sensory perception development

Question 1

evolution of the senses

Answer 1

human species lived close to the earth, evolved to derive benefit of close touch and connection to other people’s bodies

saw no differences between the self and the world in a similar way to how children see others as an extension of themselves

we evolved for a hunter gatherer lifestyle , which is why modern life is so difficult

Question 2

what is the definition of infancy

Answer 2

• birth to two years of age
• period of relative helplessness
• dependence on caregivers for survival
• need to acquire vast repertoire of skills and knowledge to eventually reach reproductive age

Question 3

precocious infant - Haith and Benson

Answer 3

said we are born with greater capacities for perceiving and acting in the world than observation of behaviour suggests

Question 4

what is phylogeny

Answer 4

concerns the evolutionary origins of a species

Question 5

what is ontogeny

Answer 5

developmental lifespan of a single organism

Question 6

sensory capabilities at birth

Answer 6

all sensory processes are functioning at birth, but their development is heterochronous (happening at different times)

Question 7

development of the visual system

Answer 7

visual system is anatomically present at birth, but not mature

coordinated eye movement not possible

nearsighted, blurry

Question 8

postnatal auditory development

Answer 8

prior to birth, most responsive to low frequency sounds

after birth, airborne sound waves become accessible to newborn, so can respond to higher frequency sounds

Question 9

can baby taste

Answer 9

facial expressions when given sour/sweet food

important mechanism for survival, many bitter foods can be toxic, mother’s breast milk is sweet tasting

Question 10

can baby smell

Answer 10

preference for certain odours, smell of rotten food makes infant frown

helps mother and child recognise each other/detect food source

Question 11

why is it important to test reflexes in infancy

Answer 11

absent or weak reflexes can inform about central nervous system function

persistence of reflexes can indicate damage to the cerebral cortex

Question 12

what are cephalocaudal and proximodistal when talking about motor development

Answer 12

cephalocaudal = development starts from head to tail

proximodistal = centre outwards