question

Between ages 1 and 2, the typical baby grows about _____ inches and gains about _____ pounds.

answer

4; 8

question

Infants and toddlers grow

answer

in little spurts.

question

Maggi is concerned because her 8-month-old daughter has gained 10 pounds since birth and has transformed into a round, plump baby. You can assure Maggi that her daughter's rise in "baby fat."

answer

helps her maintain a constant body temperature.

question

During infancy, __________. These sex differences will __________ during adolescence.

answer

girls are slightly shorter and lighter than boys; be greatly magnified

question

Which of the following children is the most likely to be above the growth norms?

answer

Isaiah, an African-American boy

question

Skeletal age is determined by __________ to determine the extent to which soft, pliable cartilage has hardened into bone.

answer

X-raying the long bones of the body

question

When skeletal ages are examined at birth,

answer

the sexes differ by about 4 to 6 weeks.

question

Which of the following statements is consistent with the cephalocaudal trend of body growth?

answer

During the prenatal period, the head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body.

question

Which of the following statements is consistent with the proximodistal trend of body growth?

answer

During childhood, the arms and legs grow somewhat ahead of the hands and feet.

question

At birth, the brain is

answer

nearer to its adult size than any other physical structure.

question

Neurons

answer

store and transmit information.

question

The human brain has __________ neurons.

answer

100 to 200 billion

question

Synapses are

answer

tiny gaps where fibers from different neurons come close together but do not touch.

question

Neurons send messages to one another by releasing chemicals called

answer

neurotransmitters.

question

A surprising aspect of brain growth is that

answer

as synapses form, many surrounding neurons die.

question

As neurons form connections, stimulation

answer

becomes vital to their survival.

question

When Baby Jaleel was born, stimulation in his brain resulted in a massive overabundance of synapses. Neurons that were seldom stimulated began to lose their synapses. This process is known as

answer

synaptic pruning.

question

In all, about _____ percent of synapses are pruned during childhood and adolescence to reach the adult level.

answer

40

question

For synaptic pruning to advance,

answer

appropriate stimulation of the child's brain is vital during periods in which the formation of synapses is at its peak

question

__________ are responsible for myelination.

answer

Glial cells

question

Coating the neural fibers with an insulating fatty sheath during the process of __________ improves the efficiency of message transfer.

answer

myelination

question

Which of the following statements about brain development is true?

answer

Gains in neural fibers and myelination account for the extraordinary gain in overall brain size.

question

__________ provide(s) the most precise information about which brain regions are specialized for certain capacities.

answer

Neuroimaging techniques

question

Mia, age 3, is about to undergo a neurobiological exam. The doctor wishes to examine the functioning of Mia's cerebral cortex to measure blood flow and oxygen metabolism. The best method for the doctor to choose in Mia's case is probably

answer

near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

question

The __________ is the largest brain structure, accounting for 85 percent of the brain's weight

answer

cerebral cortex

question

Which of the following statements about the cerebral cortex is true?

answer

It is sensitive to environmental influences for a longer period than any other part of the brain.

question

The cortical regions with the most extended period of development are responsible for

answer

thought.

question

Which of the following statements about the frontal lobes is true?

answer

They are responsible for consciousness, inhibition of impulses, and integration of information.

question

In left-handed people, the

answer

cerebral cortex may be less clearly specialized than in right-handed people.

question

The specialization of the two hemispheres of the brain is known as

answer

lateralization.

question

A lateralized brain

answer

may have evolved because it enabled humans to cope more successfully with changing environmental demands.

question

Which of the following statements about brain plasticity is true?

answer

Many areas of a highly plastic cerebral cortex are not yet committed to specific functions.

question

Which of the following provides evidence that the brain hemispheres have already begun to specialize at birth?

answer

Most newborns show greater ERP brain-wave activity in the right hemisphere while listening to nonspeech sounds.

question

__________ greatly influences the organization of the cerebral cortex.

answer

Early experience

question

In the first few years of life, the brain is

answer

highly plastic.

question

In a large study of children with injuries to the cerebral cortex that occurred before birth or in the first six months of life, researchers found that

answer

undamaged areas—in either the left or the right hemisphere—took over certain language functions.

question

Sharon's 46-year-old husband suffered a traumatic brain injury in an automobile accident. What information about brain plasticity can you provide to Sharon?

answer

The adult brain can produce a small number of new neurons and generate new synapses.

question

Research reveals that

answer

deaf adults who, as infants and children, learned sign language depend more than hearing individuals on the right hemisphere for language processing.

question

Animal studies on early sensory deprivation

answer

verify the existence of sensitive periods in brain development.

question

Michael was born with cataracts in both eyes. What can you tell his parents about the possibility of recovery as it relates to sensitive periods in brain development?

answer

The longer cataract surgery is postponed beyond infancy, the less complete the recovery in visual skills.

question

In the study of Romanian orphans adopted into British homes, children adopted __________ attained the highest mental test scores in childhood and adolescence.

answer

before 6 months

question

The chronic stress of early, deprived orphanage rearing

answer

disrupts the brain's capacity to manage stress.

question

In the study of Romanian orphans adopted into Canadian homes, the longer the children spent in orphanage care, the __________ their __________.

answer

higher; cortisol levels

question

In the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, where specially trained social workers provided foster parents with counseling and support,

answer

the foster-care group exceeded the institutional-care group in intelligence test scores, language skills, and emotional responsiveness.

question

__________ brain growth refers to the young brain's rapidly developing organization, which depends on ordinary experiences.

answer

Experience-expectant

question

__________ brain growth consists of additional growth and refinement of established brain structures as a result of specific learning experiences that vary widely across individuals and cultures.

answer

Experience-dependent

question

Which of the following learning experiences should Cheryl, a caregiver, use to promote experience-expectant brain growth?

answer

playing a game of peekaboo

question

Which of the following statements regarding a sensitive period for mastering musical performance skills is true?

answer

No evidence exists for a sensitive period in the first few years of life for mastering musical performance skills.

question

Between birth and 2 years,

answer

the organization of sleep and wakefulness changes substantially.

question

Between the ages of __________, napping subsides.

answer

3 and 5 years

question

Compared to U.S. babies, Dutch babies

answer

sleep, on average, 2 hours more per day.

question

Parent-infant "cosleeping" is the norm for approximately _____ percent of the world's population.

answer

90

question

Cosleeping

answer

babies breastfeed three times longer than infants who sleep alone.

question

Rachel is concerned that she might accidentally suffocate her baby if she shares a bed with him. What information can you share with Rachel about precautions taken in cultures where cosleeping is widespread?

answer

Parents and infants usually sleep on hard surfaces, such as firm mattresses, floor mats, or wooden planks.

question

When __________ and __________ are adequate, height is largely determined by heredity.

answer

diet; health

question

__________ growth is a return to a genetically influenced growth path once negative conditions improve.

answer

Catch-up

question

The weights of adopted children

answer

correlate more strongly with those of their biological than of their adoptive parents.

question

__________ percent of babies' total caloric intake is devoted to growth.

answer

Twenty-five

question

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until age __________, with solid foods added at __________.

answer

2 years; 6 months

question

Breastfeeding for just a few weeks

answer

offers some protection against respiratory and intestinal infections.

question

In the U.S. today,

answer

more than half of breastfeeding mothers stop by 6 months.

question

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises exclusive breastfeeding for the first __________ and inclusion of breast milk in the baby's diet until at least __________.

answer

6 months; 1 year

question

Breastfed and bottle-fed children in industrialized nations

answer

do not differ in later emotional adjustment.

question

Most chubby babies

answer

thin out during toddlerhood and early childhood.

question

In interviews with more than 1,500 U.S. parents of infants and toddlers, results indicated that

answer

as many as one-fourth ate no fruits and one-third no vegetables.

question

Jack and Jami are concerned that their chubby infant son Angus will become an overweight adult. Which of the following steps can they take to help prevent that?

answer

Limit the time Angus spends in front of the TV.

question

Shay suffers from a wasted condition of the body caused by a diet low in all essential nutrients. Shay most likely has

answer

marasmus

question

Yokow gets just enough calories from starchy foods, but his diet is very low in protein. He has an enlarged belly, swollen feet, and a rash on his skin. Yokow probably suffers from

answer

kwashiorkor.

question

When the diets of severely malnourished children improve, they

answer

tend to gain excessive weight.

question

Today, inadequate nutrition

answer

is not confined to developing countries.

question

Yolanda, age 2, is being raised in Texas by a single mother. While Yolanda's mother works, she does not always have sufficient funds to purchase enough food for a healthy, active life. Yolanda is skinny and withdrawn. Yolanda suffers from

answer

food insecurity.

question

Which of the following statements about infant learning is true?

answer

Babies learn through their natural preference for novel stimulation.

question

Newborn reflexes make __________ possible in the young infant.

answer

classical conditioning

question

In classical conditioning, once a baby's nervous system makes a connection between two stimuli, the __________ stimulus produces __________.

answer

neutral; the behavior by itself

question

Every time baby Gloria nurses, she is placed on a nursing pillow. Gloria's mom later noticed that each time Gloria was placed on the pillow, she made sucking movements. In this example, __________ is the conditioned stimulus.

answer

placement on the pillow

question

In classical conditioning, if the conditioned stimulus is presented alone enough times, without being paired with the unconditioned stimulus, __________ will __________.

answer

extinction; occur

question

Young infants can be classically conditioned most easily when

answer

the association between two stimuli has survival value.

question

Some responses, such as __________, are very difficult to classically condition in young babies because they do not yet have the motor skills needed to deal appropriately with stimuli.

answer

fear

question

In __________, infants act on the environment, and stimuli that follow their behavior change the probability that the behavior will occur again.

answer

operant conditioning

question

In operant conditioning, a reinforcer

answer

is a stimulus that increases the occurrence of a response.

question

Removing a desirable stimulus or presenting an unpleasant one to decrease the occurrence of a response is called

answer

punishment.

question

A researcher hangs a mobile over the crib of 4-month-old Anya. When the researcher attaches Anya's foot to the mobile with a long cord, Anya can, by kicking, make the mobile turn. The turning of the mobile is an example of a(n)

answer

reinforcer.

question

__________ refers to a gradual reduction in the strength of a response due to repetitive stimulation

answer

Habituation

question

At first, baby Mario was easily awakened every night by a barking dog in his neighborhood. Several weeks later, Mario's sleep is not bothered by the dog's barks. This is an example of

answer

habituation.

question

Following habituation, when a new stimulus causes responsiveness to return to a high level, the increase is called

answer

recovery.

question

A baby who first habituates to a visual pattern and then recovers to a new one appears to

answer

perceive the second pattern as new and different from the first pattern.

question

Dr. Eden studies a fetus's sensitivity to external stimuli by measuring changes in fetal heart rate when various repeated sounds are presented. Dr. Eden is probably using

answer

habituation and recovery.

question

By focusing on the shift from a novelty preference to a familiarity preference, researchers can use habituation to assess

answer

remote memory.

question

Which of the following statements about imitation is true?

answer

Babies several months old often do not imitate an adult's behavior right away because they first try to play familiar social games.

question

__________ fire identically when a primate hears or sees an action and when it carries out that action on its own.

answer

Mirror neurons

question

__________ refers to control over actions that help infants get around in the environment, whereas __________ has to do with smaller movements, such as reaching and grasping.

answer

Gross-motor development; fine-motor development

question

Which of the following is an example of a fine-motor skill?

answer

grasping

question

Four-month-old Logan's parents are tracking his motor development. Which of the following motor skills is Logan likely to have already achieved?

answer

when prone, lifts self by arms

question

Children acquire motor skills

answer

in highly individual ways.

question

According to __________ of motor development, mastery of motor skills involves acquiring increasingly complex systems of action.

answer

dynamic systems theory

question

Dynamic systems theory provides convincing evidence that the development of motor skills

answer

is profoundly influenced by the physical environment.

question

Which of the following mothers is the most likely to actively discourage rapid motor development?

answer

Biyaki, a Gusii mother

question

Kipsigi and West Indian infants walk considerably earlier than North American infants because

answer

their parents emphasize early motor maturity, practicing formal exercises to stimulate particular skills.

question

Of all motor skills, __________ may play the greatest role in infant cognitive development.

answer

reaching

question

Newborn Sam's poorly coordinated swipes or swings toward an object in front of him is called

answer

prereaching.

question

Four-month-old Kaitlyn reaches for a toy. She grabs it by closing her fingers against her palm. Kaitlyn is using

answer

the ulnar grasp.

question

A baby's ability to manipulate objects greatly expands with the development of __________, use of the thumb and index finger opposably

answer

the pincer grasp

question

One-year-old Jameson sits on the sidewalk picking up blades of grass left after his mother mows the lawn. Jameson is using

answer

the pincer grasp.

question

Dr. Sardoza is interested in research on the organization and interpretation of what we see. Dr. Sardoza studies

answer

perception.

question

ERP brain-wave recordings reveal that around 5 months, babies

answer

become sensitive to syllable stress patterns in their own language.

question

At first, babies are sensitive to virtually all speech sounds, but around 6 months, they

answer

narrow their focus, limiting distinctions to the language they hear and will soon learn

question

Which of the following individuals is the most likely to be able to discriminate individual faces of both humans and monkeys equally well?

answer

Jake, a 6-month-old

question

Research suggests that there is a sensitive period, __________, when babies are biologically prepared to "zero in" on socially meaningful perceptual distinctions.

answer

in the second half of the first year

question

Around 7 to 9 months, infants

answer

begin to divide the speech stream into wordlike units.

question

Which of the following statements about speech stream patterns is true?

answer

When presented with controlled sequences of nonsense syllables, babies listen for statistical regularities.

question

For exploring the environment, humans depend on __________ more than any other sense.

answer

vision

question

__________, infants can focus on objects about as well as adults can.

answer

Around 2 months

question

__________ improves steadily, reaching 20/80 by 6 months and an adult level of about 20/20 by 4 years.

answer

Visual acuity

question

__________ is the first depth cue to which infants are sensitive.

answer

Motion

question

__________ depth cues arise because our two eyes have slightly different views of the visual field.

answer

Binocular

question

Infants with a lot of crawling experience

answer

are more likely than their inexperienced agemates to remember object locations.

question

Which of the following pictures is newborn Alex most likely to prefer to look at?

answer

a black-and-white checkerboard with a few large squares

question

Which of the following statements about pattern perception is true?

answer

If babies are sensitive to the contrast in two or more patterns, they prefer the one with more contrast.

question

One surprising finding of infant face perception is that infants will look longer at

answer

attractive faces than unattractive ones.

question

Lana understands that an object's shape is the same whether she sees it or touches it; that breaking a glass causes a sharp, crashing sound; and that the pattern of footsteps signals the approach of a person. This understanding is called

answer

intermodal stimulation.

question

When baby Jon's dad talks to him, Jon focuses on his dad's voice and face. Jon is detecting

answer

amodal sensory properties.

question

Which of the following statements about intermodal perception is true?

answer

It fosters all aspects of psychological development.

question

According to __________ theory, infants actively search for invariant features of the environment in a constantly changing perceptual world.

answer

differentiation

question

__________ make(s) crawlers and walkers more aware of the consequences of their movements.

answer

Experience in trying to keep their balance on various surfaces

question

According to the cognitive perspective of perceptual development, babies

answer

impose meaning on what they perceive.

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