Birth & Journal Article #1

1. Birth & Journal Article #1 Lecture 3 Chapter 4 and Cooper & Aslin (1990) Psych 1643

2. Extra Credit Quiz #1 1) The researchers found that __________speech had a higher average frequency and a wider frequency range than ________ speech. 2) In this study, infants were able to control how long they listened to samples of speech by looking at __________________________________.

3. Pregnant Thoughts “Somewhere between conception and becoming as big as a house, you come to a startling realization that becomes a recurring, horrific thought. I have to get this out of me, and there is no pretty way to do it.” “Imagine - a seven pound kidney stone…” “I think the reason that pregnancy lasts nine months is that it takes that length of torture before childbirth starts to sound like a reasonable option.”

4. Signs of Impending Birth • Prelabor • The Lightening - the baby’s head drops low in the uterus • The bloody show - a mucous plug that was in the cervix is released • The Breaking of the Waters - discharge of amniotic fluid

5. Labor • Onset of Labor (latent labor): • 10 - 14 hours for first birth • Active Labor: • 2 - 3 1/2 hours for first birth • Transition: • 5 to 10 minutes for first birth • Some sense of disorientation, heightened arousal, or loss of control

6. Birth • 10-50 minutes for first birth • Begins when the cervix is fully dilated • The baby’s head presses down on the bottom of the birth canal • The mother experiences a strong, reflexive urge to push to expel the baby • The baby is born

7. Afterbirth • Within 20 minutes of delivery (generally painless) • Mother and infant have initial contact • Placenta and umbilical cord is expelled • Rapid alteration of the hormone system to stimulate lactation and shrink the uterus • Mother and infant engage in early exploration; initial attempts at nursing

10. Cultural Differences • Birth Culture - the beliefs, values, and guidelines for behavior regarding pregnancy and childbirth • Mead and Newton (1967) - described societal attitudes along two dimensions: • Solicitude - • Shame - • Adequacy - • Vulnerability -

11. Mead & Newton’s Dimensions • What evidence have you observed of solicitude toward pregnant women? • What evidence have you observed of shame regarding pregnant women? • What evidence have you observed of adequacy toward pregnant women? • What evidence have you observed of vulnerability toward pregnant women?

12. Societal Attitudes

13. How much of a contribution? • Heritability estimates - measure complex traits • kinship studies - compare characteristics of family members • They take the form of correlation scores • Concordance rates - measure the percentage of instances in which both twins show a trait that is present in the other. • These are generally used to study traits that can be present or absent

15. Gene - Environment Contributions • The idea of the reaction range: • a person’s unique, genetically determined response to a range of environmental conditions. • The idea of canalization: • for some traits, there is a genetic restriction - no matter what the environment, this trait will develop similarly

17. Genetic-Environmental Correlation • Passive correlation: • parents create an environment compatible with their own genes • Evocative correlation: • child behaves in ways consistent with his/her heredity • this provokes responses from others that strengthen the child’s original response • Active correlation: • child selects an environment that complements his/her genetic tendencies

18. Journal Review - Some Basics Cooper, R. P. & Aslin, R. N. (1990). Preference for Infant-directed Speech in the First Month after Birth. Child Development,61, 1584-1595. Two different types of hypothesis in every experiment. You should be able to identify and name both of these in the articles you read. • H0 = the null hypothesis - the independent variable (or variables) has no effect. • H1 = the alternative hypothesis - the independent variable (or variables) has an effect.

19. Group One • What are the hypotheses for this experiment? • There should be three: • H0 = • H1a = • H1b =

20. Group One - Cont. • Do these hypotheses lean toward a nature or nurture explanation? • What are some of the reasons the authors came up with these hypotheses? (From previous research)

21. Group Two • What are the independent and dependent variables? What are the levels of each of the independent variables? • IV’s - 3 • IV - • IV - • IV - • DV’s - 1 • DV -

22. Group Two - Cont. • Make a drawing of the experimental equipment. • How were the measurements (of the dependent variables) made?

23. Group Two Cont. • What methods were used to avoid confounding variables or observer bias? • What type of study was this - cross-sectional / longitudinal / sequential (circle all that apply)

24. Studying Development Over Time

25. Group Three Table 1 - • Describe the differences in ID and AD along the following dimensions: • Average Frequency (Pitch) • Frequency (Pitch) Range • Duration • Pause Length

27. Group Three - Cont. Figure 1 - • speak in ID and AD - use the sentences listed here, and try to make the rise and fall of your voice match the ones in the graph Figure 2 - • What does this graph indicate? Figure 3 - • What does this graph indicate?

31. Group Four: • What were the major findings? (Try for at least three!) • What are some possible follow-ups to this study? (Don’t be limited to the ones listed!)