Lifespan (physical development) Flashcards
At birth, the brain is only about 25% of its adult weight; but, following birth, it grown quickly and, by age 2, it has reached about _______ of its adult weight
80%
Increased brain growth in early years is due less to the addition of new neurons than to an increase in interconnections between neurons and the formation of _____ cells, which are responsible for the myelination of nerve fibres
Glial
While the lower centers of the brain are sufficiently developed at birth to control the life-maintaining reflexes, the ______ is almost completely undeveloped, and the ______ cortex may not be fully developed until the early or mid-20s
cerebral cortex; prefrontal
The brain compensates for the atrophy of neurons in adulthood by forming new synaptic connections and creating new neurons in the ______ and possibly other areas of the brain
hippocampus
Reflexes present in the newborn include the ______ reflex, which occurs when the soles of the feet are tickled, and the ______ reflex, which occurs in response to a loud noise or sudden loss of physical support
Babinski; Moro
By about _____ of age, an infant’s visual acuity is close to that of normal adults
six months
with regard to visual stimuli, newborns prefer to look at _____ patterns
high-contrast
In terms of hearing, newborns are only slightly less sensitive to sound intensity than adults, and auditory _____ is evident following birth but seems to disappear between two and four months and then improves during the rest of the first year
localization
There is evidence that full-term infants who undergo painful medical procedures during infancy later exhibit ____ responsivity to pain
heightened
At about _____ months of age, most children are able to pull themselves to standing while holding onto furniture; by ______ months, they take their first steps alone
9-10; 12
At around _______ months of age, about 50% of children use the toilet during the day, and by _____, most children exhibit a stable preference for the right or left hand
24, 4yrs
Gender differences in motor development become apparent in middle childhood when girls become superior in terms of _____, while boys become superior in terms of strength and gross motor skills
flexibility, agility, and balance
for adolescent boys, ____ physical maturation has been linked to greater popularity with peers and superior athletic skill as well as to increase risk for drug and alcohol use, delinquency, and depression
early
for girls, ____ physical maturation is associated with a number of negative consequences including low academic achievement, drug and alcohol abuse, and increased risk for developing depression or an eating disorder
early
Increasing age is associated with a number of changes in sensory and psychomotor functioning. Common changes in vision include _____ (an inability to focus on close objects), loss of visual acuity, reduced depth of color perception, and increased _____ sensitivity
presbyopia; light