E PSY 224 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Overprotected, Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, Abusive Head Trauma
Document Summary
Proximodistal principle: the principle that development proceeds from the center of the body outward. Cephalocaudal principle: the principle that growth follows a pattern that begins with the head and upper body parts and then proceeds down to the rest of the body. Principle of hierarchical integration: the principle that simple skills typically develop separately and independently but are later integrated into more complex skills. Principle of the independence of systems: the principle that different body systems grow at different rates. Neuron: the basic nerve cell of the nervous system. Synapse: the gap at the connection between neurons, through which neurons chemically communicate with one another. Synaptic pruning: the elimination of neurons as the result of nonuse or lack of stimulation. Myelin: a fatty substance that helps insulate neurons and speeds the transmission of nerve impulses. Cerebral cortex: the upper layer of the brain. Plasticity: the degree to which a developing structure or behavior is modifiable due to experience.