1. Developmental Issues, Prenatal Development, and the Newborn Module 7
Child Development link at pbs
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2. 1) All responses are from the year 2000 and later
The General Social Survey has a variable, AGEKDBRN, which asks respondents when their first child was born. Below I limited the data set as follows:
1) All responses are from the year 2000 and later
2) All responses are from women
All the x-axes on the plots are age of the mother when the first child was born, while the y-axes are proportions across classes. I’ve smoothed the data some. In the first plot ~10% of women whose family wealth is less than $100,000 had their first child at 20. For women whose family wealth as more than $100,00 the proportion was ~8%. For the last plot I categorized “Dull”, “Not Dull” and “Smart” with WORDSUM, which is a 10 question vocabulary test which has a 0.70 correlation with I.Q. The dull category encompasses the bottom 35% of the distribution, the not dull encompasses the middle 53% of the distribution, and the smart the top 12% of the distribution.
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3. 1) All responses are from the year 2000 and later
The General Social Survey has a variable, AGEKDBRN, which asks respondents when their first child was born. Below I limited the data set as follows:
1) All responses are from the year 2000 and later
2) All responses are from women
All the x-axes on the plots are age of the mother when the first child was born, while the y-axes are proportions across classes. I’ve smoothed the data some. In the first plot ~10% of women whose family wealth is less than $100,000 had their first child at 20. For women whose family wealth as more than $100,00 the proportion was ~8%. For the last plot I categorized “Dull”, “Not Dull” and “Smart” with WORDSUM, which is a 10 question vocabulary test which has a 0.70 correlation with I.Q. The dull category encompasses the bottom 35% of the distribution, the not dull encompasses the middle 53% of the distribution, and the smart the top 12% of the distribution.
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4. 1) All responses are from the year 2000 and later
The General Social Survey has a variable, AGEKDBRN, which asks respondents when their first child was born. Below I limited the data set as follows:
1) All responses are from the year 2000 and later
2) All responses are from women
All the x-axes on the plots are age of the mother when the first child was born, while the y-axes are proportions across classes. I’ve smoothed the data some. In the first plot ~10% of women whose family wealth is less than $100,000 had their first child at 20. For women whose family wealth as more than $100,00 the proportion was ~8%. For the last plot I categorized “Dull”, “Not Dull” and “Smart” with WORDSUM, which is a 10 question vocabulary test which has a 0.70 correlation with I.Q. The dull category encompasses the bottom 35% of the distribution, the not dull encompasses the middle 53% of the distribution, and the smart the top 12% of the distribution.
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5. Developmental Issues, Prenatal Development, and the Newborn
Overview
Three Major Developmental Issues
Conception and Prenatal Development
The Competent Newborn
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6. Prenatal Development and the Newborn
Developmental Psychology
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive and social change throughout the life span
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7. Developmental Psychology
Issue
Details
Nature/Nurture
How do genetic inheritance (our nature) and experience (the nurture we receive) influence our behavior?
Continuity/Stages
Is developmental 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 1| State the three areas of change that developmental psychologists study, and identify the three major issues in developmental psychology.
7 75. Which of the following accurately describes a major change in perspective in the field of developmental psychology over the past twenty-five years? (AP94)
(A) A shift from an emphasis on childhood and adolescence to an interest in development over the life span
(B) A shift from a cognitive to a psychoanalytic interpretation of developmental phenomena
(C) A shift in research focus from cognitive to personality development
(D) A decrease in interest in the physiological factors affecting growth and development
(E) A decrease in interest in the study of the cognitive components of intellect
The debate over whether development occurs gradually, without discernible shifts, or through a series of distinct stages is termed (AP94)
(A) Nature vs, nurture
(B) Developmental vs, cognitive
(C) Cross-sectional vs. longitudinal
(D) Continuity vs. discontinuity
(E) Maturation vs. learning
7 98. In their discussions of the process of development, the advocates of nature in the nature-nurture controversy emphasize which of the following? (AP94)
(A) Socialization
(B) Cognition
(C) Maturation
(D) Experience
(E) Information processing
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8. Prenatal Development and the Newborn Conception
A single sperm cell (male) penetrates the outer coating of the egg (female) and fuses to form one fertilized cell.
Preview Question 1: How does life develop before birth?
How, over time, did we come to be who we are? From zygote to birth, development progresses in an orderly, though fragile, sequence.
Your most fortunate of moments!
Out of the 200 million sperm and 5000 eggs ‘you’ won the race.
Active Psych CD 1 Development from conception to birth
12. A child’s sex is genetically determined by the(AP13)
(A) mother
(B) father
(C) paternal grandmother
(D) maternal grandfather
(E) maternal grandmother
Lennart Nilsson/ Albert Bonniers Publishing Company
Lennart Nilsson/ Albert Bonniers Publishing Company
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9. Scent and the Single Sperm
The same odors that attract male to female may also attract sperm.
2004 Leslie VosshaliI of Rockefeller University reported that one odorant receptor, called hOR 17-4 directs movement toward a mate. Vosshali tested tissue-cultured cells with hOR 17-4 receptors to see what odorants bound to them. She found a strong bond to bourgeonal, an odorant that the human nose-brain combo perceives as a pleasant floral scent similar to lily of the valley. Human sperm cells detect bourgeonal, too, although the brain doesn’t know it Watch human sperm under a microscope and see what I they do when you add a drop of bourgeonal. They swim toward it. Human eggs probably don’t produce bourgeonal, but they make something chemically similar—so similar that the molecule fits the hOR 17-4 receptor on sperm. Thus, as Vosshali puts it, “[M]ammalian sperm are indeed capable of ‘smelling’ their way to the egg.”4 (This begs further speculation: Could bourgeonal be used as a fertility enhancer, urging lazy sperm to get a move on? Could a bourgeonal blocker act as an effective contraceptive?)
From Brain Sense: The Science of the Senses and How We Process the World Around Us by Faith Hickman Brynie
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10. Prenatal Development
A zygote is a fertilized cell with cells that become increasingly diverse.
At about 14 days the zygote turns into an embryo (a and b).
Embryo at 40 Days
Embryo at 45 Days
OBJECTIVE 3| Define zygote, embryo and fetus, and explain how teratogens can affect development.
1. Nerve growth begins when a sheet of cells on the back of the embryo folds in the middle to form the future spinal cord. At one end, the tube enlarges to form the brain’s major sections.
2. First responses are reflexes, some of which occur even before the sense of touch is developed. The fetus will flex its head away from stimulation around the mouth as early as 71⁄2 weeks. By month’s end the ear begins to take shape.
3. Touch receptors around the mouth are developed by the twelfth week and elsewhere by the fifteenth. Touching the palms makes the fingers close, touching
the soles of the feet makes the toes curl down, touching the eyelids makes the eye muscles clench. Nerve cells have multiplied, synapses are being
formed.
Zygote
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11. Prenatal Development and the Newborn
Active psych CD 1 Development – Prenatal development
Active psych 3-4 #4 Prenatal animation
Link, prenatal development and testosterone from NGC
40 days days months 4 months Link
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12. Prenatal Development
At 9 weeks, an embryo turns into a fetus (c and d).
4. At 15 weeks the fetus can grasp, frown, squint, and grimace. It may suck its thumb and swallow. These movements correspond to the development of synapses in the brain.
5. At 20 weeks nerve-cell production slows as the existing cells grow larger and make more complex connections. The senses of taste and smell are now formed. The nerve cells serving each of the senses are developing into specialized areas of the brain.
6. The fetus can feel movement and may respond to sound as early as 24 weeks.
7. At 25 weeks some babies born prematurely can survive. Nerve supply to the ear is complete. Brain scans show response to touch at 26 weeks and to light at 27 weeks. A light shone on the mother’s abdomen will make the fetus turn its head, indicating some functioning of the optic nerve.
8. The eyes open in the womb and the fetus may see its hand and environment. Some researchers put the start of awareness at the 32nd week, at which time neural circuits are as advanced as a newborn’s. Brain scans show periods of deep sleep.
9. The fetus begins to develop daily activity cycles. At 35 weeks hearing is mature. At birth the baby can see shapes and colors within 13 inches of its face; can distinguish loudness, pitch, and tone; and may even show a preference for sweets and for the scent of its mother’s skin.
Lennart Nilsson/ Albert Bonniers Publishing Company
Lennart Nilsson/ Albert Bonniers Publishing Company
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13. Conception and Prenatal Development Storyboard
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14. Prenatal Development and the Newborn
Teratogens
agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause birth defects Link to AM 12:20
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking
symptoms include misproportioned head
What are the symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome?
The following are the most common symptoms of FAS. However, each baby may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
caved-in chest wall
umbilical or diaphragmatic hernia
limited movement of fingers and elbows
extra fingers, abnormal palm creases
excessive hair
undergrown nails
incomplete or lack of development of brain structures
heart murmurs, heart defects, abnormalities of large vessels
incomplete development of genitalia
growth, motor, and mental retardation
irritability in infancy and hyperactivity in childhood
poor coordination
AM The Mind #12
Teratogens and Their Effects on the Developing Brain and Mind
Discusses the biological basis of behavior by illustrating case studies of humans affected by radiation contamination, alcohol, and drugs.
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15. small head, small jaw, and small, flat cheeks malformed ears
FAS Face
small head, small jaw, and small, flat cheeks
malformed ears
small eyes, poor development of optic nerve, crossed-eyes
upturned nose, low bridge
small upper mouth structure and teeth
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16. FAS brain
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18. PKU - Phenylketonuria
There is no cure for PKU, but patients who are diagnosed early and maintain a strict diet can have a normal life span with normal mental development.
All PKU patients must adhere to a special diet low in Phe for optimal brain development. "Diet for life" has become the standard recommended by most experts. The diet requires severely restricting or eliminating foods high in Phe, such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, cheese, legumes, milk and other dairy products. Starchy foods, such as potatoes, bread, pasta, and corn, must be monitored. Infants may still be breastfed to provide all of the benefits of breastmilk, but the quantity must also be monitored and supplementation for missing nutrients will be required. The sweetener aspartame, present in many diet foods and soft drinks, must also be avoided, as aspartame consists of two amino acids: phenylalanine and aspartic acid.
7 72. Which of the following is a genetic disorder that results in a deficiency of a liver enzyme which, if not treated soon after birth, may eventually lead to profound mental retardation? (AP94)
(A) Down syndrome
(B) Tay-Sachs disease
(C) Fetal alcohol syndrome
(D) Toxoplasmosis
(E) Phenylketonuria (PKU)
Recessive genetic condition where the child lacks an enzyme to break down phenylalanine
Untreated, it can cause problems with brain development, leading to retardation, brain damage, and seizures
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19. Infants are born with reflexes that aid in survival…
Rooting - turning the head and opening the mouth in the direction of a touch on the cheek
Grasping - curling the fingers around an object
Stepping Reflex -
reflex that causes
newborns to
start a stepping motion
as they touch a surface
OBJECTIVE 4| Describe some of the abilities of the newborn, and explain how researchers use habituation to assess infant sensory and cognitive abilities.
Swallowing
Enables newborn babies to swallow liquids without choking
Tonic neck reflex
It is also known as the "fencing reflex" because of the characteristic position of the infant's arms and head, which resembles that of a classically trained fencer. When the face is turned to one side, the arm and leg on the side to which the face is turned extend and the arm and leg on the opposite side bend.
The presence of the ATNR, as well as other primitive reflexes, such as the tonic labyrinthine reflex (TLR), beyond the first months of life may indicate that the child has developmental delays, at which point the reflex is atypical or abnormal. For example, in children with cerebral palsy, the reflexes may persist and even be more pronounced. As abnormal reflexes, both the ATNR and the TLR can cause problems for the growing child. The ATNR and TLR both hinder functional activities such as rolling, bringing the hands together, or even bringing the hands to the mouth. Over time, both the ATNR and TLR can cause serious damage to the growing child's joints and bones. The ATNR can cause the spine to curve (scoliosis). Both the ATNR and TLR can cause the head of the thighbone to partially slip out (subluxation) or completely move out of the hip socket (dislocation). When abnormal reflexes persist in a child, early intervention involving extensive physical therapy can be beneficial.
32. When a newborn infant is touched on the cheek, the infant will turn its head toward the source of stimulation. This behavior is known as (AP12)
A. rooting
B. suckling
C. the patellar reflex
D. the Moro reflex
E. the Babinski reflex
AM The Mind #13 (not great)
Capabilities of the Newborn
Covers infant development and the capacities of the newborn.
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20. My kids asked me why this baby had to be anonymous…
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21. Grasping reflex
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22. John B. Watson, a godfather of American behaviorist psychology, tests the grasp reflex in a baby, circa
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23. Infant Reflexes Sucking— sucking rhythmically in response
to oral stimulation
Moro (startle reflex)— throwing the arms out, arching the back and bringing the arms together as if to hold onto something (in response to loud noise or sudden change in position of the head)
Babinski— fanning and curling toes when foot is stroked
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24. Babinski, was French: Joseph Francois Felix Babinski (1857-1932).
Medicine.net
Most newborn babies are not neurologically mature and therefore show a Babinski response. Upon stimulation of the sole, they extend the great toe . Many young infants do this, too, and it is perfectly normal. However, in time during infancy the Babinski response vanishes and, under normal circumstances, should never return.
A Babinski response in an older child or adult is abnormal. It is a sign of a problem in the central nervous system (CNS), most likely in a part called the pyramidal tract.
Asymmetry of the Babinski response -- when it is present on one side but not the other -- is abnormal. It is a sign not merely of trouble but helps to lateralize that trouble (tell which side of the CNS is involved).
The Babinski reflex is known by a number of other names: the plantar response (because the sole is the plantar surface of the foot), the toe or big toe sign or phenomenon, the Babinski phenomenon or sign. (It is wrong to say that the Babinski reflex is positive or negative; it is present or absent).
Babinski, was French: Joseph Francois Felix Babinski ( ).
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25. Prenatal Development and the Newborn
How babies see world
Talk about habituation
42. The concept of habituation is best exemplified by which of the following situations? (AP12)
A. An infant recognizes her father’s voice
B. a college student is no longer kept awake by her roommates late-night typing
C. A kitten avoids a couch after being reprimanded for sitting on it
D. A rat learns to press a bar for food when a red light is flashed
E. A motorist drives at the speed limit when there is a police officer in sight on the highway
Preferences
human voices and faces
facelike images, smell and sound of mother preferred
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26. By three months can discriminate among blue, green, yellow, and red.
Habituation and dishabituation used to study how infants perceive the world.
Newborns can perceive differences among different black-and-white contrasts.
By three months can discriminate among blue, green, yellow, and red.
Newborns can perceive differences in the angles of lines.
At one month of age, infants concentrate their gaze on one part of an object.
By two months, infants systematically scan the perimeter of an object.
Infants may be innately tuned to perceive the human face.
Babies prefer to look at symmetrical ink blots. Vilayanur S. Ramachandran The Tell Tale Brain pg 235
Reprinted from Cognition, vol. 4. M.A. Johnson, S. Dziurawiec, H. Ellis, and J. Morton, "Newborns' Preferential Tracking of Face-Like Stimuli and Its Subsequent Decline," pp. 1-19, © 1991 with the kind permission of Elsevier Science - NL, Sara Burgerharstraat 25, 1055 KV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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27. Knowledge and experience play an important role in recognition, but are they also required for more basic aspects of perception? Which perceptual abilities are babies born with, and which do they develop by seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting things? How do their perceptions compare with those of adults? To learn about infants' perception, psychologists have studied two inborn patterns called habituation and dishabituation. For example, infants stop looking when they repeatedly see stimuli that are perceived to be the same. This is habituation. If a stimulus appears that is perceived to be different, infants resume looking. This is dishabituation. Researchers have used the habituation and dishabituation phenomena, along with measurements of brain activity, to study color perception in infants. They have found that newborns can perceive differences among stimuli showing different amounts of black-and-white contrast but that they are unable to distinguish differences between colors (Burr, Morrone, &C Fiorentini, 1996). By three months of age, though, infants can discriminate among blue, green, yellow, and red (Adams, Courage, &c Mercer, 1991). Other researchers have found that newborns can perceive differences in the angles of lines (Slater et al., 1991). These studies and others suggest that we are born with some of the basic components of feature detection. Are we also born with the ability to combine features into perceptions of whole objects? This question generates lively debate among specialists in infant perception. Some research indicates that at one month of age, infants concentrate their gaze on one part of an object, such as the corner of a triangle (Goldstein, 2002). By two months though, the eyes systematically scan all the edges of the object, suggesting that only then has the infant begun to perceive the pattern of the object, or its shape,
Bernstein text
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28.
Babinski, Joseph–François–Felix (1857–1932), French neurologist. One of the leading neurologists of his time, Babinski published more than 200 papers, making many important contributions to clinical neurology. In 1896 he made his most famous contribution, his original description of the plantar reflex
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29. The Competent Newborn
Offspring cries are important signals for parents to provide nourishment. In animals and humans such cries are quickly attended to and relieved.
So?
Carl and Ann Purcell/ Corbis
Lightscapes, Inc. Corbis
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