Chapter 3: Physical growth and aging across the life span Flashcards
rhythms
repetitive, cyclical patterns of behavior
state
degree of awareness an infant displays to both internal and external stimulation
rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
the period of sleep that is found in older children and adults and is associated with dreaming
puberty
the period of maturation during which the sexual organs mature
menarche
the onset of menstruation
primary sex characteristics
characteristics associated with the development of the organs and structures of the body that directly relate to reproduction (ex. development of the uterus)
secondary sex characteristics
the visible signs of sexual maturity that do not directly involve the sex organs (ex. development of breasts)
senescence
the natural physical decline brought about by increasing age
primary aging
aging that involves universal and irreversible changes that, due to genetic programming occur as people get older
secondary aging
changes in physical and cognitive functioning that are due to illness, health habits, and other individual differences but that are not due to increased age itself and are not inevitable
osteoporosis
a condition in which the bones become brittle, fragile, and thin, often brought about by a lack of calcium in the diet
synaptic pruning
the elimination of neurons as the result of nonuse or lack of stimulation
myelin
protective insulation that surrounds parts of neurons, increasing the speeds of transmission of electrical impulses along brain cells
cerebral cortex
the upper layer of the brain
plasticity
the degree to which a developing structure of behavior is modifiable due to experience
sensitive period
a point in development when organisms are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environments; but the absence of those stimuli does not always produce irreversible consequences
dendrites
cluster of fibers that receive messages from other cells
axon
long extension part of the neurons that carries messages destined for other neurons
neurotransmitters
chemical messengers that are how neurons communicate with each other
laterization
the process in which certain cognitive functions are located more in one hemisphere of the brain than in the other
reflexes
unlearned, organized involuntary responses that occur automatically in the presence of certain stimuli
norms
the average performance of a large sample of children of a given age
Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS)
a measure designed to determine infants’ neurological and behavioral responses to their environment
handedness
the preference of using one hand over the other
sensation
the physical stimulation of the sense organs
perception
the sorting out, interpretation, analysis, and integration of stimuli involving the sense organs and brain
multimodal approach to perception
the approach that considers how information that is collected by various individual sensory systems is integrated and coordinated
affordances
the option that a given situation or stimulus provides
visual impairment
a special need that involves significant loss of sight
auditory impairment
a special need that involves the loss of hearing or some aspect of hearing
speech impairment
speech that deviates so much from the speech of others that it calls attention to itself, interferes with communication, or produces maladjustment in the speaker
stuttering
substantial disruption in the rhythm and fluency of speech, the most common speech impairment
presbyopia
a nearly universal change in eyesight during middle adulthood that results in some loss of near vision
glaucoma
a condition in which pressure in the fluid of the eye increases, either because the fluid cannot drain properly or because too much fluid is produced
presbycusis
loss of the ability to hear sounds of high frequency
peripheral slowing hypothesis
the theory that suggests that overall processing speed declines in the peripheral nervous system with increasing age
generalized slowing hypothesis
the theory that processing in all parts of the nervous system, including the brain, is less efficient
moro reflex
activated when support for the neck and head is suddenly removed; baby’s arms thrusting outward and then appearing to seek to grasp onto something
