Lesson 3: Infancy and Toddlerhood

Question 1

What is the average birth weight and length of a newborn in the U.S.?

Answer 1

The average newborn weighs about 7.5 pounds and is approximately 20 inches long.

Question 2

By what age does an infant’s weight typically quadruple?

Answer 2

By age two.

Question 3

What is the term for the rapid formation of neural connections in early infancy?

Answer 3

Synaptic Blooming.

Question 4

What happens during synaptic pruning?

Answer 4

Neural connections are reduced, strengthening those that are used more frequently.

Question 5

What is the function of myelin in the nervous system?

Answer 5

Myelin insulates nerve cells and speeds up the transmission of impulses.

Question 6

What is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)?

Answer 6

It is the sudden, unexplained death of a healthy infant, typically during sleep.

Question 7

How many hours a day does a newborn typically sleep?

Answer 7

Approximately 16.5 hours.

Question 8

What percentage of a newborn’s sleep is spent in the REM phase?

Answer 8

About 50%.

Question 9

What safe sleep recommendation reduces the risk of SIDS?

Answer 9

Placing infants on their backs to sleep.

Question 10

Why is co-sleeping controversial in Western cultures?

Answer 10

It has been linked to higher risks of SIDS and accidental suffocation.

Question 11

What are newborn reflexes?

Answer 11

Involuntary movements in response to stimuli, such as the sucking and rooting reflexes.

Question 12

What is the Moro reflex?

Answer 12

It is a startle response where an infant spreads their arms and legs outward and then pulls them back in.

Question 13

When do infants typically develop the pincer grasp?

Answer 13

Around 9 months of age.

Question 14

What is the cephalocaudal principle in motor development?

Answer 14

Development proceeds from head to toe.

Question 15

What are gross motor skills?

Answer 15

Skills involving large muscle groups, such as crawling and walking.

Question 16

How well can newborns see at birth?

Answer 16

Newborns have limited vision, with an acuity of about 20/400.

Question 17

At what age do infants develop depth perception?

Answer 17

By 6 months.

Question 18

Why do infants prefer high-contrast patterns?

Answer 18

Because their immature visual system finds high contrast easier to see.

Question 19

How soon after birth can infants distinguish their mother’s voice?

Answer 19

Almost immediately.

Question 20

What is intermodal perception?

Answer 20

The ability to integrate information from multiple senses, such as sight and touch.

Question 21

What are the benefits of breastfeeding for infants?

Answer 21

Lower risks of infections, obesity, and type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Question 21

What is colostrum?

Answer 21

The first breast milk produced, rich in nutrients and antibodies.

Question 21

What are the maternal benefits of breastfeeding?

Answer 21

Reduced risks of breast and ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes.

Question 22

At what age should solid foods be introduced to an infant’s diet?

Answer 22

Between 4 to 6 months, when the infant shows readiness.

Question 23

What is marasmus?

Answer 23

A severe form of malnutrition caused by a lack of calories and protein.

Question 24

What are schemas in Piaget’s theory?

Answer 24

Frameworks for organizing information.

Question 25

What is assimilation?

Answer 25

Integrating new information into existing schemas.

Question 26

What is accommodation?

Answer 26

Modifying schemas to incorporate new information.

Question 27

At what age do children typically master object permanence?

Answer 27

Around 8 months.

Question 27

What is object permanence?

Answer 27

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight.

Question 28

How does Rovee-Collier’s research demonstrate infant memory?

Answer 28

Infants remembered how to move a mobile by kicking their legs after a delay.

Question 28

What is infantile amnesia?

Answer 28

The inability to recall memories from the first few years of life.

Question 29

What is deferred imitation?

Answer 29

The ability to replicate an observed action after a time delay.

Question 30

What is a phoneme?

Answer 30

The smallest unit of sound in language.

Question 30

How does context influence infant memory?

Answer 30

Infants remember better when conditions are similar to the original learning environment.

Question 31

What role does brain maturation play in memory development?

Answer 31

Memory improves as the hippocampus and other brain regions mature.

Question 31

What is babbling?

Answer 31

Repeated consonant-vowel sounds, such as "ba-ba," starting around 7 months.

Question 32

What is infant-directed speech?

Answer 32

A high-pitched, exaggerated way adults speak to infants to aid language learning.

Question 33

What is overextension in language?

Answer 33

Using one word to describe all similar objects, like calling all animals "doggie."

Question 34

What is holophrasic speech?

Answer 34

Using single words to represent entire thoughts, common around 12 months.

Question 35

What is temperament?

Answer 35

Innate traits that influence mood, activity level, and emotional reactivity.

Question 36

What are the three temperament types identified by Chess and Thomas?

Answer 36

Easy, difficult, and slow-to-warm-up.

Question 37

What is the Strange Situation Technique?

Answer 37

A method developed by Mary Ainsworth to assess attachment styles in infants.

Question 37

What is secure attachment?

Answer 37

When an infant feels safe exploring but seeks comfort from the caregiver when distressed.

Question 38

What is stranger anxiety?

Answer 38

Fear of unfamiliar people, emerging around 8-9 months.

Question 39

How does Erikson’s theory relate to attachment?

Answer 39

It highlights trust vs. mistrust as the first psychosocial challenge in infancy.

Question 39

What is Bowlby’s theory of attachment?

Answer 39

Attachment is an evolutionary mechanism ensuring infant survival.

Question 40

What is the role of caregiver sensitivity in attachment?

Answer 40

Responsive caregiving fosters secure attachment.

Question 41

What is separation anxiety?

Answer 41

Distress when a caregiver leaves, typically appearing around 6-8 months.

Question 42

How do cultural differences influence attachment behaviors?

Answer 42

Cultures vary in parenting styles, affecting how infants express attachment.

Question 43

At what age do infants typically sit unassisted?

Answer 43

Around 7 months.

Question 44

When do children begin walking independently?

Answer 44

Between 12 and 15 months.

Question 45

How do infants demonstrate self-awareness?

Answer 45

By recognizing themselves in a mirror, typically around 18-24 months.

Question 45

What is social referencing?

Answer 45

Looking to caregivers for cues on how to react in uncertain situations.

Question 45

What is symbolic play?

Answer 45

Using objects to represent other things, emerging around 2 years old.

Question 45

How does socioemotional development vary with parenting styles?

Answer 45

Authoritative parenting promotes confidence and self-reliance.

Question 46

Why is early intervention important for developmental delays?

Answer 46

It can improve outcomes in cognitive, social, and physical domains.

Question 46

How does responsive parenting influence development?

Answer 46

It fosters secure attachment and emotional regulation.

Question 46

What is the impact of inconsistent caregiving?

Answer 46

It can lead to anxious or avoidant attachment.

Question 47

How do siblings influence infant development?

Answer 47

They provide opportunities for social learning and emotional bonding.