PSY E111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 29: Psy, Fetus, John Bowlby
Document Summary
How do genetic inheritance (nature) and experience (nurture) influence development. Earliest age of conscious memory is around 3. 5 years old. How the brain develops at a very young age. Peaking around 28 billion at 7 months, these neurons are pruned to 23 billion at birth. Teratogens viruses or chemicals (e. g. drugs) that can center the placenta and harm the developing fetus: fetal alcohol syndrome, hiv. In humans, growth and brain maturation continue long after birth. This long period of development is advantageous for humans" specialization: capacity for learning, development of culture. Learning about infants investigators study infants getting habituated to objects over some duration of time. New objects are paid more attention than habituated ones, showing learning. Early interactions: social referencing: when infants begin to crawl (7 to 9 months), they begin to rely on facial cues. Imprinting a form of primitive bonding seen in some species of animals.
