Developmental Psychology Exam 1 100% Solved!!

What is the brain's capacity to change in response to positive or negative experiences? - ANSWER plasticity How does the Positive Youth Development program relate to plasticity? - ANSWER The Positive Youth Development program believes that adolescents have the ability to become something more or turn their situation around if their social, personal, physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development is promoted and motivated. So, if a person's brain is stimulated one way by positive experiences, perhaps their mindset will become more positive. What kind of research design measures variables as they already exist to see if they are related? - ANSWER correlational What is this describing: A woman is more likely to give birth to a child effected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome if the woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy. The correlation between alcohol and the child is that the child will have a greater chance of negative impact with higher consumption of alcohol during their mother's pregnancy. - ANSWER correlational research design What is a variable that is controlled or influenced by the experimenter? - ANSWER independent variable In studying how violence in television shows effect children's view of violent behavior and actions. What is the independent variable? - ANSWER the independent variable is if the television show being viewed by the participants in the study is violent or nonviolent What kind of variable does the researcher measure during/after the study to see what effect the independent variable had? - ANSWER dependent variable In studying how violence in television shows effect children's view of violent behavior and actions. What is the dependent variable? - ANSWER number of violent acts carried out by the participants in the experiment Describe the ethical problem in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. - ANSWER The participants that tested positive for syphilis were never made aware that they had the disease. Even though there was no treatment for syphilis, penicillin was recognized as such, but still not given to those that tested positive for the disease. In turn, those effected by syphilis spread it to their wives, and children subsequently, who eventually died from the disease. Structural genome: a. like the software of a computer program b. like the hardware of a computer program c. the 23,000 genes we inherit from our parents d. can be affected by positive and negative experiences - ANSWER b. like the hardware of a computer program c. the 23,000 genes we inherit from our parents Epigenome: a. like the software of a computer program b. like the hardware of a computer program c. the 23,000 genes we inherit from our parents d. can be affected by positive and negative experiences - ANSWER a. like the software of a computer program d. can be affected by positive and negative experiences T/F: The genes inherited from one's parents set a child's future in stone. - ANSWER False T/F: Studies have demonstrated that playing Mozart recordings to infants helps to shape the epigenome in positive ways. - ANSWER False T/F: Adverse childhood experiences, such as toxic stress or exposure to toxins, such as lead, can affect the epigenome and result in problems in adulthood. - ANSWER True What does science tell us about epigenetic influence? - ANSWER Science has determined that epigenetic influence can be detrimental to children. Children can be helped and influenced to reach their full potential and in turn decrease the risk of adult physical and mental problems through positive and appropriate experiences in their adolescent years and less toxic stress. What is the science-policy gap? - ANSWER The science-policy gap is the gap between what we know to be true and what we do/how we act on that knowledge. Research has shown that negative experiences early in life prove more difficult times lie ahead in adult years, yet we do not act on that knowledge. We have yet to reduce children's exposure to environments that have a significant negative effect on their epigenome. For example, children who are exposed to toxic home/parent environments prove time sensitive to social workers because negative home life can have a negative effect on their epigenome. Describe implications for science-policy gap policy and programs. - ANSWER "Because early experiences can alter the epigenome and influence developing brain architecture, policies affecting the life circumstances of pregnant women and young children can have enormous implications for all of society" (Early Experiences Can Alter Gene Expression and Affect Long-Term Development, 6). Public policies that address the fundamental values of the young epigenome will likely have long term positive effects such as healthier populations.