Psychology: Development Across the Lifespan

Chapter 9: Development Across the Lifespan 1. Lifespan Developmental Psychology - Branch of psychology concerned with the systematic physical, cognitive, and psychosocial processes that lead to these changes that occur throughout life 2. Basic Issues in Developmental Psychology a. Nature and Nurture i. Nature - Theory that holds that physical and cognitive development is genetically determined ii. Nurture - Theory that holds that physical and cognitive development is determined by environmental factors iii. Behavior Genetics - Combines psychology and biology; Studies the influences of heredity and environment on behavior b. Research Methods iv. Longitudinal Study - Research technique in which the same participants are tested or observed repeatedly over a period of time v. Cross-sectional Study - Research technique which participants, often of different ages, are tested or observed during a limited time span or only once vi. Sequential Study - Combine the cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches in one study vii. Cohort - Group of individuals born in the same period 3. Development From Conception to Birth c. Zygote - One-celled organism formed by the union of a sperm and an ovum d. Mitosis - Process of cell division in which each cell contains the same genetic information as other cells e. Embryo - A developing organism during the stage when the major organ systems are formed f. Heredity viii. Chromosomes - Segments f genetic material located in the nucleus of each cell; human cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes (numbered according to size), one of each pair being inherited from each parent ix. Genes - Units of hereditary material the line the chromosomes and provide information concerning the form and function of each cell x. Deoxyribonuecleic Acid (DNA) - chemical name for the genetic material located in the