PSYC1110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Cortisol, Maternal Sensitivity, Hypothalamus

• School: Boston College
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC1110
• Professor: Gene Heyman

Document Summary

Temperament: a set of feelings/behaviors that originate in biology and appear early in development. Has a biological basis because they show up so early in life. Fight or flight is different for every person. As shown in the case study, it has a biological basis as it is a temperament. However, environmental conditions have an effect on the temperament of the child later in life. Positive mothers can make their child more outgoing if they showed signs of shyness as an infant. Shy infants are more influenced by their mother than outgoing children. Fight or flight response is useful to survive, but chronic stress is toxic. Testing stress in rats: rat pups with more attentive moms (moms who licked them) were able to cope with stress better than rat pups with inattentive moms. An increase in stress hormone receptors leads to a more effective adaptation to stress.