Cephalocaudal trend
head to tail" the head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body during prenatal period
Proximodistal trend
growth proceeds "near to far" from the center of the body outward during prenatal period. The head, chest, and trunk grow first then the arms and legs, and finally the hands and feet.
Imitation
by copying the behavior of another person
Habituation
a gradual reduction in strength of a response due to repetitive stimulation
Recovery
when responsiveness starts to increase because of a new stimulus (change in the environment)
Contrast sensitivity
if babies detect a difference in contrast between two patterns, they will prefer the pattern with more visual contrast
Differentiation theory
infants actively search for invariant features (those that remain stable) of the environment in a constantly changing perceptual world
Milestones of Reaching
1. Pre-reaching (lasts until week 7) - poorly coordinated, baby swipes in general direction
2. Reaching (3-4 months) - ulnar grasp with fingers
3. Transfer objects (4-5 months) - move objects from one hand to the other hand
4. Pincer grasp (9 months) - ca
Gross motor development
control over actions that help infants get around in environment (ex: crawling, standing and walking)
Fine motor development
smaller movements (ex: reaching and grasping)
A-not-B search error
Infants will reach several times for an object at first hiding place (A), then see it moved to second (B), but still search for it in the first hiding place (A)
Deferred imitation
the ability to remember and copy the behavior of models that are not present
Object permanence
the understanding that objects continue to exist when they are out of sight
Joint attention
a state in which the child and caregiver attend to the same object or event and the caregiver labels what the child sees
Overextension
a word is applied too broadly, to a wider collection of objects and events than is appropriate
Ex: a "bear" refers to all large, furry animals
Under extension
a word is applied too narrowly, to a smaller number of objects and events that is appropriate
Ex: a "bear" refers to a single stuffed animal
Zone of proximal development
Vygotsky's theory, a range of tasks too difficult for a child to do alone but possible with the help of more skilled partners
Telegraphic speech
brief two-word utterances that, like a telegram, focus on high content words and omit others
Ex: "want cup," "more juice
Sensitive caregiving
caregiving that involves responding promptly, consistently, and appropriately to infants and holding them tenderly and carefully
Social referencing
actively seeking emotional information from a trusted person in an uncertain situation
Self-recognition
identification of the self as a physically unique human being
Phases of attachment
1. Pre-attatchment (0-6 weeks)
2. Attachment in the making (6 weeks to 6-8 months)
3. Clear-cut attachment (6-8 months to 18 months to 2 years)
4. Formation of reciprocal relationship (18 months to 2 years and on)
Self-conscious emotions
emotions involving injury to or enhancement of the sense of self, such as guilt, shame, embarrassment, and pride
Interactional synchrony
a form of communication in which the caregiver responds to infant signals in well-timed, rhythmic, appropriate fashion and both partners match emotional states, especially positive ones
Internal working model
a set of expectations derived from early caregiving experiences concerning the availability of attachment figures, their likelihood of providing support during times of stress, and the self's interaction with those figures.
Empathy
the ability to understand another's emotional state and to feel with that person or respond emotionally in a similar way
Goodness to fit
a model that describes how favorable adjustment depends on an effective match, or good fit, between a child's temperament and the child-rearing environment; Mom adjusts to the child's personality and behavior to maintain a good match under all circumstanc