PSY 1102 Chapter 5: Chapter 5 Review Class 3.docx

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 1102
• Professor: Christine Mountney

Document Summary

Chapter 5 review: developing through the life span. Developmental psychologists study physical, mental, and social changes throughout the life span. The life cycle begins at conception, when one sperm cell unites with an egg to form a zygote. Attached to the uterine wall, the developing embryo s body organs begin to form and function. By 9 weeks, the fetus is recognizably human. Teratogens are potentially harmful agents that can pass through the placental screen and harm the developing embryo or fetus, as happens with fetal alcohol syndrome. Newborns are born with sensory equipment and reflexes that facilitate their survival and their social interactions with adults. For example, they quickly learn to discriminate their mother s smell and sound. Researchers use techniques that test habituation, such as the novelty-preference procedure, to explore infants abilities. The brain s nerve cells are sculpted by heredity and experience; their interconnections multiply rapidly after birth.