Chapter Four Handout: Developmental Psychology

Chapter Four Handout: Developmental Psychology

Early Vision: Cues

Birth-1mo / Sensitivity to motion cues
2-4 mo / Sensitivity to binocular cues
5-12 mo / Sensitivity to pictoral cues, Wariness of heights

Early Visual perception

Birth-1mo / Prefer simple, facelike patterns
2-4 mo / Prefer complex facial pattern over other complex patterns
Can distinguish strange and familiar faces; Prefer mom’s face
5-12 mo / Can perceive emotional expressions on faces

Smell, Taste & Touch

*very good if not better than adults (stinky armpit experiment)*

*certain scents are preferred or disliked instinctually (rotten egg vs. banana)*

*taste equivalent based on preferences (sweet, breast milk) and facial expressions (bitter)*

*mom’s diet while pregnant may influence taste preferences (carrot juice)

*infants should respond positively to touch

Benefits of Breastfeeding

*nutrients, immune system, easy to digest, sterile, warm, convenient, easier to wean, has zinc

*maybe: enhances brain functioning, digestion, respiratory systems. Helps premature infants, reduces ovarian cancer & breast cancer in mom, reduces weight in mom, helps shrink uterus, inhibits ovulation, less stress, bonding with baby.

Why do mothers choose not to breastfeed?

*milk production lacking *on medications/diseased *infant too ill *infant adopted

*practicality (work) *lacking education on how *pain *impatience

Matching Activity: Infant Reflexes

Reflex / Description
Breathing, Hiccups, Sneezes, Thrashing / A. Reflexes that maintain body temperature
Cry, Shiver, Tuck in their legs, push away blankets, staying still / B. When the bottom of a baby’s foot is stroked, the toes curl upwards
Sucking Reflex / C. When an infant’s cheek is touched, they will move their mouth towards the source of stimulation
Rooting Reflex / D. When a baby’s foot is placed so its top touches a surface, the baby will place the foot on top of the surface
Moro Reflex* / E. Baby will tightly hold things placed in it’s hand
Stepping Reflex* / F. When something is placed in the baby’s mouth they will suck on it
Babinski Reflex* / G. Reflexes that maintain oxygen supply
Placing Reflex / H. When a baby enters water, they will make swimming movements with arms and legs
Swimming Reflex / I. When a baby is upright and their weight is supported, they will make stepping movements if their feet are placed on the ground
Grasping Reflex / E. When a baby suddenly loses support, the arms flail out then move in in a grasping motion

Matching Activity

Term / Matching
Cephalocaudal Principle / A. Having a deficiency in the diet (enough food, but not the right nutrients).
Proximodistal Principle / B. Growth begins with the head and upper body parts and then proceeds to the rest of the body.
Principle of Independence of Systems / C. The small gaps between neurons
Synapse / D. A disease in which a child’s stomach, limbs, and face swell with water
Myelin / E. Having an improper amount and balance of nutrients
Malnutrition / F. Different body systems grow at different rates
Undernutrition / G. A disorder in which infants stop growing due to a lack of stimulation and attention
Marasmus / H. Speeds the transmission of nerve impulses
Kwashiorkor / I. Development proceeds from the center of the body outward
Nonorganic failure to thrive / J. A disorder in which infants stop growing due to a lack of nutrition.
Term / Matching
A. Conditioned stimulus / An increase in responsiveness after stimulation changes
B. Operant conditioning / A mother sings to her infant while she is nursing the baby. When she later sings, the baby makes sucking movements because the mother’s singing has become a ______
C. Unconditioned stimulus / A reflexive behavior, such as a baby sucking when breast milk is present
D. Imitation / A gradual reduction in the strength of a response due to repetitive stimulation
E. Habituation / The response elicited by the conditioned stimulus
F. Conditioned response / Copying the behavior of another person
G. Reinforcer / A stimulus that increases the occurrence of a response
H. Punishment / A stimulus that consistently produces a reflexive response.
I. Classical conditioning / Removing a desirable stimulus or presenting an unpleasant one to decrease the occurrence of a response.
J. Recovery / Acting on the environment so that the stimulus that follows the behavior changes the probability that the behavior will occur again.
K. Unconditioned response / A form of learning in which a new stimulus is paired with a stimulus that leads to a reflexive response until the new stimulus produces the behavior by itself