Chapter 3: Infancy Flashcards
when are you an infant?
birth - first 2 years of life
infants grow very rapidly in the first 2 years; not all parts grow at same rate.
__ and __ grow faster than __
head and trunk grow faster than legs
t/f
increase in height and weight is not steady
true
very rapid in first year, steady after 3yrs
what are the 4 major principles governing growth?
- cephalocaudal principle
- Proximodistal principle
- principle of hierarchal integration
- principle of the independence of systems
describe the cephalocaudal principle of growth
growth follows a pattern that begins with the head & upper body, then proceeds to the rest of the body.
“head to tail”
describe the Proximodistal principle of growth
development occurs from the centre of the body outward
describe the principle of hierarchal integration
simple skills typically develop separately and independently. Later they’re integrated into more complex skills
describe the principle of the independence of systems
different body systems grow at different rates
t/f
we’re born with most of the brain cells we’ll ever have
true!
the brain undergoes most drammatic changes during __
infancy
what is the basic element of the nervous system/ brain?
neuron
synaptic blooming=
rapid synapses/ neuron growth
synaptic pruning=
brain eliminates extra synapses
plasticity=
`the capability of the brain to be affected by experience
during a ___ ___, the brain is more susceptible to enviro stimulation & brain plasticity is the greatest in the first years of life
sensitive period
What is SIDS?
sudden infant death syndrome
- unexplained death of a seemingly healthy baby
- leading cause of death in 1st year of life
motor skills=
our ability to move our bodies and manipulate objects
- gross and fine motor skills
- development of motor skills follows a sequential pattern
gross motor skills=
focus on larger muscles/ movements
- crawling etc
- gross motor skills develop before fine motor skills
fine motor skills=
coordination of small actions
- muscles in fingers, toes, eyes
eg. drink from a cup w/u spilling, write
The Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) includes which 4 aspects of infant behavior?
- interactions with others
- motor behavior
- physiological control
- response to stress
Sensation=
input about the physical world received by sensory receptors (stimulation of sense organs)
perception=
process by which brain selects, organizes, and interprets these sensations
- our interpretation and analysis of a sensory stimulus
describe the visual perception of newborns and infants
- newborns can’t see beyond 20ft
- > 6months: vision usually 20/20 and depth perception develops
- infants prefer patterns and complex stimuli & looking at faces
describe the auditory perception of an infant
- hearing begins prenatally! (7th month)
- infants sensitive to high and low frequencies but not middle ranges
t/f
newborns can only detect their mother’s smell when breastfed
true
there is a developmental progression to reactions to ___.
Exposure to __ in infancy may lead to being more sensitive as an adult
pain
pain
___ is the most highly developed sense in newborns
touch
piaget believed that infants have mental structures called
schemes
= organized patterns of sensorimotor fxn
assimilation=
adaptation process: new info is taken into the previously- existing schema
accommodation=
process by which pre-existing knowledge is altered in order to fit the new info
what is the 1st stage of cognitive development from Piaget’s theory?
And the 6 substages?
Sensorimotor stage
- simple reflexes
- first habits & primary circular rxns
- secondary circular rxns
- coordination of secondary circular rxns
- tertiary circular rxns
- beginnings of thought (engage in pretend play)
infantile amnesia=
inability to recall memories from the first few years of life
what are hypotheses for infantile amnesia?
- infants have immature brain, including hippocampus (responsible for memories)
- lack of linguistic skills limits ability to mentally represent events
- storing memories may require an understanding of self; infants lack this
t/f
infants have no memory capacoty
false, they have some
- can distinguish b/w old and new objects
- above 6 months: can retain info for some period of time
What does Gesell developmental quotient meaure?
the infant’s overall developmental score in the 4 domains: motor skills, language, adaptive behavior, and personal social behavior
what does the bayley scales of infant development measure?
a series of developmental play tasks to calculate a developmental quotient, rather than an intelligence quotient (IQ)
- 1-42 months old
t/f
the order of language acquisition is consistent
true
- before birth: begin to develop lang/ communication skills
- at birth: recognize mom’s voice
first words are generally spoken between __-__ months of age.
by age 2, infants use ___ speech
10-14 months
telegraphic (unneeded words not used- eg give me ball)
the major theories of language development differ in
nature and nurture
Bandura’s learning theory believed in ___
nurture (enviro)
____ approaches believe that language is an innate skill
- how?
nativist
Language-acquisition device (LAD): as long as exposed to language, infant will learn it, no teaching required (born w. knowledge of general rules and syntax)
what are the 2 emotional responses exhibited by infants?
attraction (pleasant situations)
&
withdrawal (unpleasant situations)
emotions are divided into 2 general categories:
1.
2.
- basic emotions: interest, anger, happiness, fear, sad
- these appear first - self-conscious emotions: envy, pride, shame, guilt
social referencing=
infants seek out info from others to clarify a situation (based on facial expressions) and use that info to act
___ is the most important form of social development in infants (gives sense of security)
attachment
- innate need to attach to 1 main attachment figure, esp first 2 yrs
describe a secure attachment pattern
- explores when caregiver present, interacts w strangers
- upset when caregiver leaves, happy when they return
describe an avoidant attachment pattern
- kid ignores caregiver and stranger, shows little emotion if they leave/ return
- doesn’t explore, runs away from mom
describe the ambivalent attachment pattern
- clings to caregiver
- upset when caregiver leaves and not comforted when they return
describe the disorganized- disoriented attachment pattern
- inconsistent methods of coping with strange situation
- eg. cry during separation, but ignores caregiver when she returns
according to erikson, personality is shaped by infants’ ___
experiences
In erikson’s trust vs mistrust stage, (first __ months) what happens?
18
uncertain about world, look to caregiver for consistent care= trust
in erikson’s autonomy-vs- shame and doubt stage (__ months to __ years) what happens?
18 months- 3yrs
if parents encourage exploration:
- confident in their ability to survive in the world
if parents do not allow exploration:
- feel inadequate, lack self-esteem, very dependent
temperament=
innate characteristics of the infant, inc mood, activity level, and emotional reactivity
what are the 3 profiles of temperament?
- easy (40%)- adaptable and calm
- difficult (10%)- negative rxns, mood
- slow-to-warm babies (15%)- low activity, slow to adjust, often negative mood
