PSY 150A1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Limbic System, Impulsivity, Dementia

• School: University of Arizona
• Department: Psychology Main
• Course: PSY 150A1
• Professor: Adam Lazarewicz

Document Summary

Branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, emotional, and social change across the life span. Cellular differentiation: by 10-14 days: zygote attaches to uterine wall i. Immediately after birth: babies given headphones, pacifier-like device. Speed of pacifier sucking = hearing mom"s voice vs. another woman. Babies choose speed that produced mom"s voice. Chose speed that produces mom"s cat in the hat vs. another story threats to prenatal development: Environmental threats: teratogen: agent that causes birth defects. Decasper & fifer (1980): read cat in the hat aloud 2x daily for 6 weeks. Nicotine -> lower birth weight, greater risk of sids. Alcohol -> fetal alcohol syndrome: intellectual disability, memory/attention deficits, stunted growth, facial abnormalities genetic threats, down syndrome: (aka. Caused by 3rd copy of 21st chromosome. Traditional view -> incompetent, confused passive beings. Modern view -> active, engaged beings from birth: reflexes brain development in childhood, prenatal: neuron development. At peak, 250,000 new neurons per minute: newborns and children: neural connections.