Psychology 144 Notes Lyndsay Adamson
Week 1&2: Human Development – Chapter 11
Prenatal Development
• Define Prenatal development
Aka Antenatal period of gestation refers to foetal development over the period of pregnancy
from conception to parturition (childbirth)
• What are the 3 Stages of Prenatal Development?
o 0-2 Weeks = Germinal stage
o 2-8 weeks = Embryonic stage
o 9-38 weeks = Foetal stage
• What occurs during the Germinal Stage?
o First 2 weeks of gestation
o Cell partition initiates 24-36 hours after conception and specialization forms a
blastocyst which implants in the uterine wall
o Outer layer of blastocyst wall merge with endometrium forming placenta → permits
oxygen, nutrients, etc. to travel between mother & baby’s blood (do not mix)
o Blastocyst internal cells concentrate and specialize to form the umbilical cord, yolk
sac (produces blood cells) and amnion (fluid filled membrane).
• What occurs during the Embryonic Stage?
o Commences when implantation has occurred
o Embryo cells concentrate & specialize to form basic organs
o Week 3: Neural tube develops (forms brain & spinal cord); primordial heart; precursor
of kidneys; 3 pouches of the digestive system
o Week 4: Neural tube proliferates to form brain; eyes emerge; heart begins to beat;
spinal column & ribs; bone & muscle; face forms; endocrine system grows
o Week 5: arms & legs grow; eyes contain corneas & lenses; lungs enlarge
o Week 6: brain creates electrical activity; movement in reaction to stimulation; genitalia
enlarge
o Week 7: instinctive movement; observable skeleton; fully developed limbs; bones firm;
muscles grow; eyelids close to guard eyes; ears shaped
,Psychology 144 Notes Lyndsay Adamson
o Week 8: Liver & spleen work & embryo can generate & filter own blood cells; heart
developed; links established between brain & body; digestive & urinary systems
function. Complete organogenesis
• What occurs during the Foetal Stage?
o Closing phase lasting 7 months
o Growth in weight to 3-3,5kg; length about 500mm
o Cultivation & finishing of primitive organ systems
o Viability = capability to live outside uterus at end of Week 24
• What are the 6 major Factors that influence Prenatal Development?
• Genetic disorders
o Gene abnormalities → defective genes (spina bifida)
o Chromosome abnormalities → irregular segment of chromosomal DNA
(Down’s Syndrome)
• Maternal nutrition
o Performs vital role in perinatal growth
o Enough nutrients (folic acid)
o Nutriment accessibility determined by quality of & magnitude of maternal
reservoir & metabolic competency to create nutrient-rich environment for
growth
• Maternal stress & emotion
o Levels of Stress hormones (epinephrine, norepinephrine,
adreno-corticotropic hormone) within foetal bloodstream linked to maternal
stress.
o Hormones affect blood pressure, heart rate, activity levels, birth weight,
immune system response, motor development, cognitive development
,Psychology 144 Notes Lyndsay Adamson
• Maternal drug use
o Alcohol → FAS; mental & physical deficiencies
▪ Delay of foetal origin (height & weight)
▪ Microphthalmia
▪ Small palpebral fissures
▪ Mid-face hypoplasia (underdevelopment)
▪ Flat/short philtrum (groove in upper lip)
▪ Microcephaly (head circumference)
▪ Delayed development
▪ Hyperactivity
▪ Attention deficits
▪ Learning disabilities
▪ Intellectual disabilities
▪ Seizures
o Smoking → birth weight; learning problems; anti-social behaviour; ADHD
o Other substances → marijuana & cocaine
▪ Birth weight
▪ Premature birth
▪ Withdrawal-like symptoms
▪ Tremors
▪ Hyperemesis (vomiting)
▪ Irritability, crying
▪ Anti-social behaviour
o Prescription and over-the counter drugs → foetal abnormalities
• Maternal illness & psychopathology
o Many illnesses pose high risk for damaging brain/CNS development – lead to
intellectual and other disorders (mental retardation) e.g., Rubella, syphilis,
HIV
• Culture, family & environmental toxins
o Culture influences thoughts and decision around pregnancy and child-rearing
o Miscarriages
o Changes in family structure over time → single-parent families; poor access
to social/familial support; child-headed households; female-headed
households
o Environmental toxins: air pollution, radioactivity
Motor, language, and socio-emotional development in childhood
• Define motor development and its basic principles?
→ The progression of muscular coordination required for physical activities
o Cephalocaudal trend: head-to-foot motor development (gaining control of upper
part of bodies before lower
o Proximodistal trend: center-outward tendency adopted during motor
development (gain control of torso before extremities)
o What are Developmental norms?
→ the median/average age at which individual abilities and behaviors are shown.
→ Useful benchmarks
o Explain cultural variations in development?
o Rapid vs slow motor development in different cultures based on
emphasis/encouragement of motor exploration and skill development
, Psychology 144 Notes Lyndsay Adamson
• What is Temperament?
o → Refers to characteristics of mood, activity level & emotional reactivity.
o i.e., Some babies cheerful while others are irritable
o Infants display differences in emotional tone, activity tempo, sensitivity to
environmental stimuli
▪ Easy = happy, adaptable, regular, easy to soothe
▪ Difficult = adapts slowly, distractible, inflexible, intense reactions, crying
▪ Slow-to-Warm Up = adapts slowly, reactions are not as intense
• Explain early emotional development in terms of attachment
o What is attachment?
the close, emotional bonds of affection that develop between infants and
caregivers
▪ First attachment with primary caregiver (mother)
o What is separation anxiety?
Separation anxiety is emotional distress in infants when separated from
people with whom they have formed an attachment
o What is the theory of attachment?
▪ John Bowlby (1969)
▪ Influenced by Ethological theory → proposed attachment was
evolutionary mechanism to ensure survival of dependent
▪ Biological basis → infants & caregivers biologically predisposed to
develop attachments
▪ Behaviors (crying, clinging, proximity seeking) keeps carer nearby to
ensure physical survival
o What are the Patterns of attachment according to Mary Ainsworth?
▪ Mother-infant Attachment quality varies based on maternal sensitivity and
behaviours & infant nature
▪ Research strange situation procedure → exposure to series of separation-
reunion episodes to assess attachment quality based on infant reactions
to parent departures & returns
