Developmental Psychology

Achieve Test Prep: Developmental Psychology

o When an infant is startled, their arms fling out and then are pulled close to their chest. This is an evolutionary reflex designed to help a child not fall from their mother’s arms. o When an infant’s foot is stroked, the big toe will turn in and the rest of the toes will fan out o Typically disappears in the first few months of life

• Babinski reflex

• Plantar reflex

o Appears later in infancy o When an infant’s foot is stroked, the toes flex • Tonic neck reflex, also called ‘fencing stance’

o When the head is turned to one side, the opposite arm is extended out and the ipsilateral arm curls behind the head

• Palmar reflex

o Infant grasps anything placed into the palm

• Swimming reflex

o When lowered into water, an infant automatically holds its breath and will kick, as if treading water

Sensory-Perceptual Development: •

Sensation: a stimulus to the sensory system

• Perception: mental process or state of being aware of sensory information

A newborn has immature sensation and perception abilities when compared to an adult, but newborns do use all five senses. Newborns also respond to stimuli, such as pain and temperature. Infants cannot verbally communicate how they feel about certain stimuli. Scientists postulate that an infant’s suckling patterns change to convey how they feel about certain stimuli. For example, when an infant is exposed to an unfamiliar stimulus, their suckling pattern and rate increases. When exposed to a familiar stimulus, the physiological changes revert to normal. A newborn’s vision and hearing develop more slowly as compared to the newborn’s other senses. The vision of an infant is the least developed of their senses due to the lens having a limited ability to change focus. Infants are near-sighted and prefer to look at high contrast images, bright colors, and faces. The abilities to focus both eyes together ( binocular vision ) develops around

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