Deck 5: Physical and Motor Development in Infancy

Question 1

Briefly describe the anatomy and function of the key cell found in the central nervous system and brain.

Answer 1

The neuron is the key cell found in the CNS. It has a cell body with nucleus, a dendritic tree, and an axon. The neuron receives and integrates information and transmits signals to other neurons

Question 2

What do individual differences between different people tell us about the processes that guide physical and motor development?

Answer 2

Development influenced by both nature and nurture, genetic predispositions are shaped and altered by the kind of experiences we have, leading to differences between individuals despite similar genetic makeups

Question 3

During infancy, 10 behavioral states of arousal can be discriminated. Give at least 3 reasons why states of arousal are important.

Answer 3

1. State determines how infants will respond to stimulation
2. State influences how adults respond to the child
3. State regularity serves as a marker of nervous system integrity
4. Abnormal sleep states can signal medical problems (such as epilepsy)

Question 4

Besides observing behavior, name at least two other measures that can be recorded/obtained from a child to measure development (such as CNS integrity or regulatory function).

Question 5

In what ways is the brain plastic? Describe two forms of brain plasticity

Question 6

How many neurons are generated prenatally in the developing child?

A) All glial cells, but few neurons.
B) An average of 100 billion new cells per minute.
C) An average of 250,000 new cells per minute.
D) About half of all the neurons the child will ever have.

Question 7

An example of cephalocaudal development would be:

A) The visual system maturing before the locomotor muscles in the legs.
B) The locomotor muscles in the legs maturing before the visual system.
C) The locomotor muscles in the legs and the visual system maturing at approximately the same time.
D) The locomotor muscles in the legs maturing at the same time as the muscles in the arms.

Question 8

The fact that development in one domain (e.g., brain development) proceeds faster than development in another domain (e.g., secondary sexual characteristics) is an example of:

A) Developmental delay.
B) Developmental cascades.
C) Independence of systems.
D) Hierarchical integration of development.

Question 9

Developmental outcomes can overcome less than optimal circumstances. For example, by age 8 years development of preterm infants typically catches up with the general population. This phenomenon is called:

A) Canalization.
B) Developmental plasticity.
C) Causation.
D) Precocious development.

Question 10

Dr Yin studies the onset and development of locomotion using parent diaries. In her data, she discovers a wide spread of ages for locomotion onset, ranging from 10 months to 18 months, with most children starting to walk at 14 months of age. What does this suggest about development of locomotion?

A) Development of locomotion is distributed in a statistically normal fashion.
B) Individual differences exist in the development of locomotion.
C) Parents are poor sources of information about children's development of locomotion.
D) Both a and b.
E) Both b and c.

Question 11

Regular sleep-wake cycles are important because

A) They offer a window into the maturity and integrity of the nervous system.
B) The foster learning and development.
C) They facilitate parenting by adding predictability.
D) All of the above.

Question 12

What is meant by the term "kangaroo care", sometimes used with preterm infants to promote development?

A) Vigorous physical activity (e.g., bouncing) with the child to stimulate the vestibular system.
B) Extensive skin-to-skin contact with mother or father to promote sleep.
C) Swaddling of the infant in a pouch-like wrap to maintain body temperature and promote physical development.
D) None of the above.

Question 13

Some risks of co-sleeping are

A) Infant death.
B) Disrupted sleep.
C) Stress.
D) All of the above.

Question 14

Some benefits of co-sleeping are

A) Prolonged breast feeding.
B) Sleeping through the night earlier.
C) Promotes coping with stress.
D) All of the above.

Question 15

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) can be assessed via electrocardiograms as a measure for

A) Regulatory function.
B) Cortical myelination.
C) Affect processing.
D) Blood pressure.

Question 16

Two common neurotransmitters in the human brain are

A) Opioid monoamines and histamines.
B) Carbon monoxide and aspartame.
C) Acetylcholine and norepinephrine.
D) Epinephrine and adrenaline.

Question 17

Arborization and synaptogenesis are processes that lead to

A) Enhanced communication between neurons and the capacity for information processing.
B) Reduced pruning in the central nervous system.
C) Increased language and locomotor abilities in toddlers.
D) All of the above.

Question 18

Hebb's motor-neurological theory claims that

A) Spontaneous cell activity guides perceptual development.
B) Cells that repeatedly activate simultaneously become more strongly connected with each other.
C) Development is guided by several highly specific innate abilities.
D) None of the above.

Question 19

Which statement is true about young infants with congenital cataracts?

A) A cataract in the left eye disrupts visual input to the left hemisphere of the brain.
B) A cataract in the right eye disrupts visual input to the left hemisphere of the brain.
C) A cataract in the right eye for the first 6 months of life disrupts development of face processing, leading to lasting deficits.
D) Cataracts in only one eye do not affect development.

Question 20

EEG activity measured from the brain shows the following patterns of development from neonates to age 2 years.

A) A change from high-amplitude undifferentiated patterns to low-voltage burst-pause patterns.
B) A change from high-amplitude burst-pause patterns to low-voltage undifferentiated patterns.
C) A change from low-voltage undifferentiated patterns to high-amplitude burst-pause patterns.
D) A change from low-voltage burst-pause patterns to high-amplitude undifferentiated patterns.

Question 21

Both hearing and deaf babies begin to babble in the middle of the first year. However, deaf babies eventually stop babbling while hearing babies continue. This is an example of:

A) Experience-expectant processes.
B) Experience-dependent processes.
C) Experience-independent processes.
D) Maturation-dependent processes.

Question 22

What neurological changes were evident in rats housed in complex (enriched) environments?

A) Thicker and heavier visual cortices when compared to standard housed rats.
B) Smaller but more efficient visual cortices when compared to standard housed rats.
C) Enlarged ventricles when compared to standard housed rats.
D) No differences in brain structure were evident.

Question 23

Development of the central nervous system in infancy is guided by

A) Maturational processes.
B) Experience-driven processes.
C) Both a and b.
D) None of the above.

Question 24

Plasticity refers to the brain's ability to

A) Physically stretch and change shape.
B) Make new connections and functionally compensate for lost neurons.
C) Regrow damaged brain structures.
D) Grow several thousand cells each minute during development.

Question 25

A parent asks you whether giving her child swim lessons starting at age 4 months is better than starting at age 16 months. Your response is:

A) Yes, earlier motor training leads to better proficiency and the child will become a much better swimmer.
B) No, the child is not developmentally ready and will not benefit from the experiences.
C) Earlier lessons help your child to feel comfortable in the water, but they do not allow your child to learn the types of skills that make a competent swimmer.
D) Earlier lessons will make your child more likely to fear the water, but may allow your child to learn critical skills of a competent swimmer (such as turning 180 degrees)

Question 26

The pyramidal system controls what kind of motor movements?

A) Precise movements and skilled movements.
B) Posture and coordination.
C) Both a and b.
D) None of the above.

Question 27

Delayed motor development in infancy was found to correlate with language competence at older ages in children at genetic risk for dyslexia. This suggests:

A) Dyslexia is primarily a motor deficit.
B) Language is primarily a motor skill.
C) Motor development affects psychological growth.
D) Typical motor skills are necessary for language development.

Question 28

The development of locomotion is a statistically normal distributed behavior in infants. On a standardized test, Dr Jones observes a child whose locomotor skills are 2 standard deviations below the estimated population mean for this skill. What should Dr Jones tell the parents of the child?

A) The child shows typical motor development.
B) The child shows advanced motor development.
C) The child shows delayed motor development.
D) The child is likely to develop a language delay in the future.

Question 29

The Bayley Scales of Infant Development show normative monthly motor accomplishments. According to this scale, infants develop the skill to "rotate trunk while sitting alone" at age 7 months but the skill "uses pads of fingertips to grasp pencil" at age 16 months. This is an example of:

A) Proximodistal development.
B) Canalization.
C) Independence of system.
D) Locomotor development.

Question 30

Dr Smith wants to study the relation between motor development and psychological growth. Her measure of psychological growth is a standardized language assessment administered during a lab visit. How could Dr Smith assess motor development?

A) Via EEG to measure motor-related brain activity during the visit.
B) By measuring heart rate responses to physical activity during the visit.
C) By analyzing a home-video of the child taken from their last vacation.
D) By observing the child's behavior in different situations during the visit.

Question 31

"Underdeveloped neurons are nude; developed ones are usually wrapped in a sheath of myelin." Explain this sentence from your textbook, describing the function and developmental role of myelination.

Question 32

Give an example and explain how motor development can affect psychological development.

Question 33

Development proceeds cephalocaudally and proximodistally. Give an example for each and explain the developmental implications of these patterns.