PSYC2002 Study Guide - Final Guide: Prenatal Development, Amniotic Fluid, Pregnancy
Prenatal Development and Learning
• Most rapid and dramatic period of change across the lifespan.
• 3 stages of development
1. Germinal period (zygote) - cells dividing and developing (not susceptible to external agents
to the same degree).
2. Embryonic period – rapid development, start becoming susceptible to external agents.
3. Foetal period (week 9 -birth) – teratogens.
Teratogen
• An external agent that can influence both physical and cognitive development during the prenatal
period, eg: hormones, drugs, nutrition.
• Interaction with sensitive period
o At certain points, particular systems or features are more sensitive to teratogens, eg: limb
development is sensitive to teratogens during weeks 5-8 of development.
o At certain points, the development of the embryo or foetus is more sensitive to particular
teratogens.
Foetal Experience
Sight
and
touch
• Visual experience minimal because womb is dark.
• Tactile experience as a result of own movement, eg: thumb sucking.
• Full term infants move in response to mother's movement, suggesting functioning vestibular system
(spatial orientation).
Taste
• Amniotic fluid contains a variety of flavours.
• Foetus prefers sweet flavours.
Smell
• Amniotic fluid takes on odours from mother's food.
• These smells come into contact with foetus' olfactory senses through (foetal) breathing.
Hearing
• Foetus reacts to noise from around 6 months onwards.
• In the last trimester external noise elicits physiological response (heart rate, movement).
• By full term they can distinguish between different sounds.
Prenatal Learning
1. Studies in utero - mostly use heart rate as a DV.
2. Studies that expose children to stimuli in utero, and test for memory afterwards - have a wider range of
DVs at their disposal.
• Kisilevsky & Muir (1991): do foetuses habituate to repetitive sounds in utero?
o Played 2 different sounds and measured heart rate and kicks.
o First sound: initial response → heart rate increases, lots of kicking.
o Then habituation (i.e. boredom).
o When novel sound played, same initial reaction.
• Do memories persist after birth?
o Chemosensory memories: mother's diet leads to taste preferences in baby.
o Salk (1973) - babies prefer the resting state of maternal heartbeat.
• DeCasper & Spence (1986): infants appear to have episodic memories for salient stimuli.
o Mothers read Cat in the Hat aloud twice per day in last 6 weeks of pregnancy.
o Two days after birth: babies tested on preference for either Cat in the Hat or an alternative
(unheard story).
o Sucking paradigm = children learn that sucking on a pacifier controls the presentation of story
(either heard or unheard story).
o Infants modified sucking rate when rewarded with familiar passage (i.e. preferred Cat in the
Hat).
o Not just due to mother's voice same results for unfamiliar female.
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Document Summary
Prenatal development and learning: most rapid and dramatic period of change across the lifespan. Teratogen: an external agent that can influence both physical and cognitive development during the prenatal period, eg: hormones, drugs, nutrition. Hearing: visual experience minimal because womb is dark. Tactile experience as a result of own movement, eg: thumb sucking. Full term infants move in response to mother"s movement, suggesting functioning vestibular system (spatial orientation). Foetus prefers sweet flavours: amniotic fluid contains a variety of flavours, amniotic fluid takes on odours from mother"s food, by full term they can distinguish between different sounds. These smells come into contact with foetus" olfactory senses through (foetal) breathing. Foetus reacts to noise from around 6 months onwards. In the last trimester external noise elicits physiological response (heart rate, movement).
