Infancy - Psych 314

Moro Reflex

Appears at 7th month gestation, disappears at 3 months; arms extend and back arches in response to loud noise or sudden drop.

Darwinian Reflex

Appears at 7th month gestation, disappears at 4 months; strong fist response when palm is stroked.

Tonic Neck Reflex

Appears at 7th month gestation; disappears at 5 months; fencer's pose with head turned to one side.

Babinski Reflex

Appears at birth, disappears at 4 months; toes fan out when the sole of the foot is stroked.

Rooting Reflex

Appears at birth, disappears at 9 months; baby turns head and opens mouth in response to cheek stimulus.

Cognitive Development

Infants construct knowledge through sensory and motor experiences, according to Piaget.

Object Permanence

Understanding that objects continue to exist even when they can't be seen, develops fully by 18-24 months.

Secure Attachment

Ainsworth's attachment type where infants are upset when caregiver leaves and happy upon return.

SIDS Risk Factors

Includes abnormal brain stem function, sleep apnea, low birth weight, and exposure to cigarette smoke.

Synaptic Pruning

A process that removes unused neural connections, emphasizing 'use it or lose it' in brain development.

Fast Mapping

Quickly learning new words based on limited exposure.

Social Referencing

Looking to caregivers for emotional cues or guidance during uncertain situations.

Two-Word Utterances

Emerges around 12-18 months; simple phrases like 'more juice' indicating beginning language development.

Erikson's Trust vs. Mistrust

First psychosocial stage where infants develop security with caregivers from birth to 1 year.

Innate Morality

The concept that infants have a preference for helpful individuals over unhelpful ones, indicating early moral understanding.

Neonatal Sensory Preferences: Taste

Newborns can distinguish between sweet, sour, salty, and bitter tastes, showing a preference for sweet.

Cognitive Milestones: 4-8 months

Development of object interactions, babbling, and social referencing behaviors.

Glial Cells

Supportive cells in the brain playing key roles in neural growth, synaptic plasticity, and brain development.

Attachment Theory

A psychological framework describing the dynamics of long-term interpersonal relationships, particularly between infants and caregivers.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

A condition resulting from alcohol exposure during pregnancy, leading to developmental issues and physical abnormalities in infants.

Developmental Milestones

Specific skills or behaviors that most children can do by a certain age which indicate normal development.

Sensory Modality Development

The process through which infants develop the ability to perceive and respond to sensory information.

Neonatal Reflexes

Involuntary movements in newborns crucial for survival, including sucking, swallowing, and stepping reflexes.

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

Chomsky's theory suggesting humans are born with an innate ability to acquire language.

Social Communication

The use of verbal and nonverbal cues in interactions, which develops in infancy through social interactions.

Temperament Types

Differences in behavior styles in infants that shape their interactions with the environment, often categorized into easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up types.

Emotional Regulation

The ability of infants to manage their emotional responses, which begins to develop in the first year of life.

Parental Bonding

The emotional connection that develops between parents and their child, influencing the child's development and attachment.

Joint Attention

A social-communicative skill where two people focus on the same object or event, crucial for language and social development.

Infant Perception

The study of how infants perceive, process, and respond to sensory stimuli, including sight, sound, and touch.

Cognitive Schema

Mental structures that organize knowledge and guide cognitive processes in infants.

Motor Development in Infancy

The process by which infants develop the ability to control their body movements, including both gross and fine motor skills.

Vision Development in Infants

The gradual improvement of an infant's vision, including the ability to focus, depth perception, and color recognition.

Neonatal Sleep Patterns

Newborns tend to sleep between 14-17 hours a day; sleep is crucial for growth and brain development.

Taste Development in Infancy

Infants show a preference for sweet tastes and learn to recognize different flavors through exposure.

Temperament Types: Easy

Infants who are generally positive, adaptable, and have regular routines; they respond well to new experiences.

Temperament Types: Difficult

Infants who may be fussy, easily frustrated, and have irregular routines; they may react negatively to new experiences.

Environmental Influences on Development

Factors in a child's environment, including socioeconomic status and family dynamics, that impact growth and development.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)

Stressful events occurring in childhood that can negatively impact emotional and physical health later in life.

Neurological Development

The progression of the brain's structure and function as an infant grows, influenced by genetic and environmental factors.

Sensorimotor Substages

Piaget's stages of infant cognitive development from birth to 2 years, including reflexive actions and understanding object permanence.

Developmental Milestones: 0-3 months

Infants can lift their head while lying on their stomach, follow moving objects with their eyes, and start to recognize caregivers.

Social Development in Infants

Involves the formation of emotional bonds with caregivers, beginning to show preferences for familiar faces between 2-4 months.

Language Milestones: 0-12 months

Includes cooing by 2-3 months, babbling by 4-6 months, and understanding simple commands by 9-12 months.

Cognitive Development: 0-2 years

Infants learn about the world through their senses and actions, forming basic concepts of reality.

Emotional Development in Infancy

Infants begin to express a variety of emotions, including joy, anger, and fear, typically by 3-6 months.

Solitary Play

Play where infants engage independently without interaction with other children, starting around 0-12 months.

Parallel Play

A stage of play where toddlers play alongside each other but do not directly interact, occurring around ages 2-3.

Babbling

Repetitive consonant-vowel combinations (e.g., 'ba-ba') that begin around 4-6 months and are crucial for language development.

Visual Cliff Experiment

A study that demonstrated depth perception in infants around 6-12 months using a model of a cliff.

Infantile Amnesia

The inability to remember events from early childhood, typically before the age of 3.

Attachment Styles

Different ways children relate to caregivers, categorized into secure, avoidant, resistant, and disorganized.

Growth Spurts

Rapid periods of physical growth in early childhood, often accompanied by changes in appetite and sleep patterns.

Executive Functioning

Cognitive processes in early childhood that include working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control.

Play-Based Learning

An educational approach that uses play as a primary method for children to learn and develop skills.

Language Development Milestones (2-3 years)

Children typically begin to use simple sentences and have a vocabulary of 200-1,000 words by age 3.

Self-Regulation

The ability of children to manage their emotions, behaviors, and attention, developing significantly in early childhood.

Social Skills Development

The process by which children learn to interact positively with peers and adults, including sharing and cooperation.

Emotional Literacy

The ability to recognize and understand emotions in oneself and others, crucial for social development during early childhood.

Fine Motor Skills

Coordination of small muscles in movements, significant for tasks like writing, buttoning, and drawing.

Gross Motor Skills

Larger movements involving the arms, legs, and whole body, critical for activities like running, jumping, and climbing.

Cognitive Development: 2-7 years

Children begin to engage in symbolic play and learn to manipulate symbols, according to Piaget's Preoperational Stage.

Play Types in Early Childhood

Includes functional play (repetitive motor activities), constructive play (building or creating), and dramatic play (role-playing).

Language Development Milestones (1-2 years)

Children typically can say 10-50 words and start to combine words into simple phrases.

Social Development: Cooperative Play

Emerges around age 3, where children begin to play together, share, and develop friendships.

Emotional Development: Self-Concept

Develops around age 2-3 as children begin to recognize themselves as separate individuals.

Parenting Styles

Includes authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved; each style affects child outcomes differently.

Gender Identity in Early Childhood

Children start to identify their own gender and understand gender roles typically between ages 2-5.

Self-Esteem Development

Children's feelings of self-worth that develop through feedback from parents, peers, and experiences.

Resilience in Early Childhood

The ability of children to cope with stress and bounce back from challenges, influenced by supportive adults.

Transition to School

A critical period for children around age 5-6 when they adjust from home or preschool to formal schooling settings.

Fine Motor Skills Development

The development of small muscle movements, such as grasping and manipulating objects, necessary for tasks like writing.

Gross Motor Skills Development

The development of larger muscle movements, essential for activities like running, jumping, and climbing, typically advancing in early childhood.

Emotional Development: Empathy

The capacity to understand and share the feelings of others, beginning to develop in early childhood.

Self-Regulation Skills

Children's ability to manage their emotions, behaviors, and attention, crucial for social interactions and learning.

Play as a Learning Tool

Play fosters cognitive, social, and emotional development, serving as a primary means for children to explore and learn.

Gender Identity Development

The process where children recognize and start to identify their gender, typically occurring between ages 2-5.

Parental Involvement in Learning

The engagement of parents in their children's educational experiences, positively affecting children's academic and social outcomes.

Social Skills Development: Sharing

The ability to share and take turns, a critical social skill that emerges during early childhood.

Transitioning to New Environments

Adjustment periods for children when moving to new educational settings, influencing their emotional and social development.

Crisis Resilience in Children

The ability of young children to cope with stress and recover from challenging situations, supported by caring relationships.

Sleep Importance for Infants

Sleep is crucial for infant growth, brain development, and emotional regulation.

Nutritional Needs in Infancy

Infants require a balanced diet rich in proteins, fats, and essential vitamins for proper growth.

Breastfeeding Benefits

Breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition and antibodies that protect against infections.

Introduction of Solids

Solid foods are typically introduced around 6 months, complementing breast milk or formula.

Hydration Needs in Infants

Infants require appropriate hydration, primarily through milk until solids are introduced.

Circadian Rhythms in Infants

Infants begin to develop sleep-wake cycles that align with environmental cues by 3-4 months.

Malnutrition Risks in Infancy

Poor nutrition can lead to developmental delays and increase the risk of chronic illnesses.

Growth Patterns in Infancy

Infants typically double their birth weight by 4-6 months and triple it by the first year.

Influence of Nutrition on Development

Adequate nutrition influences cognitive, physical, and emotional development during infancy.

Sleep Training Techniques

Methods such as gentle sleep coaching can help infants develop healthy sleep habits.