CHAPTER 5: Perceptual & Motor Development

Question 1

Methods for Assessing Sensory Capabilities

Answer 1

1. Preferential Looking
2. Habituation/Dishabituation
3. High-amplitude Sucking

Question 2

Preferential Looking

Answer 2

more time looking at stimulus = preference
- new borns show preferences for upright faces and schematic face

Question 3

Habituation / Dishabitutaion

Answer 3

Babies tend to respond more strongly to something new that has entered their environment, which ensures that they will continually add to their knowledge base.

Habituation = first present stimulus to baby, heart rate increases, then once familiar rates drop

Dishabituation = stimulus changes, infant starts reacting (they are aware)

Question 4

High-Amplitude Sucking

Answer 4

• When an infant sucks faster than they did in the baseline phase, it triggers a stimulus
• If the infant finds the stimulus interesting, they can make it last by continuing to suck rapidly.
• Once the infant loses interest, the sucking rate goes down, and the stimulus is withdrawn

Question 5

Hearing

Answer 5

• not fully developed at birth
• 3 days old can turn in general direction of sound but can’t find source
• infants prefer consonant tones to dissonant

Question 6

Vision

Answer 6

• Newborns are nearsighted, they can scan surroundings, distinguish mothers face, perceive patterns
• 3 month olds can concentrate on interior of face
• 6 month olds: generalists (recognize other race/species)
• 9 month olds : specialists (superior recognition)

Question 7

Vision & Autism

Answer 7

• scan faces in atypical manner
  -tend not to look at specific features, and tend to look away from faces more often
• therefore struggle in social interactions, both in terms of recognizing other people and in terms of accurately reading their facial expressions.

Question 8

Visual (optical) Expansion

Answer 8

• The visual image of an object increases as the object comes toward us
• By 1 month infants will blink at expanding image as they can visual expansion cues

Question 9

Binocular disparity

Answer 9

• cues about distance based on the differing views of the two eyes
• by 4 months, an infants visual cortex is able to compute the degree of disparity between two images and the perception of depth

Question 10

Pictorial (monocular) cues

Answer 10

Cues about distance that can be perceived by one eye alone by 6 or 7 months
Pictorial Cues Include
- relative size
- texture gradient
- relative height
- interposition

Question 11

Visual Cliff Studies

Answer 11

• shows that children as young as 6 weeks react with interest to differences in depth
• at 7 months, show wariness of deep side of the cliff

Question 12

Taste & Smell

Answer 12

• Newborns prefer sweet tastes/smells (breast milk)
• averse to foul odour and sour, bitter and salty taste due to instinct/survival

Question 13

Touch

Answer 13

• helps stimulate early physical growth
• newborns sensitive to pain
• babies explore objects with hands and mouth

Question 14

Intermodal Perception

Answer 14

• the ability to perceive an object or event by more than one sensory system simultaneously
• making sense of light, sound, order, taste and tactile information by perceiving them as integrated wholes

Question 15

Intersensory Redundancy Theory

Answer 15

• infants learn best when stimuli presented to multiple sensory modes
• ex: watching someone play an instrument: sight + sound

Question 16

McGurk Effect

Answer 16

• occurs when visual information influences the way we hear
• “Ba” misheard as “Va” when lips appear to be saying “va”
• 5 month olds experience this illusion

Question 17

The Process of Attention

Answer 17

Processes that allow people to control input from environment and regulate behaviour
1. orienting network
2. alerting network
3. executive network

Question 18

Orienting Network

Answer 18

determines which stimuli will be processed

Question 19

Alerting Network

Answer 19

• prepares infant to detect & respond to incoming stimuli
• ex: sound of parent coming home

Question 20

Executive Network

Answer 20

• shift attention from one stimulus to another; ignore distracting stimuli
• ex: play board game without getting distracted by other toys

Question 21

Types of ADHD

Answer 21

Inattentive: trouble staying focused; easily distracted

Hyperactive / Impulsive: interrupts, intrudes; can’t wait turn

Question 22

Causes of ADHD

Answer 22

Genetic Factors - monozygotic twin concordance
- research suggest impairment in the connection between the frontal lobes and the limbic system

Question 23

ADHD Sex Differences

Answer 23

Boys 4 times more likely to be diagnosed
Girls more often diagnosed with inattentive ADHD

Question 24

ADHD Treatment

Answer 24

• stimulant medication (increases frontal lobe activity)

Question 25

Gross Motor Skills

Answer 25

Involve large muscles of the body and make locomotion possible (crawling/walking)
2-3 years: can run, kick ball, climb on furniture
3-4 years: can ride tricycle, stand on one foot
4-5 years: can skip, throw ball overhand, run smoothly
5-6 years: ride bike without training wheels; gallop, skip, jump

Question 26

Dynamic Systems Theory

Answer 26

Motor development stems from confluence of several factors:
- increase in strength
- balance / posture
- perceptual skills
- motivation

Question 27

Progression of Locomotion

Answer 27

These are the average ages at which infants achieve the motor milestones such as sitting and standing with support and alone

Question 28

Fine Motor Development

Answer 28

Involve the development and coordination of small muscles
2 years old: use spoon & fork; turn book pages
3 years old: feed self well
4 years old: draw person; dress self well
5 year old: print letter; tie shoes