PSYCH 111 (Intro to
Psychology) DEVELOPMENT
THROUGH THE LIFESPAN
(2025\2026) SERIES
MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
,DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE LIFESPAN
Developmental Psychology’s Major Questions
1. Nature vs nurture
2. What parts of development are gradual changes and which are abrupt?
3. Which traits stay the same through our lives?
How are babies made?
Conception
1. Men are non-stop sperm factories. Women are born with thousands of immature eggs.
2. Sperm somehow makes it’s way into a vagina through vulgar, vulgar methods which shall not be referenced here.
3. The sperm’s digestive enzymes eat away at the membrane of the egg until it enters.
4. The egg is now, bum-bum-bum... FERTILIZED!
1
, Prenatal Development
1. Most fertilized eggs die before two weeks
2. After one week, the cells created through cell division start to have specialized purposes
3. After 10 days, the embryo attaches to the uterus wall and stays there for aboout 37 weeks
4. After 6 weeks, the embryo’s organs begin to function and there’s a heart beat
5. After 9 weeks, it looks human, and is called a fetus
6. Learning occurs while still in the womb
7. The baby is born after about 38 weeks
zygote
embryo
fetus
How are babies affected by their mother’s actions and
environment?
they prefer a mother’s voice, then her spouse’s voice, over
other people’s
their cries will imitate the tonal patterns of the mother’s
spoken languages
viruses and drugs in the mother’s system will reach the
fetus through the placenta
ALCOHOL!
mild drinking predisposes the child to being an
alcoholic or heavy drinker
persistent heavy drinking may cause birth defects,
behavior problems, hyperactivity, and lower
intelligence
in extreme cases, the child could have fetal alcohol
syndrome (FAS)
2
Psychology) DEVELOPMENT
THROUGH THE LIFESPAN
(2025\2026) SERIES
MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
,DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE LIFESPAN
Developmental Psychology’s Major Questions
1. Nature vs nurture
2. What parts of development are gradual changes and which are abrupt?
3. Which traits stay the same through our lives?
How are babies made?
Conception
1. Men are non-stop sperm factories. Women are born with thousands of immature eggs.
2. Sperm somehow makes it’s way into a vagina through vulgar, vulgar methods which shall not be referenced here.
3. The sperm’s digestive enzymes eat away at the membrane of the egg until it enters.
4. The egg is now, bum-bum-bum... FERTILIZED!
1
, Prenatal Development
1. Most fertilized eggs die before two weeks
2. After one week, the cells created through cell division start to have specialized purposes
3. After 10 days, the embryo attaches to the uterus wall and stays there for aboout 37 weeks
4. After 6 weeks, the embryo’s organs begin to function and there’s a heart beat
5. After 9 weeks, it looks human, and is called a fetus
6. Learning occurs while still in the womb
7. The baby is born after about 38 weeks
zygote
embryo
fetus
How are babies affected by their mother’s actions and
environment?
they prefer a mother’s voice, then her spouse’s voice, over
other people’s
their cries will imitate the tonal patterns of the mother’s
spoken languages
viruses and drugs in the mother’s system will reach the
fetus through the placenta
ALCOHOL!
mild drinking predisposes the child to being an
alcoholic or heavy drinker
persistent heavy drinking may cause birth defects,
behavior problems, hyperactivity, and lower
intelligence
in extreme cases, the child could have fetal alcohol
syndrome (FAS)
2
