Podcast
Questions and Answers
How is the Flynn Effect explained?
How is the Flynn Effect explained?
Scientific reasoning focuses on practical and everyday applications.
Scientific reasoning focuses on practical and everyday applications.
False (B)
Match the following developmental stages with their corresponding age ranges:
Match the following developmental stages with their corresponding age ranges:
Prenatal Period = From conception to birth Infancy = Birth to 18-24 months Childhood = From infancy to 11-14 years Adolescence = Puberty to 18-21 years Adulthood = Post-adolescence to death
The ______ stage of prenatal development marks the formation of major body structures, including the heart, brain, and limbs.
The ______ stage of prenatal development marks the formation of major body structures, including the heart, brain, and limbs.
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What is the brain's ability to adapt and form new connections called?
What is the brain's ability to adapt and form new connections called?
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Synaptic pruning is the process of forming new synapses.
Synaptic pruning is the process of forming new synapses.
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What is the name of the hormone associated with bonding and maternal behaviors?
What is the name of the hormone associated with bonding and maternal behaviors?
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Which of the following is NOT considered a key milestone in brain development during the prenatal period?
Which of the following is NOT considered a key milestone in brain development during the prenatal period?
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Folic acid deficiency can lead to defects in the spinal cord and brain.
Folic acid deficiency can lead to defects in the spinal cord and brain.
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What type of developmental impairment can be caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy?
What type of developmental impairment can be caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy?
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Which type of reflex is characterized by infants spreading their arms wide in a startle response?
Which type of reflex is characterized by infants spreading their arms wide in a startle response?
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The stepping reflex is considered a precursor to walking.
The stepping reflex is considered a precursor to walking.
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What is the term for an instinctual tendency in certain animals where they form a strong attachment to the first moving object they see?
What is the term for an instinctual tendency in certain animals where they form a strong attachment to the first moving object they see?
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Which attachment style is characterized by high distress during separation and difficulty being comforted upon the caregiver's return?
Which attachment style is characterized by high distress during separation and difficulty being comforted upon the caregiver's return?
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Romanian orphan studies indicated that early deprivation could have significant consequences for development and attachment.
Romanian orphan studies indicated that early deprivation could have significant consequences for development and attachment.
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How does attachment to fathers generally differ from attachment to mothers?
How does attachment to fathers generally differ from attachment to mothers?
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Study Notes
Environmental Influences on Intelligence
- The Flynn Effect describes the steady increase in average IQ scores across generations, likely influenced by improved education, health, and access to information.
- An example is the evolution in intelligence questions, where questions like "What do dogs and rabbits have in common?" promote abstract reasoning.
- Scientific reasoning emphasizes abstract and conceptual understanding, while practical knowledge focuses on everyday applications.
- The Rubber Band Hypothesis proposes that intelligence is flexible, influenced by both genetic potential and environmental factors, as demonstrated by selective breeding studies.
- Tyron's study bred "bright" and "dull" rats to highlight the importance of environment in mitigating genetic differences.
- Cooper and Zubec (1958) further demonstrated the importance of environment in mitigating genetic differences.
Key Developmental Stages
- Developmental psychology studies changes over the lifespan, encompassing physiology, cognitive, emotional, and social behaviours.
- Prenatal development spans from conception to birth.
- Infancy is from birth to 18-24 months, marked by rapid growth and sensory development.
- Childhood spans from infancy to 11-14 years, where motor, cognitive, and social skills develop.
- Adolescence occurs from puberty to 18-21 years, emphasizing identity formation and abstract reasoning.
- Adulthood follows adolescence, to death, covering cognitive changes and life transitions.
Prenatal Development
- Gestation, the process of development in the womb, lasts approximately 40 weeks, divided into germinal, embryonic, and fetal stages.
- The germinal stage (0-2 weeks) commences with fertilization and implantation in the uterus.
- The embryonic stage (2-8 weeks) involves rapid development of body structures, including the heartbeat, brain, and major features.
- The fetal stage (2 months-birth) features bone cell development and continued organ development.
- Key milestones include differentiation of the brain, spinal cord, and hemispheres, starting at four weeks and developing progressively.
- By seven months, cortical folding and myelination are underway.
- At birth, the brain is only 25% of its adult size.
Brain Development
- Brain development involves plasticity, its capacity for adaptation and forming new connections.
- Synaptogenesis, the formation of new synapses, is prominent during early childhood.
- Synaptic pruning removes unused connections for optimized neural networks.
- Myelination, insulating axons, increases neural transmission speed, and sensory systems are fully myelinated at birth, whereas higher-order functions develop later in life.
- Environmental factors, such as nutrition, play an important role, e.g., folic acid reduces neural tube defects.
Motor Development
- Innate reflexes, automatic behaviors, aid in survival, like rooting (feeding), Moro (startle), and grasping reflexes.
- Motor development progresses through different stages, from sitting unsupported to walking independently.
- Milestones include developing sitting, pulling to stand, walking with support, and independent walking skills.
Social Development
- Attachment, an emotional bond, provides security and persists throughout life, influenced by imprinting.
- Caregiver responsiveness significantly impacts attachment style, as shown in the Harlow monkey study.
- Bowlby's theory emphasizes innate infant behaviors (e.g., crying, smiling) to attract caregiving.
- Ainsworth's Strange Situation Test categorizes attachment styles as secure, ambivalent, avoidant, or disorganized.
Attachment
- Secure attachment is marked by distress when the caregiver leaves but easy comfort upon return.
- Avoidant attachment typically shows minimal distress during separation and avoidance upon the caregiver's return.
- Ambivalent attachment is characterized by high distress during separation and inconsolability upon return.
- Disorganized attachment is observed in children from abusive or neglectful environments featuring contradictory behaviours.
- Deprivation in early caregiving environments can lead to adverse attachment outcomes, and fathers play a crucial role, often associated with play rather than comfort like in maternal attachment.
- Oxytocin is a significant hormone for bonding and maternal behaviours, released during childbirth, breastfeeding, and affectionate interactions.
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Description
This quiz explores the impact of environmental factors on intelligence, highlighting concepts such as the Flynn Effect and the Rubber Band Hypothesis. It delves into key studies that illustrate how genetics and environment interact to shape cognitive abilities. Test your understanding of these crucial developmental psychology concepts.
