Motor Development: theories and principles

Question 1

Term: a change in the child that occurs over time; changes follow an orderly pattern that moves toward greater complexity and enhances survival

Answer 1

Child development

Question 2

Define the periods of development:

• Prenatal period
• Infancy and toddlerhood
• Early childhood
• Middle childhood
• Adolescence

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

Domain of Development: body size and proportions, appearance, brain development, motor development, perception capacities, physical health

Answer 3

Physical domain

Question 4

Domain of Development: thought processes and intellectual abilities including attention, memory, problem solving, imagination, creativity, academic and everyday knowledge, metacognition, and language

Answer 4

Cognitive domain

Question 5

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

Answer 5

Social/emotional domain

Question 6

Term: an orderly set of ideas which describe, explain, and predict behavior

Answer 6

Theory

Question 7

What are the 3 major theoretic approaches for motor development theories?

Answer 7

Neural-Maturationist
Cognitive
Dynamical Systems

Question 8

Theory: belief that heredity and innate biological processes govern growth

Answer 8

Biological theories

Question 9

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

Answer 9

Neural-maturationist theory

Question 10

In the neural-maturationist theory, the cortex is associated with _____________ reactions and ___________ function.

Answer 10

equilibrium, bipedal

Question 11

In the neural-maturationist theory, the midbrain is associated with ____________ reactions and __________ function.

Answer 11

righting, quadrupedal

Question 12

In the neural-maturationist theory, the brainstem and spinal cord are associated with ___________ reflex and __________ function.

Answer 12

primitive, apedal

Question 13

T/F: pediatric PT was developed according to the neural-maturationist theoretic model.

Answer 13

True

Question 14

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

Answer 14

Ethology

Question 15

Theory: attachment between an infant and her caregiver can insure the infant’s survival

Answer 15

Attachment theory

Question 16

Theory: beliefs that describe how children learn

Answer 16

Cognitive theories

Question 17

Name the 2 main cognitive theories.

Answer 17

Behavior (Skinner)

Piagetian

Question 18

Theory: development occurs through interaction between the individual and environment

• contingency learning and positive reinforcement
• Pavlovian conditioning

Answer 18

Behavior theory (Skinner)

Question 19

Theory: development occurs through interaction between cognitive-neural striation and environmental opportunities

Answer 19

Piagetian

Question 20

Theory: children “construct” their understanding of the world through their active involvement and interactions

Answer 20

Cognitive development theory (Piaget)

Question 21

Name Piaget’s 4 Cognitive Development Stages.

Answer 21

Sensori-motor
Pre-operation
Concrete operations
Formal operations

Question 22

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Stage: ages birth - 2; the infant uses his senses and motor abilities to understand the world, repetition is important

Answer 22

Sensori-motor

Question 23

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Stage: ages 2-7; the child uses mental representations of objects and is able to use symbolic thought and language

Answer 23

Pre-operation

Question 24

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Stage: ages 7-11; the child uses logical operations or principles when solving problems

Answer 24

Concrete operations

Question 25

Piaget's Cognitive Development Stage: ages 12 up; the use of logical operations in a systemic fashion and with the ability to use abstractions

Answer 25

Formal operations

Question 26

Theory: children are active learners, but their knowledge is socially constructed; cultural values and customs dictate what is important to learn

Answer 26

Socio-cultural theory

Question 27

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

Answer 27

Zone of proximal development

Question 28

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

Answer 28

Information processing theory

Question 29

Who is the "Father of American Behaviorist Theory?"

Answer 29

John Watson

Question 30

Who believed that children are passive being who can be molded by controlling the stimulus-response associations?

Answer 30

John Watson

Question 31

Theory: stressed how children learn by observation and imitation; children gradually become more selective in what they imitate

Answer 31

Social learning theory

Question 32

Theory: development can't be explained by a single concept, but rather by a complex system

Answer 32

Developmental systems theory

Question 33

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

Answer 33

Dynamical systems

Question 34

Theory: movements are self-organizing and emerge as a result of interaction between the subsystems

Answer 34

Dynamical systems

Question 35

Name the 4 cooperating subsystems in the dynamical systems theory.

Answer 35

Musculoskeletal Sensory Central sensorimotor integrative Arousal and motivation

Question 36

Term: variables that regulate change in the behavior (movement) of the child

Answer 36

Control parameters

Question 37

Term: factors that limit the ability of the child to move

Answer 37

Rate limiters

Question 38

Term: stable movement patterns (preferred but not obligatory)

Answer 38

Attractors

Question 39

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

Answer 39

Ecological systems theory of bioecological theory

Question 40

Term: activities and interactions in the child's immediate surroundings - parents, school, friends, etc.

Answer 40

Microsystem

Question 41

Term: relationships among the entities involved in the child's microsystem - parents' interactions w/ teachers, school's interactions w/ daycare provider

Answer 41

Mesosystem

Question 42

Term: social institutions which affect children indirection | - parents' work settings and policies, extended family networks, mass media, community resources

Answer 42

Exosystem

Question 43

Term: broader cultural values, laws and governmental resources

Answer 43

Macrosystem

Question 44

Term: changes which occur during a child's life, both personally and culturally - birth of a sibling, the Iraqi war

Answer 44

Chronosystem

Question 45

Principle of Development: child first gains control of the head, then arms, then legs

Answer 45

Cephalocaudal principle

Question 46

Principle of Development: spinal cord develops before other parts of the body; arms before hands; hands before fingers, etc.

Answer 46

Proximodistal principle

Question 47

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

Answer 47

Maturation

Question 48

``` In which order do these parts of the nervous system mature? cerebrum spinal cord brainstem cortex ```

Answer 48

spinal cord brainstem cerebellum cortex

Question 49

Term: once the cortex maturates and synapses start to organize, the synapses organize in different regions (some are responsible for head, arms, legs, etc.)

Answer 49

Neuronal group selection

Question 50

Term: continuing process of the creation and organization of neuron connections that occurs as a result of a person's life experience

Answer 50

Experience-dependent

Question 51

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

Answer 51

Experience-expectant

Question 52

Term: a time when children vary in their selection of a movement strategy in response to a particular task

Answer 52

Sensitive period

Question 53

Are sensitive periods the result of experience dependent or expectant maturation.

Answer 53

Dependent

Question 54

T/F: Periods of instability or disequilibrium drive the developmental process.

Answer 54

True