Chapter 4: Physical and Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood Flashcards
first years of life are characterized by far-reaching changes
- size
- language
- brain structure
- adaptability
- flexibility
during infant and toddler years
- growth is more rapid and health is more fragile
- genes play a long-term role but are less influential in size during this time
breastfeeding for infants
- ideal food until about six months
disease and mortality in infants
- get sick often
- worldwide, nearly 4 out of 100 die before age 5
inadequate sleep for babies is related to
irritability and poorer health
experiment-expectant
development relies on nearly universal environmental inputs
experiment-dependent
development relies on quantity or quality of environmental input
fine motor skills
small
gross motor skills
big
cephalocaudal pattern
development sequence in which the earliest growth always occurs at the top head, physical growth and differentiation of features gradually working their way down from top to bottom
proximodistal pattern
control of movement begins in the core and expands outward
Piaget’s Theory of cognitive development
Young infants’ early cognitive activity is a combination of their senses and motor activities
children’s thinking develops in 6 distinct stages
1- reflexes
2- primary circular reactions
3- secondary circular reaction
4- coordination of secondary reactions
5- tertiary circular reactions
6- mental combinations
schemes
actions or mental representations that organize knowledge:
- behavioral scheme
- mental scheme
assimilation
using existing schemes to deal with new information or experiences
accomodation
adjusting schemes to fit new information and experiences
primary circular reactions
adaption of reflexes
secondary circular reactions
making fun last
coordination od secondary reactions
making a plan for action; object permanence
tertiary circular reactions
little scientists running experiments
mental combinations
thinking before doing; mental representation
sensorimotor period
- birth to 2 years of age
- infants construct an understanding of the world by coordinating sensory experience and developing motor abilities
development of object permanence
understanding that objects and events continue to exist even when they cannot directly be seen, heard, or touched
simple reflexes
coordination of sensation and action through reflexive behaviors