2. Developmental Psychology Part 1.A

3. Developmental Psychology Major Issues
Details
Nature/Nurture
How do genetic inheritance (our nature) and experience (the nurture we receive) influence our behavior?
Continuity/Stages
Is development a gradual, continuous process or a sequence of separate stages?
Stability/Change
Do our early personality traits persist through life, or do we become different persons as we age.
OBJECTIVE 8-1| State the three areas of change that developmental psychologists study, and identify the three major issues in developmental psychology.
Research methods: Cross sectional and longitudinal
Psychology 7e in Modules

4. Prenatal Development and the Newborn
How, over time, did we come to be who we are? From zygote to birth, development progresses in an orderly, though fragile, sequence.
Psychology 7e in Modules

5. Conception
A single sperm cell (male) penetrates the outer coating of the egg (female) and fuse to form one fertilized cell.
OBJECTIVE 8-2| Describe the union of sperm and egg at conception.
Conception begins with the drop of an egg and the release of about 200 million sperm.
The sperm seeks out the egg and attempts to penetrate the eggs surface.
Psychology 7e in Modules

6. Prenatal Development Zygote – lasts 2 weeks, rapid cell division
Embryo – lasts 6 weeks, organs development
Fetus – 9th week to 40 weeks, placenta

7. Prenatal Development
Once the sperm penetrates the egg, a zygote is formed. This phase lasts about two weeks and consists of rapid cell division.
Less than half of all zygotes survive first two weeks.
About 10 days after conception, the zygote will attach itself to the uterine wall.
The outer part of the zygote becomes the placenta (which filters nutrients).
OBJECTIVE 8-3| Define zygote, embryo and fetus, and explain how teratogens can affect development.
Psychology 7e in Modules

8. Heart begins to beat and the organs begin to develop.
Prenatal Development
At about 14 days the zygote turns into an embryo (a and b) and is nourished by the yolk sack.
Lasts about 6 weeks.
Heart begins to beat and the organs begin to develop.

9. Prenatal Development
At 9 weeks an embryo turns into a fetus and begins to gain nourishment from the placenta. The placenta is an organ which connects the fetus to the uterine wall
The fetus by about the 6th month, the stomach and other organs have formed enough to survive outside of mother.
At this time the baby can hear (and recognize) sounds and respond to light.
Psychology 7e in Modules

10. Teratogens
Substances that cross the placental barrier and harm the prenatal environment. They prevent the fetus from developing normally
Includes: radiation, toxic chemicals, viruses, STDs, drugs, alcohol, nicotine, etc.
Example: Fetal alcohol syndrome