Developmental Psychology Chapter 2 PDF

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This is a study guide for chapter 2 to help on the test and quizzes. These are concepts and terms that need to be known....

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1/3 Developmental Psychology Chapter 2 Study Guide for Test 1 Adoption study: A study in which investigators seek to discover whether, in behavior

and psychological characteristics, adopted children are more like their adoptive parents, who provided a home environment, or more like their biological parents, who contributed their heredity. Another form of the adoption study compares adoptive and biological siblings. Apgar Scale: A widely used assessment of the newborn’s health at 1 and 5 minutes

after birth. Behavior genetics: The field that seeks to discover the influence of heredity and

environment on individual differences in human traits and development. Chromosomes: Threadlike structures made up of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. DNA: A complex molecule with a double helix shape that contains genetic

information. Down syndrome: A chromosomally transmitted form of intellectual disability, caused

by the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21. Embryonic period: The period of prenatal development that occurs two to eight weeks

after conception. During the embryonic period, the rate of cell differentiation intensifies, support systems for the cells form, and organs appear. Epigenetic view: Emphasizes that development is the result of an ongoing,

bidirectional interchange between heredity and environment. Evolutionary psychology: Emphasizes the importance of adaptation, reproduction, and

“survival of the fittest” in shaping behavior.

2/3 Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD): A cluster of abnormalities that appears in the

offspring of mothers who drink alcohol heavily during pregnancy. Fetal period: The prenatal period of development that begins two months after

conception and usually lasts for seven months. Gene × environment (G × E) interaction: The interaction of a specified measured

variation in DNA and a specific measured aspect of the environment. Genes: Units of hereditary information composed of DNA. Genes direct cells to

reproduce themselves and manufacture the proteins that maintain life. Genotype: A person’s genetic heritage; the actual genetic material. Germinal period: The period of prenatal development that takes place during the first

two weeks after conception. It includes the creation of the zygote, continued cell division, and the attachment of the zygote to the uterine wall. Meiosis: A specialized form of cell division that occurs to form eggs and sperm (or

gametes). Mitosis: Cellular reproduction in which the cell’s nucleus duplicates itself with two

new cells being formed, each containing the same DNA as the parent cell, arranged in the same 23 pairs of chromosomes. Natural childbirth: A childbirth method in which no drugs are given to relieve pain or

assist in the birth process. The mother and her partner are taught to use breathing methods and relaxation techniques during delivery. Neurons: Nerve cells that handle information processing at the cellular level in the

brain.

3/3 Organogenesis: Organ formation that takes place during the first two months of

prenatal development. Phenotype: The way an individual’s genotype is expressed in observed and

measurable characteristics. Postpartum period: The period after childbirth when the mother adjusts, both

physically and psychologically, to the process of childbearing. This period lasts for about six weeks or until her body has completed its adjustment and returned to a nearly prepregnant state. Prepared childbirth: Developed by French obstetrician Ferdinand Lamaze, this

childbirth strategy is similar to natural childbirth but includes a special breathing technique to control pushing in the final stages of labor and more detailed anatomy and physiology instruction. Teratogen: Any agent that can potentially cause a birth defect or negatively alter

cognitive and behavioral outcomes. Twin study: A study in which the behavioral similarity of identical twins is compared

with the behavioral similarity of fraternal twins....