PSY100H1 Lecture Notes - Learned Helplessness, Birth Weight, Developmental Psychology
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PSY100H1 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
Prenatal and infant development progress in highly predictable ways and are, largely, the result of genetic programming . Of course, even prenatal and infant development are affected by environmental factors teratogens (ex. alcohol, viruses, drugs, etc. ) can cause abnormal development in the womb; many chemicals pervasive in the environment are now found in fetuses. Stress and mother"s emotional state (affected by external factors) birth weight, cognitive and physical development. Brain development (myelination, formation of connection between neurons) is also dependent on proper environmental stimulation, nutrition, etc. So, even at the earliest ages, human development is an interaction between nature and nurture. Some examples of children growing up in extreme circumstances have profoundly deepened our understanding of the role of the environment in human development. Ex. studies of children growing up in romanian (and other) orphanages, and other situations of neglect. Hundreds of children living in a room, little human contact, no toys or playtime.
