Development Flashcards
motor development
way in which individuals acquire the ability to move around or perform tasks
occurs in
occurs in characteristic stages
stages of motor development
distinct steps in the acquisition of movement skills in infants
major steps include the infant lifting their head, then rolling over, sitting up, standing up with support, standing on their own, crawling, walking with support, and lastly walking on their own
gross motor skills
movements that require the use of large muscles and muscle groups
tasks include sitting up or standing, and typically develop faster than fine motor skills
fine motor skills
movements that require the use of small muscles, like those in the fingers
include holding a pencil, drawing, and typically develop after gross motor skills
reflex
an innate, involuntary reaction to a stimulus
permanent reflexes
involuntary reactions to stimuli that can be demonstrated by healthy newborns and do not go away with age
breathing reflex
innate control of inhalation and exhalation
eyeblink reflex
involuntary response to a bright light that causes one to close their eyes
pupillary reflex
involuntary response to bright light that causes the constriction of the pupil
swallowing reflex
innate knowledge of how to control the muscles of the tongue and throat in order to move food through the mouth to the esophagus
neonatal reflexes (primitive reflex)
involuntary reactions to stimuli that can be demonstrated by healthy newborns, but will be grown out of
rooting reflex
involuntary response to a touch on the cheek that causes the infant to move their head towards the stimulus
helps the infant locate the mother’s breast or bottle, and it only lasts for the first few weeks of life
Babinski reflex
involuntary response to a touch on the bottom of the foot that causes an infant to curl their toes
happens for unknown reasons and only lasts through the first year of life
Moro reflex
the involuntary response to a quick movement of the head or a loud noise that causes the infant to spread the arms, then retract them, usually while crying and arching the back
lasts through the first 4-6 months of life
tonic neck reflex
involuntary response to turning the neck (involuntary or voluntarily) that causes the infant to stretch the arm that it is turned towards and bend the other
lasts through the first 6 months of life
galant reflex
involuntary response to a touch on the back that causes the infant to move towards the side that was stroked
lasts through the first 6 months of life
palmar grasp reflex
involuntary response to an object touching the palm that causes the infant to close their first and grasp the object
lasts through the first 6 months of life
sucking reflex
involuntary response to an object placed in the mouth that causes the infant to press their lips around it and swallow repeatedly
lasts through the first 3-4 months of life
stepping reflex
involuntary response to being held upright with feet touching the ground that causes an infant to move their legs as if they were trying to walk
lasts through the first 2 months of life
swimming reflex
involuntary response to being put in water that causes the infant to hold their breath and move the arms and legs around
lasts through the first 6 months of life
adolescence
time between puberty and adulthood
often seen as a transition period and the exact age differs between cultures
puberty
process of sexual maturation that typically takes about 2 years to complete in humans
milestones of puberty
markings of progress in sexual maturation, usually the first ejaculation in males and the first menstrual cycle in females
primary sex characteristics
development of reproductive organs that make reproduction possible
secondary sex characteristics
development of qualities during puberty that are important, but not necessary for reproduction
examples: development of facial hair and a low voice in males, breasts and wide hips in females
brain development in puberty
changes in the brain include increases in the myelination, synaptic pruning/a decrease in brain volume, and changes to specific brain regions that occur during adolescence
specific changes include the maturation of the prefrontal cortex, limbic system (specifically the amygdala and hypothalamus), and the corpus callosum
prefrontal cortex
part of the brain responsible for attention, planning, decision making, and inhibiting certain behaviors