Infant Physical Development (Chapter 4)

Question 1

Reflex

Answer 1

Automatic, involuntary, innate response to a specific stimulus
(permanent reflexes: eye-blinking, swallowing; temporary reflexes: sucking finger)

Question 2

Touch and Pain (sensory capacities)

Answer 2

most mature at birth

Question 3

Smell and Taste/Hearing (sensory capacities)

Answer 3

functional before birth

Question 4

Sight (sensory capacities)

Answer 4

Least developed sense at birth

Question 5

Cephalocaudal Principle (principles of physical growth)

Answer 5

from top down

Question 6

Proximodistal Principle (principles of physical growth)

Answer 6

from center outwards

Question 7

Early Brain Development

Answer 7

-infants are born with 100 billion neurons formed in 2nd trimester
-25% of adult brain at birth
-70% by age 1
-90% by age 3
-close to 100% by age 6

Question 8

The Processes of Brain Development

Answer 8

1. formations of neurons: prenatal
2. Structure elaboration and differentiation of neurons
   - growth of axons and dendrites
   -specialized functions of neurons
3. formation of synapses (connections between neurons)
4. Myelinatio (glial cells –> myelin to coat nerve fiber
5. Increasing connections between regions of the brain
6. Pruning of excess synapses

Question 9

Pruning

Answer 9

eliminating unnecessary neural connections and pathways in the brain

Question 11

Brain development continues throughout the lifespan

Answer 11

-myelination: development in nervous system, including cognitive processes, motor skills, and sensory perception
-formation and pruning of synapses
(The first three years are a sensitive period for brain development)

Question 12

Autism Mechanisms

Answer 12

Abnormal brain function

Question 13

Autism Diagnosis

Answer 13

by age 3 (the earlier the better)

Question 13

Autism Bases

Answer 13

Genetic and environmental

Question 14

Depth Perception

Answer 14

Ability to perceive the distance and dimensional aspect of objects

Question 15

Depth Perception: Visual Cliff Study

Answer 15

The hesitation of infants to crawl over the deep side in the visual cliff experiment requires
-depth perception
-an infant being able to crawl
-having developed a fear of heights from crawling experience
*estimation of when depth perception develops can’t be earlier than the development of crawling and fear of heights

Question 16

Techniques for Studying Infant Development

Answer 16

Habituation/dishabituation: measure whether infants can differentiate two stimuli

Question 17

Habituation

Answer 17

decrease in attention that occurs when the same stimulus is presented repeatedly