Ch. 4 Vocab

Question 1

the principle that growth proceeds from the head downward

Answer 1

cephalocaudal development

Question 2

the principle that growth and development proceed from the center of body outward

Answer 2

proximodistal development

Question 3

exceptions for typical gains and variations in height and weight for children based on their chronological age and ethnic background

Answer 3

growth norms

Question 4

a wasting disease in which the body’s fat and muscle are depleted

Answer 4

marasmus

Question 5

a malnutritive disease found in children who experience an insufficient intake of protein

Answer 5

kwashiorkor

Question 6

a condition in which an infants weight is below the 5th percentile for their age

Answer 6

failure to thrive

Question 7

the cells that make up the brain

Answer 7

neurons

Question 8

the creation of neurons

Answer 8

neurogenesis

Question 9

cells that nourish neurons and move throughout the brain to provide a physical structure to the brain

Answer 9

glial cells

Question 10

outer layer of the brain

Answer 10

cortex

Question 11

the connections of neural networks

Answer 11

synapses

Question 12

neurons form synapses and thereby increase connections with others

Answer 12

synaptogenesis

Question 13

the loss of unused neural connections

Answer 13

synaptic pruning

Question 14

glial cells produce and coat the axons of neurons with a fatty substance (myelin)

Answer 14

myelination

Question 15

the process of the hemispheres becoming specialized to carry out different functions

Answer 15

lateralization

Question 16

when one hemisphere becomes stronger and more adept

Answer 16

hemispheric dominance

Question 17

a collection of 250-800million neural fibers

Answer 17

corpus callosum

Question 18

when the brain depends on experiencing certain basic events and stimuli at key points in time to develop normally

Answer 18

experience-expectant brain development

Question 19

the growth that occurs in response to learning experiences

Answer 19

experience-dependent brain development

Question 20

this occurs when repeated exposure to a stimulus results in the gradual decline in the intensity, frequency, or duration of a response

Answer 20

habituation

Question 21

occurs when senses detect a stimulus

Answer 21

sensation

Question 22

the sense our brain makes of the stimulus and our awareness of it

Answer 22

perception

Question 23

the process of combining information from more than one sensory system

Answer 23

intermodal perception

Question 24

the nature, opportunities, and limits of objects

Answer 24

affordances

Question 25

the ability to control the large movements of the body; actions that help us move around in our environment

Answer 25

gross motor development

Question 26

the ability to control small movements of the fingers such as reaching and grasping

Answer 26

fine motor development

Question 27

the theory that states that motor development reflects an interaction among developmental domains, maturation, and environment

Answer 27

dynamic systems theory