Chapter 5 Flashcards
Changes in body size and proportion
Avg north american newborn is 20 inches and 7 1/2 pounds
Double from 0 to 6 months
Triple from 0 to 12 months
Cephalacuadal vs Proximodistal
Cephalacaudal-the sequence in which the earliest growth always occurs at the top with physical growth and feature differentiation gradually working from top to bottom
Proximodistal-growth starts at center of body and moves toward extremities
Brain development
Prenatal period-millions of neurons or nerve cells were produced in the neural tube; the neural tube later developed into the brain and spinal cord
Neurotransmitters-chemicals that move across synapses, allowing communication between neurons
Synapses- small gaps, or spaces, between the cells through which information is transmitted from one neuron to the next
Myelinization- the process in which a neuron is sheathed in a smooth layer of fatty proteins (myelin). electrical impulses travel about three times faster along myelinated pathway
Synaptic pruning-the lack of stimulation, which leads to death of neurons
Lateralization-separation of functions in the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex
Left: language and positive emotions
Right: spatial reasoning and negative emotions
present at birth
Experience-expectant vs Experience dependent plasticity
Experience-expectant: Due to experiences that fine-tune the brain such as hearing voices or seeing faces
Experience-dependent: Due to individuals unique experiences that fine-tune the brain such as extensive training in music
Infant reflexes
built in reactions to stimuli that govern the newborns movements, which are automatic and beyond the newborns control
Rooting, Sucking, Grasping, Moro, and Babinski
Fine motor development
Motor skills that involve finely tune coordinated movements.
Two types of grasps: Palmar and pincer
Sensation vs perception
Sensation: the product of the instruction between information and the sensory receptors-the eyes, ears, tongue, nostril, and skin
Perception: the interpretation of what is sensed
Haptic discrimination
ability to tell objects apart using touch
infants can discriminate by weight
Habituation vs Dishabituation
Habituation-decreased responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated presentations of the stimulus
Dishabituation-recovery of a habituated response after a change in stimulation
Visual cliff
experiment where the children crawl through a surface that appears to be a cliff. If they trust the parents they will cross.
Perceptual tuning
young infants are capable of hearing the smallest meaningful units of language. infants are able to make more linguistic distinctions than adults. Over time, infants become less sensitive to sound that are not in the typical environment
Multimodal Perception
Integration of input from all senses infants reach for objects in pictures, as though they could really grasp the objects
Breastfeeding
Benefits can be seen by 2 weeks of age
cognitive and physical benefits for baby
health and psychological benefits for the mother
Toilet training
most children are ready between ages of 18 to 36 months
In the us 98% trained by 36 months
TV and media for infants
Most infants are exposed to some kind of screen-based media.
Avg time of tv exposure is 1 hour and 19 minutes
There are age and cultural differences
High levels of TV watching are correlated with lower academic achievement
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no media before 2
