Exam 2 Flashcards
Body Growth
Bodies parts grow at different rates in 2 patterns: cephalocaudal and proximodistal trend
Cephalocaudal Trend
Head develops faster than lower parts, at age 2, the lower part of the body catches up.
Proximodistal Trend
Growth proceeds from the center of the body outward
Growth Norms
Height and weight averages for children of the same age
Skeletal Age
A measure of bone development, is the best estimate of a child’s physical maturity
When does baby fat peak and what is its function?
Peaks at 9 months and helps maintain a constant body temperature
2 processes of proper brain growth
- Programmed cell death- makes room for neural fibers and synapses
- Synaptic Pruning- neurons return to uncommitted state to support future development
Glial Cells
Make up half the brains volume and multiply rapidly from fourth month of pregnancy through second year of life
Brain size increases per age
Newborn: 30% of adult weight
2 years old: 70% of adult weight
EEG (Electroencephalogram)
Electrodes embedded in a head cap record electrical brain wave activity from the outer layer of the brain- the cerebral cortex to examine stability and organization
ERP (Event-related potentials)
Detects general location of brain-wave activity with different stimuli
Experience-expectant brain growth
Learning that depends on ordinary experiences
Experience-dependent brain growth
Additional growth as a result of specific learning experiences
Marasmus
Condition of having a diet low in all essential nutrients from malnourished mother which can contribute to growth stunting
Kwashiokor
Child has unbalanced diet, very low in protein
Prereaching
Newborn makes a poorly coordinated swipe towards an object
3-4 months purposeful, forward arm movement
5-6 months: reaching for objects in darkened room
Ulnar Grasping
Clumsy motion in which fingers close against the palm
Pincer Grasp
Well-coordinated grasp using thumb and index finger
Perceptual Narrowing Effect
perceptual sensitivity that becomes increasingly attuned with age to information common encountered
Intermodal Perception
Intermodal Stimulation
Perception of intermodal input as an integrated whole:
Light, sound, tactile, odor, taste info
Amodal Perception
Information that overlaps two or more sensory systems
Differentiation Theory
Infants search for invariant features of the world since it is constantly changing
Affordances
Action possibilities that a situation offers an organism with certain motor capabilities
