Development Through the Lifespan Chapter 4 Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood This multimedia product and its contents are protected under

Development Through the Lifespan

Chapter 4

Physical Development inInfancy and Toddlerhood

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Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2004

Body Growth

Gain 50% in height from birth

to age 1. 75% by age 2

Grow in spurts

Gain “baby fat” until about 9

months, then get slimmer

Girls slightly shorter and

lighter than boys.


Changes in Body Proportions


Growth Trends

Cephalocaudal

“Head to Tail” Lower part of body

grows later than the head

Proximodistal

“Near to far” Extremities grow

later than head, chest, and trunk


Major Milestones ofBrain Development


Regions of the Cerebral Cortex


Sleep Patterns Sleep moves to an

adult-like night-day schedule during the first year.

Sleep needs decline from 18 to 12 hours a day by age 2.

More Americans are co-sleeping.

Influences on Early Growth

Heredity Nutrition

Breast v. Bottle Feeding Malnutrition

Emotional Well-Being Problems can cause

Failure to Thrive


The Steps of Classical Conditioning


Using Habituation to Study Infants


Motor Skills as Dynamic Systems

Increasingly complex systems of action with each skill

4 factors in each new skill:1. CNS development

2. Body’s movement capacity

3. Child’s goals

4. Environmental supports


Steps in Reaching and Grasping

Prereaching Reaching

With two hands, then one Ulnar Grasp

Adjust grip to object Move objects from hand to

hand Pincer Grasp


Improvements in Vision

Brain development helps infants reach adult levels of vision skills:

2 months: Focus and color vision

6 months: acuity, scanning & tracking

6–7 months: depth perception


Steps in Depth Perception

Birth – 1 month

Sensitivity to motion cues

2 – 4 months

Sensitivity to binocular cues

5 –12 months

Sensitivity to pictorial cues.

Wariness of heights


Steps in Pattern Perception

3 weeks Poor contrast sensitivity.

Prefer large simple patterns

2 monthsCan detect fine-grained detail. Prefer complex patterns.

4 monthsCan detect patterns even if boundaries are not really present

12 monthsCan detect objects if two-thirds of drawing is missing


Contrast Sensitivity at 2 Months


Scanning Human Face Patterns


Steps in Face Perception

Birth –

1 month

Prefer simple, facelike pattern

2 – 4 months

Prefer complex facial pattern to other complex patternsCan distinguish strange from familiar facesPrefer mother’s face over stranger

5 – 12 months

Can perceive emotional expressions on faces


Stimuli for Studying Infants’ Facial Perception


Differentiation Theory of Infant Perception Infants actively search for invariant, unchanging

features of the environment. Borders of stimuli, faces

They note stable relationships between features Complex visual patterns, intermodal relationships

Perception gets more and more sensitive – differentiation

Acting on the environment helps this process.Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2004

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Development Through the Lifespan Chapter 4 Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood This multimedia product and its contents are protected under