chapter 4 Physical Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood

Infants acquire new motor skills by building on previously acquired capacities. Eager to explore her world, this baby practices the art of crawling. Once she can fully move on her own, she will make dramatic strides in understanding her surroundings.

chapter outline

·   Body Growth

·   Changes in Body Size and Muscle–Fat Makeup

·   Individual and Group Differences

·   Changes in Body Proportions

·   Brain Development

·   Development of Neurons

·   Neurobiological Methods

·   Development of the Cerebral Cortex

·   Sensitive Periods in Brain Development

·   Changing States of Arousal

· ■  BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT  Brain Plasticity: Insights from Research on Brain-Damaged Children and Adults

· ■  CULTURAL INFLUENCES  Cultural Variation in Infant Sleeping Arrangements

·   Influences on Early Physical Growth

·   Heredity

·   Nutrition

·   Malnutrition

·   Learning Capacities

·   Classical Conditioning

·   Operant Conditioning

·   Habituation

·   Imitation

·   Motor Development

·   The Sequence of Motor Development

·   Motor Skills as Dynamic Systems

·   Fine-Motor Development: Reaching and Grasping

·   Perceptual Development

·   Hearing

·   Vision

·   Intermodal Perception

·   Understanding Perceptual Development