Psychology Chapter 1: Developmental Psychology

Confidence that observed effects are truly caused by the tested variable, not other factors.

The ability to generalize study findings to different populations, settings, or times.

Interview with predetermined questions asked to all participants.

Flexible interview adapting questions based on participant's responses.

Observing children in their natural environments.

A characteristic that varies among participants (e.g., age, gender).

A study that explores relationships between two variables.

The degree of association between two variables.

A research method that compares di\erent age groups at the same time.

A research method that studies the same group of participants over an extended period.

The union of sperm and ovum (egg).

Fertilized egg cell; the beginning of a new organism.

Identical twins. Develop from a single fertilized egg.

A molecule of DNA that carries genetic information. In humans, there are 23 pairs of chromosomes, totaling 46.

A section of a chromosome containing instructions for creating specific proteins, which, in turn, influence our traits.

The complete set of genes within an organism.

The genetic makeup of an individual. These are the genes inherited from parents.

The observable characteristics of an individual, resulting from the genotype and environment interaction.

A gene that controls the activity of other genes. It essentially switches genes on or off influencing their expression.

A trait influenced by multiple genes working together, not just one.

A variation of a gene. Different alleles can influence the specific expression of a trait.

The phenomenon where visual information about lip movements influences how we perceive speech sounds.

By 4 months of age, infants can coordinate their vision and hearing, allowing them to integrate these sensory inputs.

Infants in this age range develop the ability to support their weight while lying on their stomach and remaining stationary.

During this period, infants start sitting and standing with assistance or support.

Only a small percentage (17%) of infants in the US can sit up unaided at 5 months old, while in regions like Cameroon, this milestone is reached by a much higher percentage (92%).

This reflex triggers an infant to turn their head towards a touch on their cheek and open their mouth, preparing for feeding.

When an infant's head is turned to one side, the arm on that side extends, while the other arm and leg flex. This resembles a fencing pose.

Contemporary research suggests that both brain maturation and environmental factors are crucial for motor development.

Human language is symbolic, represents specific meanings, is generative, and structured/rule-based. It's species-specific (only humans speak language) and species-universal (all humans can learn language).

The way adults talk to babies, characterized by higher pitch, slower speech, and exaggerated facial expressions. It helps infants focus on speech and learn new sounds.

The critical period for rapid language learning, typically between 0-7 years old. During this time, the brain is most receptive to absorbing language.

The ability to perceive sounds as belonging to distinct categories. For example, we distinguish between 'b' and 'p' based on voice onset time.

The time between air passing the lips and the vocal cords vibrating. It helps us distinguish between sounds like 'b' and 'p'.

The process of losing sensitivity to sounds not regularly encountered in an infant's environment. This can lead to difficulty distinguishing sounds in other languages.

A bonobo who learned lexigrams, over 300 words, and understands complex verbal instructions. However, Kanzi doesn't produce language like humans and lacks syntax understanding.

A window of time when the brain is more sensitive to learning a particular skill, like language. While learning is still possible outside this period, it may be more difficult and less fluent.

Assigning a unique number to each object being counted, ensuring each object is counted only once.

Reciting number names in the standard sequence (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4) consistently during counting.

The final number spoken in counting represents the total quantity of objects counted.

The order in which you count objects doesn't affect the final count.

Understanding which items can and cannot be counted. For instance, recognizing that ideas or emotions are not countable entities.