Chapter 4 Key Terms Flashcards
(21 cards)
connections between neurons
synapses
the process of synapse development
synaptogenesis
the process of eliminating unused synapses
pruning
the ability of the brain to change in response to experience
plasticity
a process in neural development in which sheaths made of a substance called myelin gradually cover individual axons and electrically insulate them from one another to improve the conductivity of the nerve
myelinization (myelination)
the part of the brain that regulates attention
reticular formation
reflexes, such as sucking, that help newborns survive
adaptive reflexes
reflexes, controlled by “primitive” parts of the brain, that disappear during the first year of life
primitive reflexes
an infant behavior pattern involving intense daily bouts of crying totaling 3 or more hours a day
colic
the view that several factors interact that influence development
dynamic systems theory
death within the first year of life
infant mortality
a phenomenon in which an apparently healthy infant dies suddenly and unexpectedly
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
how well one can see details at a distance
visual acuity
the smooth movements of the eye to follow the track of a moving object
tracking
how well one can hear
auditory acuity
a research method in which a researcher keeps track of how long a baby looks at each of two objects shown
preference technique
a decline in attention that occurs because a stimulus has become familiar
habituation
responding to a somewhat familiar stimulus as if it were new
dishabituation
formation of a single perception of a stimulus that is based on information from two or more senses
intermodal perception
theorists who claim that perceptual abilities are inborn
nativists
theorists who argue that perceptual abilities are learned
empiricists
