Chapter 3: Physical and Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood

Cephalocaudal Development

development from head to toes

Proximodistal

development from center of body

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

unexpected death of infant

Neurogenesis

creation of new neurons beginning in the embryonic stage

Synaptogenesis

how neurons form synapses and increase connections between neurons

Synaptic pruning

improves communication by removing unused connections

Myelination

improves communication between neurons

Moro reflex

arms reach out and head goes backP

Palmer reflex

strong fist or grasp

Tonic neck

turns head to one side and flexes opposite limbs

Preferential looking tasks

experiments designed to see if an infant will look at one stimulus versus another

Habituation

decline in response after repeated exposure to stimulus

Dishabuation

renewed interest in slightly altered stimulus

Disequilibrium

a mismatch between schemas and the world leads to confusion and discomfort

Cognitive schemas

a mental representation as a way of interacting with the world

Equilibrium

a balance between schemas and the outside world

Assimilation

integrating new experience into a pre existing schema

Accomodation

modifying a schema with new information

Receptive Language

words infants recognize

Productive language

words infants sayF

Fast Mapping

a process of quickly acquiring and retaining a word after hearing it only a few times

Overextension

applying a word too broadly

Underextension

applying a word too narrowly

Learning language theory

learned through operant conditioning

Nativist theory

human brain has innate ability to learn language

LAD

A facilitator of language that allows infants to analyze speech and determine its rules

Broca’s Area

ability to express language

Wernicke’s Area

ability to comprehend language

Working memory

holds and processes information that is used in cognitive tasks