Chapter 4 - Physical Development in Infancy

What part(s) of the brain are most developed at birth?

Midbrain and medulla

(Regulate vital functions)

What part(s) of the brain are least developed at birth?

Cortex

(Involved in higher cognitive functions)

What is the process of old synapses being discarded? Why does it happen?

Synaptic pruning

Old synapses that are no longer needed are discarded to make room for new ones — brain becomes more efficient

What is neuroplasticity?

Reorganization of the brain following injury, trauma, or other experiences that allows it to adapt and change throughout life.

When is myelinization most rapid?

First two years

What type of reflex is sucking?

Adaptive

How long do primitive reflexes last?

~6 months

What reflex is tested at birth? What happens if the test fails?

Babinski reflex

Failure suggests neurological defects

True or false

Mothers can recognize different types of cry

True

A baby cries rhythmically at a consistent volume. What cry is this most likely?

Basic cry : signals hunger

A baby starts crying and gets louder and more intense. What does this likely indicate?

Anger cry: distress or frustration

A baby starts crying very abruptly. What is most likely the reason?

Pain cry

True or false
Babies are born with inefficient lungs and heart

False

The lungs and heart are fairly developed

What can cause a baby to not breastfeed?

• Classical conditioning: one instance where baby had a negative experience while breastfeeding, leading to refusal.

What is SIDS? How do we prevent it?

Sudden infant death syndrome

• place baby on back when asleep

• avoid bed sharing

• ensure a safe sleep environment.

Which sense is the worst at birth?

Vision

Visual acuity is very poor, starts to develop more at 6 months, and rapidly improves during the first year

What sense is the best developed at birth?

Touch and motion

Responsive to gentle social touching, important in early brain development

What are three ways researchers are able to “ask” an infant about their experiences?

• preference

• habituation

• operant conditioning

What happens when an infant does not get enough visual stimulation in earlier years?

Visual capability fails to develop many years later

• Known as the sleeper effect

True or false

An infant is able to recognize unique faces 

False

A baby may show preference, but does not remember faces until later in development.

True or false

Babies use binocular cues before monocular cues when developing depth perception

True

• binocular: involves both eyes (4 months)

• monocular: input from one eye (5-7months)

True or false

At 6 months, infants can discriminate only single syllables

False

At 6 months, they can discriminate two syllable words 

True or false

Babies can distinguish sound contrasts of any language, but this ability fades after 6 months

True

True or false

Babies learn parent’s voice after birth

False

In utero

True or false

Babies can discriminate their mothers voice from another female

True

True or false

Babies can discriminate their fathers voice from another male

False

What aspects of development refer to the sensory capabilities of newborns

Innate / nativist aspects

What aspects of development refer to minimum exposure to sensory stimuli is required ?

Experiential / empiricist