IBP Developmental and educational psychology summary with key words

Developmental and Educational Psychology



Lecture 1- Prenatal development and attachment
Ch2: 43-70
Ch11: 465-480
 Epigenesis the emergence of new structures and functions in the course of development
(proposed by Aristotle)
Conception:
 Gametes reproductive cells (egg and sperm) that contain only half the genetic material of all
other body cells
 Egg cell and sperm cell merge
 Fertilization  the fusion of the gametes
- Each gamete has 23 chromosome
- When gametes fuse they form a zygote
 Mitosis regular cell division that results in 2 identical cells
 Meiosis the formation of gametes
 Conception the union of an egg from the mother and a sperm from the father
- The egg moves through the ovaries and out through the fallopian tubes towards the uterus,
releasing a chemical substance which attracts sperm cells towards the egg cell
- In ejactulation almost 500 million sperm released- sperm travels 6 hours to reach the egg-
survival of the fittest situation where only the healthiest/best sperm reach the egg
- When the sperm enters the egg a chemical reaction seals the egg so no more sperm enter
- Zygote fertilized egg cell
 Cell migration the movement of newly formed cells away from their point of origin
 Cell differentiation cells reach specific destination and serve specific function, the
specialization of cells
- Stem cells are undifferentiated cells
- Embryonic stem cells Embryonic cells which can develop into any type of body cell
 Apoptosis cells die (necessary for getting rid of unnecessary cells)- genetically programmed
cell death
 Hormones play an important role in sexual differentiation
- androgens (such as testosterone) lead to the development of male genitalia
- steroids (such as glucocorticoids) limit fetal growth and help fetal tissues mature
Zygote (0-2 weeks):
 Migration to uterus- most vulnerable stage- 50% of zygotes don’t survive
 Cell division (happens twice a day)- first happens 12 hours after conception
 Implantation in the uterine wall- cells become a hollow sphere which creates the support system
where embryo forms
 hCG Is secreted
 Twins occur at this stage
- Identical twinsMonozygotic- zygote splits in 2 forming 2 zygotes- genetically identical
- Fraternal twinsDizygotic- 2 eggs fertilized- comes from 2 different zygotes- same as
siblings genetically
- Triplets can happen different ways

,Developmental and Educational Psychology



Embryo (3-8 weeks):
 Embryo the developing organism from the 3rd to 8th week of prenatal development
 Inner cell mass forms 3 layers- different parts of the body
- Top layer is nervous system, skin, the nails, the teeth, inner, ear and eye lens
- Middle layer is muscles, bones, circulatory system, internal organs
- Bottom layer forms digestive system, lungs, urinary tract and glands
 Extremely vulnerable stage- most miscarriages happen at this stage, vulnerable to environmental
influences (teratogens), 15-20% don’t survive
 Layers collapse and form neural tube (later spine and brain of baby)
- Neural tube a groove formed in the top layer of differentiated cells in the embryo that
eventually become the brain and spinal cord
 Support system develops placenta and umbilical cord and amniotic sac
- Amniotic sac a transparent, fluid filled membrane that surrounds and protects the fetus-
provides even temperatures and cushioning
- Placenta A support organ for the fetus, keeps the circulatory systems of the fetus and
mother separate, but a semi-permeable membrane permits the exchange of some materials
between them (O2 and nutrients, CO2 and waste products)
- Umbilical cord a tube containing the blood vessels connecting the fetus and the placenta
 Cephalocaudal development the pattern of growth in which areas near the head develop
earlier that areas further from the head
Fetus (9 weeks- birth):
 Fetus the developing
organism from the 9th week
of prenatal development
 Further development of
organ and systems
 Physical growth, mostly
part of body
(cephalocaudal- development of the head)
 90% born healthy -often
after 38 weeks




Prenatal behaviour/sensation:
 Despite their very different
environment
(discontinuity), fetuses and children show surprising similarities (continuity)

, Developmental and Educational Psychology



 Embryo moves at around 5-6 weeks
 Week 7 hiccups- theory of burping reflex
 Week 10 fetal breathing- amniotic fluid flows in and out of lungs, wake sleep cycle- sleep for
2/3 of the time
 Week 12 behaviors of newborn are present- grasping, swallowing, thumb sucking
Prenatal Sensory experiences:
 Only some visual stimulation
 Lots of tactile movements from moving around
 Preference for sweet foods- amniotic fluid takes on flavor and scent of ingested food
 Fetus responds to internal and external sounds- should not go to loud places, very loud inside
uterus, fetus responds mainly to mothers voice
Prenatal Learning:
 Research only from during 3rd trimester
 Animal studies show that babies have a memory for the amniotic fluid scent
- Phylogenetic continuity because of our common evolutionary history, humans share
many characteristics, behaviors and developmental processes with non-human animals,
especially mammals
 Research with human newborns- preference for the mothers voice- measured through sucking
pattern- shows habituation
- Habituation a simple form of learning that involves a decrease in response to repeated or
continued stimulation
- Dishabituation the introduction of a new stimulus rekindles interest following habituation
to a repeated stimulus
Harmful influences:
 Teratogens environmental influences that can lead to damage to or even death during prenatal
development
- Dose-response relation a relation in which the effect of exposure to an element increases
with the extent of exposure (prenatally, the more exposure a fetus has to a potential teratogen,
the more severe its effects are likely to be)
- Sensitive period the period of time during which a developing organism is most sensitive
to the effects of external factors
- Most damaging during embryonic stage
 Mother behavior diet can help development: folic acid (vitamin b- helps folding in stage), other
nutrients (e.g. calcium)
- Harmful: smoking (cigarettes cause most damage), alcohol (results in fetal alcohol spectrum
disorder FASD), drugs (antidepressants, opioids, marijuana)
- FASD fetal alcohol syndrome involves facial deformities, intellectual disabilities, attention
problems, hyperactivity, FAE is term used for those who only display some FAS symptoms.
- Age, Infections (measles/rubella, herpes, influenza, zika virus), mental health (stress
hormones cause greater activity of fetus), depression (more likely post partum depression can
damage attachment with baby), nutrition
 External factors which can affect the baby’s development include- toxic metals, pesticides,
synthetic hormones, plastics, herbicides, air pollution