Physical and Cognitive Development in Infants and Toddlers Vocabulary

Flashcards on Physical and Cognitive Development in Infants and Toddlers

Cerebral Cortex

Outer layer of the brain

Axon

Extension of a neuron that conducts electrical signals from the cell body to the synapse.

Dendrite

Branchlike part of a neuron that receives impulses from other neurons.

Synapse

Gap between neurons where communication occurs.

Synaptogenesis

Formation of synapses between neurons in the nervous system.

Neural Pruning

Process of synapse elimination that occurs during development.

Brain Plasticity

Ability of the brain to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.

First Reflexes

Automatic responses programmed by noncortical brain centers that newborns exhibit include rooting, sucking and grasping.

Micronutrient Deficiency

Condition characterized by a deficit of micronutrients

Undernutrition

Condition characterized by a lack of adequate nutrition.

Stunting

Failure to reach linear growth potential.

SNAP

Food program - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/Food Stamps

WIC

Food program - Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children

CACFP

Food program - Child and Adult Care Food Program

Crying

Distress signal that peaks at 1 month and declines around 4 months as the cortex develops.

Kangaroo Care

Intervention involving skin-to-skin contact to quiet a young baby.

REM Sleep

Sleep stage prominent in infants.

Attachment Theory

Encouraging self-soothing with sensitive responding to build basic trust and provide unconditional love.

SIDS

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Preferential-Looking Paradigm

Research paradigm using habituation and attraction to novelty to study infant vision.

Gibson's Visual Cliff

Apparatus used to study depth perception in infants.

Cephalocaudal

Growth from top to bottom.

Proximodistal

Growth from interior to outer.

Mass-to-Specific

Growth from large before small and detailed.

Circular Reactions

Action-oriented schemas during the first two years.

Primary Circular Reactions

Repetitive actions centered on the body (1-4 months).

Secondary Circular Reactions

Action-oriented schemas related to the outside world (around 4 months).

Tertiary Circular Reactions

"Little scientists" behaviors (around 1 year).

Means-End Behavior

Performing different actions to achieve a goal.

Object Permanence

Understanding that objects exist even when out of sight.

A-not-B Error

Error where infants search for a hidden object where they previously found it, instead of where they last saw it.

Cooing

First sounds growing out of reflexes, like 'ooooh'.

Babbling

Alternate vowel-consonant sounds, like 'ba-ba-ba'.

Holophrases

First one-word sentences, like 'ja' for 'I want juice'.

Telegraphic Speech

Two-word combinations, often with a vocabulary explosion, like 'Me juice'.

Infant-Directed Speech (IDS)

Adults talking to infants using distinctive mode of expression.