humanities final 3-4 (infancy)

theory of brain development in infants. emphasizes the importance of interactions between experiences and gene expression. says biological processes (ex. genes) and environmental processes influence brain development, the brain has plasticity and is context dependent, and development of brain is linked with cognitive development.

earliest growth occurs at the top, while physical growth and differentiation of features works from top down

growth starts at the center of the body and moves towards extremities

specialization of function in one hemisphere or the other

16 to 17

sudden infant death syndrome, where an infant stops breathing and dies without an apparent cause. babies should sleep on their backs to reduce the risk, as increases access to air and reduces risk of overheating. most likely to occur in low birth weight and Black american children. risks are exposure to cigarette smoke, soft bedding, and sleeping with parents.

breast milk provides appropriate weight gain and reduced risk of obesity, fewer GI and respiratory infections, and maturation of immune system and cardiovascular fitness. infants need 50 calories for each pound they weight.

seeks to explain how motor behaviors are assembled for perceiving and acting. emphasizes that experience plays an important role in motor development, says that perception and action are coupled. infants must perceive something that motivates them to act, and use perception to fine-tune movements. motor skills are a pathway to a goal.

automatic movements that govern newborn’s behavior. automatic and involuntary. the rooting reflex causes infants to turn towards something that touches their cheek or mouth, and the sucking reflex causes infants to automatically suck objects placed in their mouths. the moro reflex causes infants to arch back, throw their head back, and bring arms and legs close to their trunk when they hear a loud noise.

involve large muscle activities. develops within a few weeks by holding head up. locomotion and postural control are closely linked examples.

involve finely tuned movements, the onset or reaching and grasping are significant accomplishments occurring in 2 years of life

occurs when information interacts with sensory receptors.

the interpretation of what is sensed.

humans perceive information that exists in the world around us. perception brings us into contact with the environment so we can interact and adapt to it. perception is designed for action.

6 months

several weeks prior to birth

the integration of two or more sensory modalities (ex. hearing and vision). basic form is present in newborns and develops over first years of life.

people who advocate for the role of nature in developmental perception

people who believe in the role of nurture in developmental perception

infinite generativity, which is the ability to produce and comprehend an endless number of meaningful sentences using a finite set of words and rules.

crying (immediately), cooing (2-4 months), babbling (middle of first year), gestures (8-12 months)

children are biologically preqired to elarn laguage at a certain time in a certain way. children are born with a langauge aquisition device, which enables them to detect features and rules of language.

a feeling that occurs when a person is in a state or interaction that is important to them. they play an important role in communication with others and behavioral organization. classified as positive or negative.