motor development Flashcards
what are reflexes?
innate involuntary adaptive actions that occur in response to a particular stimulation
what are the 4 main types of adaptive reflexes present in children?
- grasping
- rooting
- sucking
- stepping
at which age do most reflexes disappear?
2 months, though things like coughing, sneezing, blinking, etc do not disappear
describe the sequence of motor milestones
- prone, lifting head
- prone, chest up, uses arms for support
- rolling over
- support some weight with legs
- sits without support
- stands with support
- pulls self to stand
- walks using furniture for support
- stands alone easily
- walks alone easily
why might the sequence of motor milestones be biased/flawed?
- based on WEIRD: western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic
- only 15% of global population is WEIRD
at what age do babies start crawling (if they do crawl)
7-8 months old
why do some babies skip crawling?
- upper body or core weakness
- hypersensitivity to texture of floor
- tonic neck reflex still present
- insufficient opportunity
what cultural difference explains why some 5 month olds can sit without support longer than others?
- in places where babies aren’t given as many opportunities for postural support, they develop better core strength allowing them to sit up longer
- baby furniture and being held often can mean babies take longer to reach this milestone
what are two examples of cultural differences that affect motor development?
- in some countries (eg. urban china) infants are discouraged from crawling on the floor due to hygiene/safety concerns meaning they crawl later or even never
- motor exercises like stretching and suspension are promoted in places like sub-saharan Africa, which lead to more advanced motor skill development
how do diapers affect walking?
- infants show more mature walking when naked vs when wearing a diaper
- diapers may contribute to cross-cultural differences in walking
what were the early theories behind motor development?
motor development was governed by cortical maturation
what are the current theories behind motor development
motor development is governed by complex interplay between numerous factors:
1. neural development
2. increase in physical strength
3. physical abilities (posture and balance)
4. perceptual skills
5. change in body proportions and weight
6. motivation
what happens to the stepping reflex? why?
- disappears at 2 months then reappears at 7-12 months
- infants gain weight faster than they build leg muscle and thus have insufficient strength to lift heavier legs
what role does motivation play in motor development?
- infants are intrinsically motivated to learn, allowing for persistence despite failure
- continue to practice new skills (walking) even if they possess skills that could accomplish the same goal (crawling)
- highly motivated infants achieve all motor milestones earlier than less motivated infants
what is the importance of motor development?
- enables active learning (trial and error rather than just observation)
- expands the infants world (increases opportunities for learning)
- facilitates development of skills in other domains, especially vision and social behaviour
