn TASTE and SMELL abilities.
(quality and preferences)
QUALITY:
- Well developed at birth.
- Can distinguish between sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes.

PREFERENCES:
- Taste/smell of breast milk over formula.
- Smell of mom's breast milk over other women's milk.
NEWBORN:

Tell me about newborn MULTIMODAL PERCEPTION.
Recognize that input from one sensory type corresponds in important ways with that from other types.
(take experience from one sense and transfer its meaning to another sense)
NEWBORN:

Tell me about REFLEXES and the different kinds. (7)
REFLEXES: fade away over time.
- Lack of proper reflex development indicates neuro. probs.
- Reflex continuing longer than it's supposed to is another indicator of neuro. probs.

1) ROOTING: cheek is stroked = baby turns head towards it and opens mouth.
2) SUCKING: sucks whenever anything is placed in mouth.
3) GRASPING: touch palm of hand = baby's fingers close around it.
4) MORO: sudden loss of support to back or neck (or loud sound) = throws arms up and head back.
5) BABINSKY: stroke sole of foot = toes splay out and then curl in.
6) HABITUATION: process of responding less and less to familiar stimuli.
7) DISHABITUATION: rapid recovery of a response to previously habituated stimuli.
NEWBORN:

Tell me about infant LEARNING.
(types they're capable of and variables affecting it)
CAPABLE OF:
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning

VARIABLES AFFECTING IT:
- Infant's state
- Type of response
- Immediacy of reward
- Amount of repetition
NEWBORN:

Tell me about infant IMITATION.
- Babies are capable of imitating facial expressions as young as 2 hours old.
- Must be very repetitive.
- Not all infants can do this.