Printed Page 126(cont.)

REVIEW Developmental Issues, Prenatal Development, and the Newborn

Learning Objectives

Test Yourself by taking a moment to answer each of these Learning Objective Questions (repeated here from within the module). Research suggests that trying to answer these questions on your own will improve your long-term memory of the concepts (McDaniel et al., 2009).

Question

10-1 What three issues have engaged developmental psychologists?
ANSWER: Developmental psychologists study physical, mental, and social changes throughout the life span. They focus on three issues: nature and nurture (the interaction between our genetic inheritance and our experiences); continuity and stages (whether development is gradual and continuous or a series of relatively abrupt changes); and stability and change (whether our traits endure or change as we age).

Question

10-2 What is the course of prenatal development, and how do teratogens affect that development?
ANSWER: The life cycle begins at conception, when one sperm cell unites with an egg to form a zygote. The zygote's inner cells become the embryo, and the outer cells become the placenta. In the next 6 weeks, body organs begin to form and function, and 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.

Question

10-3 What are some newborn abilities, and how do researchers explore infants' mental abilities?
ANSWER: Babies 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.

Terms and Concepts to Remember

Test yourself on these terms.

Question

developmental psychology (p. 120)
zygote (p. 123)
embryo (p. 123)
fetus (p. 123)
teratogens (p. 124)
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) (p. 124)
habituation (p. 125)
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth.
physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking. In severe cases, signs include a small, out-of-proportion head and abnormal facial features.
the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month.
decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner.
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span.
the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo.
(literally, “monster maker') agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm.

Experience the Testing Effect

Test yourself repeatedly throughout your studies. This will not only help you figure out what you know and don’t know; the testing itself will help you learn and remember the information more effectively thanks to the testing effect.

Question 4.1

1. The three major issues that interest developmental psychologists are nature/nurture, stability/change, and / .

Question 4.2

2. Although development is lifelong, there is stability of personality over time. For example,

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 4.3

3. From the very first weeks of life, infants differ in their characteristic emotional reactions, with some infants being intense and anxious, while others are easygoing and relaxed. These differences are usually explained as differences in .

Question 4.4

4. Body organs first begin to form and function during the period of the ________; within 6 months, during the period of the ________, the organs are sufficiently functional to allow a good chance of survival.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 4.5

5. Chemicals that pass through the placenta's screen and may harm an embryo or fetus are called .

Use image to create your personalized study plan, which will direct you to the resources that will help you most in image .

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