PSY 1102 Lecture Notes - Object Permanence, Egocentrism

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 1102
• Professor: Christine Mountney

Document Summary

From zygote to birth, development progresses in an orderly, though fragile, sequence. A single sperm cell (male) penetrates the outer coating of the egg (female) and fuses to form one fertilized cell. A zygote is a fertilized egg with 100 cells that become increasingly diverse. At about 14 days the zygote turns into an embryo (a and b). At 9 weeks, an embryo turns into a fetus (c and d). Teratogens are chemicals or viruses that can enter the placenta and harm the developing fetus. Infants are born with reflexes that aid in survival, including rooting reflex, which helps them locate food. Offspring cries are important signals for parents to provide nourishment. In animals and humans such cries are quickly attended to and relieved. Infancy and childhood span from birth to the teenage years. During these years, the individual grows physically, cognitively, and socially. Infants psychological development depends on their biological development.