Human Growth and Development Flashcards

During the Strange Situation procedure, a toddler shows little distress when the mother leaves and ignores her when she returns. Which attachment style does this suggest?

Answer: Anxious-avoidant

Avoidant infants show minimal distress at separation and actively avoid the caregiver at reunion.

During which prenatal period is the developing organism MOST vulnerable to major structural defects from teratogens?

Answer: Embryonic period (weeks 3-8)

Major organs and body structures form during the embryonic period, making it the critical window for structural birth defects.

A 10-month-old searches under a blanket for a toy she watched being hidden. This shows the emerging ability Piaget called:

Answer: Object permanence

Object permanence, the understanding that objects still exist when out of sight, develops during the sensorimotor stage.

A parent worries because her 8-month-old suddenly cries when strangers approach. The social worker should explain that:

Answer: This is typical stranger anxiety, which often appears around 6-8 months

Stranger anxiety is a normal developmental milestone that usually appears in the second half of the first year.

Which group of facial features is most closely associated with fetal alcohol syndrome?

Answer: Smooth philtrum, thin upper lip, small eye openings

A smooth philtrum, thin upper vermilion border, and short palpebral fissures are the hallmark facial features of FAS.

Harlow's experiments with infant rhesus monkeys showed that attachment depends mostly on:

Answer: Contact comfort

The monkeys preferred a soft cloth 'mother' over a wire 'mother' that gave milk, showing that contact comfort drives attachment.

Disorganized attachment in infants is MOST strongly associated with:

Answer: A caregiver who is frightening or maltreating

Disorganized attachment often develops when the caregiver is both a source of comfort and a source of fear, as in abuse.