Ch 4: Infancy

Question 1

Neonate’s brain is about __% of an adult’s; by age two, it’s __%

Answer 1

25, 70

Question 2

tiny gaps between neurons across which neural communication takes place

Answer 2

synpases

Question 3

how do neurons communicate across synapses?

Answer 3

via neurotransmitters

Question 4

what are the three parts of the limbic system?

Answer 4

hypothalamus. thalamus, hippocampus

Question 5

specialization of functions in the two hemispheres of the brain

Answer 5

lateralization

Question 6

what is the function of the left hemisphere of the brain?

Answer 6

specialized for languages and for processing things in a step-by-step way

Question 7

function of the right hemisphere of the brain?

Answer 7

spatial reasoning, processing things in a holistic, integrative way

Question 8

when are infants at highest risk for sudden infants death syndrome?

Answer 8

2-4 months of age

Question 9

are deaths by SIDS more common in countries where cosleeping is the norm (non-Western countries) or where it’s less common (US and other Western countries)?

Answer 9

deaths by SIDS occur more frequently where cosleeping is less common

Question 10

what year of life has highest risk of death in the entire lifespan?

Answer 10

first year

Question 11

ability to discern the relative distance of objects in an environment

Answer 11

depth perception

Question 12

ability to combine the images of the two eyes into one image

Answer 12

binocular vision

Question 13

integration and coordination of information from the various senses

Answer 13

intermodal perception

Question 14

focus on how cognitive abilities change with age in stage sequence of development, pioneered by Piaget

Answer 14

cognitive-development approach

Question 15

According to Piaget, the driving force behind development from one stage to the next is ___

Answer 15

maturation

Question 16

concept that an innate, biologically based program is the driving force of development

Answer 16

maturation

Question 17

what are the two processes involved in the use of schemes?

Answer 17

assimilation and accommodation

Question 18

what are the stages of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development?

Answer 18

sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, formal operations

Question 19

awareness that objects (including people) continue to exist even when we are not in direct sensory or motor contact with them

Answer 19

object permanence

Question 20

stage of Piaget’s cognitive development where one learns how to coordinate the activities of the senses with motor functions
- the first two years of cognitive development

Answer 20

sensorimotor stage

Question 21

approaches to understanding cognitive functioning that focuses on cognitive processes that exist at all ages, rather than viewing cognitive development in terms of discontinuous stages (like Piaget did)

Answer 21

information processing approach

Question 22

theoretical principle that children develop best if there is a good fit between the temperament of the child and environmental demands

Answer 22

goodness-of-fit

Question 23

basic emotions, like anger, sadness, fear, surprise, happiness

Answer 23

primary emotions

Question 24

emotions that require social learning, such as shame, embarrassment, and guilt

Answer 24

secondary emotions

Question 25

in Erikson’s psychosocial theory, the first stage of development, during infancy, in which the central crisis is the need to establish a stable attachment to a caregiver

Answer 25

trust vs mistrust

Question 26

Bowlby’s theory of emotional and social development, focusing on the crucial importance of the infant’s relationship with the primary caregiver

Answer 26

attachment theory