Infancy Flashcards
What are the 3 major questions that reoccur in developmental psych?
1) Nature versus Nurture
2) Continuity versus Discontinuity
3) Universal versus context specific
What is nature versus nurture?
Asks if a given trait is biologically or environmentally determined? Are people born the way they are or is it due to life circumstances? ALWAYS both
What is continuity versus discontinuity?
Asks, is our development overtime a relatively smooth progression or are the changes more abrupt (discontinuity is development in levels-dramatic switch from one state to the next)
What is universal versus context specific?
Asks do all people in the world follow the same developmental path or are there multiple pathways depending on context?
What type of development is relatively universal?
Perceptual development
What school of thought believes that social development is universal?
Behaviourism
What are the 3 levels of analysis?
Biological, psychological, environmental
What is the biological level?
Things like genes, hormones, puberty, brain processes, and basic needs that contribute to a behaviour
What is the psychological level?
Personal thoughts, feelings, motives, self-esteem, personality that contribute to a behaviour.
What is the environmental level?
The past and current physical and social environment, including sociocultural influences, that contribute to a behaviour.
What is the biopsychosocial model?
Model that takes into account all three levels of analysis, as well as life cycle forces.
What are life cycle forces?
The contribution of timing to an event-the same event can have drastically different effects depending on timing (ex: pregnancy at 33 versus 15)
What are some examples of mind-body interactions? (Biological and psychological)
When you imagine your favourite food and it causes digestive enzymes to release
People recover faster when they have “something to live for”
What are some examples of environment-body interactions?
Enriched environment during infancy leads to greater brain development, epigenetics.
What is a reflex?
An inborn, automatic response to a particular form of stimulation. Babies are born with a number of these which tend to disappear
What are some reflexes that have an adaptive/survival value?
Rooting, sucking, eyeblink, swimming
What are some reflexes that help with the development of motor skills?
Stepping, swimming, moro reflex
What is a reflex where we have no clue why it exists?
Babinski Reflex
What is the eyeblink reflex?
If you shine a bright light at an infants eyes or clap near its head it will quickly shut its eyes
When does the eyeblink reflex disappear?
Never. Permanent
What is the rooting reflex?
If you stroke the babies cheek near the corner of the mouth, the head will turn towards the source. Helps baby find the nipple
When does the rooting reflex disappear?
3 weeks (becomes voluntary head turning at this time)
What is the babinski reflex?
When you run your hand down a babies foot and the toes flair
Why do we care about reflexes?
Gives an indicator of CNS development- if reflexes are absent, too rigid, or fail to disappear, we should be concerned.
Why do reflexes disappear? (2 Reasons)
1) It’s probably good to have control over them later in l life
2) Integration with voluntary behaviours
What percentage of an adults brain mass do we have at birth, age 6 months, and age 9 years?
Birth: 25%
6 months: 50%
9 years: 90%
What is synaptogenesis?
When neurons form interconnected networks (new synapses)-dendrites grow and form connections with other neurons
When is synaptogenesis especially fast?
Until around 2 years old.
How many connections are there per neuron in an adult?
10 000
Where do these connections begin?
In the simpler regions-ex: Medulla for breathing and heart rate.
When does the frontal cortex mature?
Not until around age 20-30
What is synaptic pruning?
When unused connections are lost-continues until adolescence, improves neural efficiency.
What age will you have the most synapses you’ll ever have in your life?
2 years
What is myelination?
Improved conduction speed-occurs throughout infancy, brain becomes more efficient.
Which areas of the brain are myelinated first?
Simpler areas
When does the frontal cortex bump (myelination) happen and when is it completed?
Adolescence-completed around age 20-30.
What is Larry Steinbergs work?
Expert witness in court cases-some states still have the death penalty even for children! Steinberg argues that prefrontal cortex is the last part to develop (planning and understanding consequences). Limbic system matures before (social reward). Adolescents imagine all the pros of a situation and no cons. Applies this to decisions like joining the army
What is maturation?
Genetically programmed biological process that governs growth of body, brain (rate is different for different kids but order stays the same)
What is the cephalocaudal principle?
Development proceeds from the head down-motor principles start in head (neck lifting). Move head, arms, legs
What is the proximodistal principle?
Development proceeds from the centre of the body outwards (babies can clap before grasping) Motor development goes from gross, to fine.
What are some examples of gross motor development?
Standing, crawling, walking
What are some examples of fine motor development?
Reaching, grasping
When can children start to hold their chin and chest up respectively?
Chin: 1 month
Chest: 2 months
When can children sit unsupported?
7 months
When can children stand while holding furniture?
9 months
When can children crawl?
10 months