PSYCH 477 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Birth Weight, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Major Depressive Disorder
Document Summary
Epigenetics: changes in gene expression result from alterations in gene structure linked to environmental influences. Environmental experiences trigger changes in the structure of dna immediately expression on the genes that are changes, usually manifests itself in behavioral changes. Found relationship between levels of stress in baby rats and mother"s. Other mothers are less behavior attentive i. e. less grooming/negligent. Adult rats with attentive mothers show less stress than adult rats whose mothers ignored them. Because risks may accumulate or diminish over the course of development, we can identify (cid:498)pathways(cid:499) leading to later outcomes. developmental pathways: equifinality: the same clinical disorder may reflect different. Look back in histories of people with diverse disorders and find a common risk factor. Many children are exposed to common risk factors (such as poverty, harsh discipline, marital discord). Concepts of vulnerability and protection operate only in context of risk. Any factor that intensifies the effects of risk.