Physical & Cognitive Development Flashcards
What is maturation?
Biologically based changes that follow an orderly sequence, each step setting the stage for the next step according to an age related timetable.
What is a critical period?
Periods of special sensitivity to specific types of learning and sensory stimulation that shape the capacity for future development.
What is a sensitive period?
Times that are more important to subsequent development than others.
What is the ongoing debate regarding development?
Whether or not it occurs in critical periods or sensitive periods and whether or not it occurs in stages.
What is a stage?
Relatively discrete steps through which everyone progresses in the same sequence as opposed ti a steady and gradual change.
What occurs in brain development withing the first two years?
The formation of major synapses in auditory, visual and language areas.
What needs to occur for neural connections to survive?
They require stimulation: Those that are not stimulated are pruned.
What is Myleanation?
The coating of neural fibers with insulating fatty sheath that improves efficiency of message transfer.
What can change refer to?
The acquisition or the loss of a behavior or function.
What are the ways change can occur?
- Continuous: The gradual alteration of behavior
- Discontinuous: Refers to stages of growth that are qualitatively different and that are usually ordered in a fixed sequence.
What are the three types of design used in research of development?
- Cross-sectional: Compares groups of different ages at a time.
- Longitudinal: compares same group at multiple time points.
- Sequential: Combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal.
What are the three periods of prenatal development?
- Germinal period: The fertilized egg (zygote) enters a 2 week period of rapid cell division
- Embryonic period: The developing human organism (embryo) from 2 weeks through 2nd month.
- Foetal period: The developing human organism (foetus) from 9 weeks after conception to birth.
What is a teratogen?
An environmental agent that harm the embryo.
What are four types of teratogen?
- AOD
- Chemicals
- Radiation
- Virus
In development, what is a reflex?
Innate motor responses elicited by critical stimuli and are adaptive.
Name two reflexes,
- Rooting reflex: a touch on the cheek induces the infant to move its mouth toward the source of the touch.
- Sucking reflex: Tactile stimulation of the mouth produces rhythmic sucking.