Motor Development: theories and principles Flashcards
Term: a change in the child that occurs over time; changes follow an orderly pattern that moves toward greater complexity and enhances survival
Child development
Define the periods of development:
- Prenatal period
- Infancy and toddlerhood
- Early childhood
- Middle childhood
- Adolescence
- Prenatal period: from conception to birth
- Infancy and toddlerhood: birth to 2 years
- Early childhood: 2-6 y/o
- Middle childhood: 6-12 y/o
- Adolescence: 12-19 y/o
Domain of Development: body size and proportions, appearance, brain development, motor development, perception capacities, physical health
Physical domain
Domain of Development: thought processes and intellectual abilities including attention, memory, problem solving, imagination, creativity, academic and everyday knowledge, metacognition, and language
Cognitive domain
Domain of Development: self-knowledge (self-esteem, metacognition, sexual identity, ethnic identity), moral reasoning, understanding and expression of emotions, self-regulation, temperament, understanding others, interpersonal skills and friendships
Social/emotional domain
Term: an orderly set of ideas which describe, explain, and predict behavior
Theory
What are the 3 major theoretic approaches for motor development theories?
Neural-Maturationist
Cognitive
Dynamical Systems
Theory: belief that heredity and innate biological processes govern growth
Biological theories
Theory: assumes a hierarchical nature of nervous system maturation
- attributes normal motor development to increasing corticalization of the CNS
- functional behaviors appear as the nervous system matures
- development is build upon reflexes
Neural-maturationist theory
In the neural-maturationist theory, the cortex is associated with _____________ reactions and ___________ function.
equilibrium, bipedal
In the neural-maturationist theory, the midbrain is associated with ____________ reactions and __________ function.
righting, quadrupedal
In the neural-maturationist theory, the brainstem and spinal cord are associated with ___________ reflex and __________ function.
primitive, apedal
T/F: pediatric PT was developed according to the neural-maturationist theoretic model.
True
Term/Theory: examines how behavior is determined by a species’ need for survival
- describes a “critical period” or sensitive period” for learning
- emphasizes genetic and biological roots of development, but learning is also important b/c it lends flexibility and adaptiveness to behavior
Ethology
Theory: attachment between an infant and her caregiver can insure the infant’s survival
Attachment theory
Theory: beliefs that describe how children learn
Cognitive theories
Name the 2 main cognitive theories.
Behavior (Skinner)
Piagetian
Theory: development occurs through interaction between the individual and environment
- contingency learning and positive reinforcement
- Pavlovian conditioning
Behavior theory (Skinner)
Theory: development occurs through interaction between cognitive-neural striation and environmental opportunities
Piagetian
Theory: children “construct” their understanding of the world through their active involvement and interactions
Cognitive development theory (Piaget)
Name Piaget’s 4 Cognitive Development Stages.
Sensori-motor
Pre-operation
Concrete operations
Formal operations
Piaget’s Cognitive Development Stage: ages birth - 2; the infant uses his senses and motor abilities to understand the world, repetition is important
Sensori-motor
Piaget’s Cognitive Development Stage: ages 2-7; the child uses mental representations of objects and is able to use symbolic thought and language
Pre-operation
Piaget’s Cognitive Development Stage: ages 7-11; the child uses logical operations or principles when solving problems
Concrete operations
Piaget’s Cognitive Development Stage: ages 12 up; the use of logical operations in a systemic fashion and with the ability to use abstractions
Formal operations
Theory: children are active learners, but their knowledge is socially constructed; cultural values and customs dictate what is important to learn
Socio-cultural theory
Term: the distance between the actual development level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers
Zone of proximal development
Theory: uses the model of the computer to describe how the brain works; focuses on how information is perceived, stored in memory, how memories are retrieved and then used to solve problems
Information processing theory
Who is the “Father of American Behaviorist Theory?”
John Watson
Who believed that children are passive being who can be molded by controlling the stimulus-response associations?
John Watson
Theory: stressed how children learn by observation and imitation; children gradually become more selective in what they imitate
Social learning theory
Theory: development can’t be explained by a single concept, but rather by a complex system
Developmental systems theory
Theory: development of a motor pattern depends on a combination of mechanical, neurologic, cognitive, and perceptual factors in addition to environmental contributions
- environment is as important as the organism
Dynamical systems
Theory: movements are self-organizing and emerge as a result of interaction between the subsystems
Dynamical systems
Name the 4 cooperating subsystems in the dynamical systems theory.
Musculoskeletal
Sensory
Central sensorimotor integrative
Arousal and motivation
Term: variables that regulate change in the behavior (movement) of the child
Control parameters
Term: factors that limit the ability of the child to move
Rate limiters
Term: stable movement patterns (preferred but not obligatory)
Attractors
Theory: the varied systems of the environment and the interrelationships among the systems shape a child’s development
- the environment affects the child and the child influences the environment
Ecological systems theory of bioecological theory
Term: activities and interactions in the child’s immediate surroundings
- parents, school, friends, etc.
Microsystem
Term: relationships among the entities involved in the child’s microsystem
- parents’ interactions w/ teachers, school’s interactions w/ daycare provider
Mesosystem
Term: social institutions which affect children indirection
- parents’ work settings and policies, extended family networks, mass media, community resources
Exosystem
Term: broader cultural values, laws and governmental resources
Macrosystem
Term: changes which occur during a child’s life, both personally and culturally
- birth of a sibling, the Iraqi war
Chronosystem
Principle of Development: child first gains control of the head, then arms, then legs
Cephalocaudal principle
Principle of Development: spinal cord develops before other parts of the body; arms before hands; hands before fingers, etc.
Proximodistal principle
Principle of Development: sequence of biological changes in children; depends on changes in the brain and nervous system; these changes assist children to improve their thinking abilities and motor skills
Maturation
In which order do these parts of the nervous system mature? cerebrum spinal cord brainstem cortex
spinal cord
brainstem
cerebellum
cortex
Term: once the cortex maturates and synapses start to organize, the synapses organize in different regions (some are responsible for head, arms, legs, etc.)
Neuronal group selection
Term: continuing process of the creation and organization of neuron connections that occurs as a result of a person’s life experience
Experience-dependent
Term: normal, generalized development of neuron connections that occur as a result of common experiences that all humans are exposed to in a normal environment
- early universal experiences include visual stimulation, sound and bodily movement
Experience-expectant
Term: a time when children vary in their selection of a movement strategy in response to a particular task
Sensitive period
Are sensitive periods the result of experience dependent or expectant maturation.
Dependent
T/F: Periods of instability or disequilibrium drive the developmental process.
True
