PSY BEH 101D Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Primitive Reflexes, Habituation, Dendrite
22 Jun 2018
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PSYBEH 101D LIFESPAN EXAM 1: PART 2
LECTURE 3
oEpigenetics : the changing of the genes/whether they are triggered (on/off)
Genes don't change but epigenetics can be passed down (Rats shocked by the smell of
chemicals)
Inherited:
Gene disorders
Most are recessive
EX.
Alzheimer's: Chromosome 21(dominant): late in life
Sickle Cell Anemia (abnormal hemoglobin): sickle shape
Schizophrenia: severe impairment of thought processes/abnormal
motor behavior/delusions/Chromosome 6/runs in families
Identical Twins: Genes play critical role but they are not
determinant
Mutation
Occur spontaneously during or after conception/usually partial
Down's Syndrome (5% inherited)
Extra 21st chromosome
oPrenatal Development
Env. Important before (even before conception)
In-utero influences are important
Teratogens: drugs (recreation/prescription), foods (fish contains
mercury)
Ex. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Stress
Children develop asthma (certain cells @ age 4)
As seen in animals (Rats & bedding)
Sensory Information (sounds, taste): practicing for life outside
womb/recognition of mother/develop brain/muscular system
Fetus: responds to sounds beginning around 22-24 weeks
Lower sounds first (muffled)
24-26wks: loud sound causes large heart rate but response
fades after repeated exposure
Life in utero is noisy (heart beat, blood flow, digestion
Newborns: prefer music hear (36 wks) to music
never heard & mom's voice over random female's
Psychological capacities: ability to discriminate
between stimuli
Newborns: eat, cry, sleep
Controlled by reflexes automatic, non-conscious behaviors
Size: doubles in 4m, triples in 1 yr
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Brain:
100 billion neurons @ birth (more than needed)
Fewer dendrites and synapses than needed
Triples in weight during first 2 years due to growth of axons, dendrites
(esp. cortex)
LECTURE 4
oSkill Development & Growth Rapid
Dendrite growth: rapid first two years
Transient exuberance: all over
Pruning: unused connections wither away/disappear
Driven heavily by experience
Unused dies away
Experiences strengthen & increases #
Sensory Input/stimulation critical
Hearing, touch well-developed @birth
Hearing sounds used will strengthen (those unused disappear)
Observational Method:
EX. Show babies faces/objects and see what they do/where they look/how long
they look:
Babies like high-contrast areas
Triangles: newborns can see but need to develop (fixate on corners),
1m looking around the perimeter, 2m (similar to adults) look at the
entire thing
Preference Method: Present two stimuli
EX. What babies like to look at:
Newborn attends to one stimuli longer - newborn recognizes stimuli are
different
Newborn doesn't attend to one longer = can't tell difference/don't have
preference
How well can newborn see:
Vision 20/600
Focus on things 4-20in away
6m = vision almost perfect
Facial feature (FACES!) preference over objects
Can't show random squiggles - must resemble face
Habituation Method:
Stimulus presented repeatedly (i.e. monitor sucking rate: sucking = reflex)
New things are interesting/babies suck
Over time, infant habituates + sucking decreases (they get used to it)
Switch stimulus; difference causes increase in sucking
oCognitive Development
Cognition: Rapid Growth
Intellectual growth arguable more dramatic than physical (by 1y)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
: the changing of the genes/whether they are triggered (on/off) Genes don"t change but epigenetics can be passed down (rats shocked by the smell of chemicals) Schizophrenia: severe impairment of thought processes/abnormal motor behavior/delusions/chromosome 6/runs in families. Identical twins: genes play critical role but they are not. Children develop asthma (certain cells @ age 4) Sensory information (sounds, taste): practicing for life outside womb/recognition of mother/develop brain/muscular system. Fetus: responds to sounds beginning around 22-24 weeks. 24-26wks: loud sound causes large heart rate but response fades after repeated exposure. Life in utero is noisy (heart beat, blood flow, digestion. Newborns: prefer music hear (36 wks) to music never heard & mom"s voice over random female"s. Size: doubles in 4m, triples in 1 yr. 100 billion neurons @ birth (more than needed) Triples in weight during first 2 years due to growth of axons, dendrites (esp. cortex) Hearing sounds used will strengthen (those unused disappear)
