Developmental Psychology

immature. The neural connections will allow the neural cells to become much more efficient and help process more information. This will allow for a child to gain more skills. One of the last parts of the body to fully develop is the cortex. The cortex is needed in order to help control self-regulatory behaviors. Some of these behaviors include walking, sleeping, defecation, eating and urination. During the first few weeks, there are physical states that will refer to the arousal of infants. This usually happens after routines of sleeping and waking transpire. Usually, newborns sleep on average, 16 hours a day, then will start sleeping an average of 13 hours a day when they turn into toddlers 4.2 Motor Skill Development Many infants will learn skills without having someone teaching them. Infants learn things through observing others. Human interaction during this period of an infant’s life is vitally important and is critical for appropriate development. It has been found that children who have been raised by parents who held them a lot or have left them in confined spaces tend to have a slower development rate than a child who is put on the floor and allowed to explore. The children who are given the opportunity will be able to learn how to walk quicker and have a better stepping reflex. The stepping reflex is a gross motor skill, which is a large body movement. Fine motor skills usually refer to small body movements. 4.3 Reflexes Let’s nowmove the focus to reflexes. Reflexes are involuntary responses to stimuli. These are usually the first motor skills that an infant will develop in his or her life. There are three main reflexes. Let’s look at them below. • Breathing Reflex : This maintains oxygen levels • Suckling Reflex : This action that allows for the enabling of feeding • Rooting Reflex : This is what infants do when they are attempting to find the mother’s nipple when they are hungry. Babies can smell the hormones that come from amother’s milk. Rooting is also triggered when the lip of the baby touches a nipple. Here are some other reflexes that are not as critical, but are still needed for survival • Moro Reflex : This reflex is also called the startle reflex. These are usually brisk, symmetrical and is usually accompanied with crying. This reflex takes place usually when an infant is startled. They will throw their arms out and then will pull them close to their chest. This reflex is known for helping a child not fall from the arms of their mother/father. • Babinski Reflex : This occurs when an infant has his or her foot rubbed. Usually the big toe will turn in while the rest of the toes will fan in an outward motion. While this is considered a cute reflex, it only lasts the first few months of life. • Plantar Reflex : This is the reflex that will come later in infancy. When the baby has their feet touched, his or her toes will flex. • Tonic Neck Reflex : This reflex is also known as the fencing stance. The infant will turn his or her head to one side and the opposite armwill extend out. The ipsilateral armwill curl behind his or her head.

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