PSYC 289 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Erik Erikson, Visual Acuity, Social Constructivism
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Why study physical development
❖Makes new behaviors possible
❖Determines experience
❖Affects others responses
❖Affects self concept Ex: looking older than you are, makes you get treated differently
Physical
Growth of the body
More rapid after birth
Cephalocaudal- head to foot Head grows first, body, then legs
Proximodistal--development progresses from the center of the body outward
Brain Development
Neuron-nerve cell that handles info processing at the cellular level
*structure of the neuron photo body axon synapse terminal
Prenatal- largest number of neurons are created(born with most, unmyelinated, not connected)
●At birth brain has 100+ billion neuron
●Brain triples in weight by age 2 (75% of adult weight)
●By age 5, brain 90% of adult weight
●Neurogenesis: creation of new neurons
●Programmed cell death: makes space for connection, neurons dying off, pruning of
neurons
Synaptogenesis-proliferation- allows new connection of synapses by 15 months
Different areas of the brain receive different levels of synaptogenesis- receives the most in the
back, least in the front
Synaptic Pruning- elimination of unused synapses, allows for more efficient functioning
Myelination- covers axon, insulation, speeds transmission of neural impulses, develops back to
front, children can process info faster/more efficiently, dependent on experience(fires more)
Functional Changes
Migration---migration of neurons to other parts of the brain, lateralization--sides of brain taking
on different function, language-left…...left handed people often have lang in right or both
hemispheres, not always, plasticity-young children have highest plasticity and ability to
recovery, more synapses
Sensitive periods in Brain Development
Stimulation is vital when brain is growing rapidly Visual cortex is set up--no
input from visual input, rewires
●Experience expectant growth---ordinary experiences “expected” by brain to grow
normally
Expect sound
●Experience dependent growth--additional growth as a result of specific learning
experiences
Unique to an individual/subgroup -- london cab drivers, navigating city daily changed way they
could manipulate maps/cities
**sensitive period where we expect input or we rewire---usually can not return to normal
Romanian children adopted after 6 months showed increasing cognitive impairment the longer
they were institutionalized-poor environment Early adopted-showed more improved
Shows a sensitive period
Motor Development
❖Increasingly complex systems of action with each skill
❖Each new skill is joint product of
➢1. Cns development
➢2. Body’s movement capacity---strong enough muscles
➢3. Childs goals--
➢4. Environmental supports---parent helping them frequently
Develop Norms
1. Average ages at which attributes and skills appear
2. Cannot be used to predict indiv development(timing)
Gross motor Devel
Involves large muscle groups
Fine motor devel
Small movement/muscle groups writing/drawing
Individual Differences
➔Inherited factors(genetics) how large is the child, balance prob bc of vision
➔Gender Boys tend to walk earlier
➔Environmental factors amount of support provided
➔Health
Roll over--back to sleep, infants asleep on tummies=higher chance for SIDS, tummy time when
they are awake
What are sensation and perception
Sensation: occurs when info interacts with sensory receptors
Perception:the interpretation of what is sensed
Vision 2/6
●Visual acuity:20/80 by 6 months 20/20 by four years
●Newborns perceive few colors initially
○3 to four month old perceive colors similarly to adults
Vision: depth perception
❖Visual cliff studies: if infants can perceive depth, they should not climb to fall off, proven
true learning what they are capable of doing decrease in heart rate at edge of
cliff/deep shows attention
Using habituation to study infant memory and knowledge
Infants are attracted to new things/novelty helps them learn 1)habituation phase: show infants
novel stimulus repeatedly until they are used to it/habituated 2) show two images, look longer
to novelty stimulus new and habituated stimulus - assess recent memory 3) longer time
bt phases- familiarity preference makes them look at the habituated one bc they recognize it
compared to the novel one -assess remote memory
Milestones in face perception
birth-1 m prefer simple, facelike patterns
2-4m prefer more complex facial patterns, can distinguish strange from familiar faces,
prefer moms face to strangers vision is developing focus less on edges more on middle
facial areas Memory
5-12 can perceive emo expressions on faces
Major physical developments in 6 years
➔Transform from dependent infant to active, curious child
➔Advances in motor skills as they become stronger and their body grows
➔Brain development: by 5, brain is 90 percent of adult weight
Thinking and learning
1. Piaget: child=active learner
❖Four stages not tested on substages
➢birth -2 Sensorimotor
➢Senses-how you sense world and motor/move through it
➢Circular reaction-reaction to stimulus/environment
■Often reflexives or done accidently
❖Object permanence 9-10 m still not a full understanding
➢A not b error more likely to make error if they reach to a more often
Document Summary
Affects self concept ex: looking older than you are, makes you get treated differently. Proximodista l--development progresses from the center of the body outward. Neuron-nerve cell that handles info processing at the cellular level. *structure of the neuron photo body axon synapse terminal. Prenatal- largest number of neurons are created(born with most, unmyelinated, not connected) At birth brain has 100+ billion neuron. Brain triples in weight by age 2 (75% of adult weight) By age 5, brain 90% of adult weight. Programmed cell death: makes space for connection, neurons dying off, pruning of neurons. Synaptogenesis-proliferation- allows new connection of synapses by 15 months. Different areas of the brain receive different levels of synaptogenesis- receives the most in the back, least in the front. Synaptic pruning- e limination of unused synapses, allows for more efficient functioning. Myelination- covers axon, insulation, speeds transmission of neural impulses, develops back to front, children can process info faster/more efficiently, dependent on experience(fires more)
