Ch. 4 Vocab Flashcards
(16 cards)
synapses
connections between neurons
synaptogenesis
the process of synapse development
pruning
the process of eliminating unused synapses
myelinization
(myelination) a process in neuronal development in which sheaths made of substances called myelin gradually cover individual axons and electrically insulate them from one another to improve the conductivity of the nerve
reticular formation
the part of the brain that regulates attention
adaptive reflexes
reflexes, such as sucking, that helps newborns survive
primitive reflexes
reflexes, controlled by “primitive” parts of the brain, that disappear during the first year of life
colic
an infant behavior pattern involving intense daily bouts of crying totaling 3 or more hours a day
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
a phenomenon in which an apparently healthy infant rise suddenly and unexpectedly
visual acuity
how ell one can see detail at a distance
tracking
the smooth movements of the eye to follow the track of moving object
preference technique
a research method in which a researcher keeps track of how long a baby looks at each of two objects shown
habituation
a decline in attention that occurs because a stimulus has become familiar
dishabituation
responding to a somewhat familiar stimulus as if it were new
nativists
theorists who claim that perceptual abilities are inborn
empiricists
theorists who argue that perceptual abilities are learned
