Lifespan Development CH 5

Dynamic Systems View

motor development occurs through interaction of brain, body, and environment

Reflexes

automatic responses

Sucking reflex

allows feeding

Moro reflex

startle response

Grasping reflex

baby grabs objects placed in hand

Gross motor

larger muscles

ex walking, running, jumping

Fine motor

small muscles

ex writing, buttoning clothes, picking up a coin

Pincer grip

thumb and forefinger grasp

Palmer grasp

whole hand grasp

Peak physical performance

usually late teens through late 20s

Sensation

detecting information

ex eyes detecting light

Perception

interpreting information

ex recognizing a face

Visual acuity

sharpness of vision

improved during infancy

Face perception

newborns prefer faces

Color vision

present early, improves rapidly

Perceptual constancy

objects remain the same despite changes in appearance

Depth perception

ability to perceive distance

measured using the visual cliff experiment

Habituation

decreased response to repeated stimulus

Dishabituation

renewed interest when a new stimulus appears

Hearing

fetuses can hear by about 24-28 weeks of gestation

Fetal learning

babies recognize sounds heard before birth

ex mother’s voice

Smell and taste

yes, infants show preferences at birth

ex preference for sweet tastes

Intermodal perception

combining information from multiple senses

ex seeing lips move and hearing speech simultaneously

Nativists

believe development is primarily biological

Empiricists

believe development is primarily shaped by experience

Perceptual-motor coupling

movement and perception work together

ex a crawling infant uses visual information to navigate around obstacles