PSY 2012 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Sexual Differentiation, Prenatal Development
Document Summary
Study of physical, cognitive and social changes throughout the life span. The relative impact of genes and experience on development (nature & nurture) Whether development is best described as gradual and continuous or as a sequence of separate stages. Whether personality traits remain stable or change over the life span. Embryonic stage: 2 weeks through 2nd month. Fetal period: from 9th week until birth. 1st trimester: until end of third month. Teratogens: any disease, drug, or other environmental agent that can harm a developing fetus. Schemas: organized way of interacting with objects in the world. Adaptation: adjust cognitive structures to environmental demands. Assimilation: when an old schema is applied to new objects. Accommodation: when an old schema is changed to t a new object. Our understanding and evaluation of who we are. School age: descriptions in term of gender, group membership, psychological traits. Long term feeling of closeness between caregiver and infant. 8 months; cry and reach for caregiver.
