Chapter 1 History Theory and Research Strategies Lifespan perspective dynamic systems approach to development Lifelong Physical Cognitive and Emotional Social changes No single age period is supreme Multidimensional and multidirectional Affected by different biological psychological and social forces Highly plastic Plasticity exists at all ages Aging is not a shipwreck Age Graded Influence Events that are strongly related to age and therefore fairly predictable in when they occur and how long they last for Ex Children walk after first birthday Most are influenced by biology but some are due to social customs History Graded Influences people born around the same time cohort tend to be alike in ways that set them apart from people born at other times Ex Baby boomers No normative Influences Events that are irregular They happen to just one person or a few people and do not follow a predictable timetable Ex Delayed marriage parenthood battle with cancer Resilience The ability to adapt effectively in the face of threats of development Factors Personal Characteristics Warm parental relationship social support outside family and community resources and opportunities Ethology Study of adaptive value of behavior and its evolutionary history Imprinting Takes place during an early restricted period of development The early following behavior of certain baby birds such as geese that ensures that the young will stay close to the mother and be fed and protected from danger Critical Period Biologically prepared to acquire adaptive behaviors during limited time span Need support of an appropriately stimulating environment Sensitive Period Optimal time Individual is especially responsive Later development hard to induce Boundaries less defined Common Research methods Systematic Observation Naturalistic Observation In the field or natural environment where behavior happens Structured Observation laboratory situation set up to evoke behavior of interest All participants have equal chance to display behavior Self Reports Clinical Interview Flexible conversational style Probes for participant s point of view Structured Interview Each participant is asked same questions in same way May use questionnaires get answers from groups Clinical Case Study Brings together a wide range of information on one person Interviews Observations Test scores Ethnography Descriptive qualitative technique Goal is to understand a culture or social group Participant Observation Researcher lives in community for months or years General Research Designs Correlational Reveals relationships between variables Does not reveal cause and effect Experimental Allows cause and effect statements Lab experiments may not apply in real world Longitudinal Participants are studied repeatedly and changes are noted as they get older Cross Sectional Groups of people differing in age are studied at the same point in time Chapter 2 Biological and Environmental Foundations Sex Determination 22 of the 23 pairs of chromosomes are matching pairs called autosomes The 23 pair consists of sex chromosomes XX in female XY in male X Linked inheritance A harmful allele on the X chromosome Males are more likely to be affected because their sex chromosomes do not match Genetic imprinting Alleles are imprinted or chemically marked so that one pair member either the mother s or father s is activated regardless of its makeup Fragile X syndrome mental retardation Mutation A Sudden change in a segment of DNA May affect only one or two genes Chromosomal Defects Major cause of serious developmental problems Down Syndrome Problems with the 21st chromosome Mental retardation memory and speech problems limited vocabulary and slow motor development Sex chromosome abnormalities Problems with the X or Y chromosome Reproductive Technologies Donor insemination In vitro fertilization Surrogate mother New technologies Genetic counseling A communication process designed to help couples understand genetic principles genetic testing and prevention of genetic disorders assess their chances of giving birth to a baby with a hereditary disorder and choose the best course of action in view of risks and family goal Prenatal diagnostic methods Medical procedures that permit detection of problems before birth Recommended when Couple has had difficulties Aware of genetic problems Woman is over 35 Amniocentesis Chorionic villus sampling Fetoscopy Ultrasound Maternal blood analysis Pre implantation genetic diagnosis Heritability estimates measure the extent to which individual differences in complex traits in a specific population are due to genetic factors Reaction range Each person s unique genetically determined response to the environment Chapter 3 Prenatal Development Birth and the Newborn Baby Conception An ovum that is fertilized by sperm Fertilization takes place in the fallopian tube Most conceptions result from intercourse during a 3 day period On the day of ovulation or during the two days preceding it Period of the Zygote Lasts about two weeks Fertilization Implantation Blastocyst A hollow fluid filled ball Outer ring of cells trophoblast Start of the placenta Implantation Between the 7th an 9th day the blastocyst implants in the uterine lining The trophoblast forms a membrane called the amnion that encloses the developing organisms in amniotic fluid Helps keep the temperature of the prenatal world constant Provides a cushion against jolts The placenta and umbilical cord Placenta By bringing the embryos and mother s blood close together but preventing them from mixing directly the placenta permits food and oxygen to reach the organism and waste products to be carried away Umbilical cord Connected to the developing organism it contains one large vein that delivers blood loaded with nutrients and two arties that remove waste products Period of the embryo Lasts from implantation through the eight week of pregnancy 6 weeks the groundwork is laid for all body structures and organs Arms legs face organs and muscles develop Heart starts beating Teratogen Refers to any environmental agent that causes damage during the prenatal development Drugs Tobacco Alcohol Radiation Pollution Smoking during pregnancy Low birth weight is the best known prenatal effect of smoking Miscarriage prematurity impaired heart rate infant death and asthma and cancer later in childhood also increase Prenatal care During the prenatal period children depend on their mother for nutrients Prenatal malnutrition