Slide 1 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT 5 A Topical Approach to John W. Santrock Motor, Sensory, and Perceptual Development

Slide 2 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Reflexes Built-in reactions to stimuli –Govern newborn’s movements –Genetically carried survival mechanisms –Allow adaptation to environment –Provides opportunity to learn –Some disappear (e.g.: grasping), some last throughout life (e.g.: coughing) Motor Development

Slide 3 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Reflexes Motor Development Moro reflex Rooting reflex Sucking reflex Startle response in reaction to sudden, intense noise or movement Reaction when infant’s cheek is stroked or side of mouth touched Automatic sucking object placed in newborn’s mouth Grasping reflex Occurs when something touches infant’s palms; infant response is to grasp tightly

Slide 4 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Gross Motor Skills Motor skills that involve large-muscle activities (milestones achieved) –Infancy Development of posture Locomotion and crawling Learning to walk Help of caregivers important; cultural variation exists More skilled and mobile in second year Motor Development

Slide 5 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Motor Development Fig. 5.3 Milestones in Gross Motor Development

Slide 6 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Gross Motor Skills –Childhood Improved walking, running, jumping, climbing, learn organized sports’ skills Positive and negative sport outcomes Movement smoother with age –Adolescence - Skills continue to improve –Adulthood Peak performance of most sports before 30 Biological functions decline with age Motor Development

Slide 7 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Guidelines for Parents and Coaches of Children in Sports Motor Development The Don’ts –Yell or scream at child –Continue condemning –Point out errors in front of others –Expect instant learning –Expect child to be pro –Make fun of child –Compare child to other –Make sports all work The Dos –make sports fun –mistakes are okay –Allow questions, show calm manner –Respect child’s participation –Be positive role model –Be supportive

Slide 8 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Fine Motor Skills Involves more finely tuned movements, such as finger dexterity –Infancy: Reaching and grasping Size and shape of object matters Experience affects perceptions and vision –Early Childhood: Pick up small objects Some difficulty building towers Age 5: hand, arm, fingers move together Motor Development

Slide 9 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Fine Motor Skills –Childhood and adolescence Writing and drawing skills emerge, improve Steadier at age 7; more precise movements By 10-12, can do quality crafts, master difficult piece on musical instrument –Adulthood — speed may decline in middle and late adulthood, but most use compensation strategies Older adults can still learn new motor tasks Motor Development

Slide 10 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Handedness Genetic inheritance proposed, unproven Preference of using one hand over other Right-handedness dominant in all cultures Right hand preference in thumb-sucking begins in the womb –Head-turning preference in newborns –Preference later leads to handedness Motor Development

Slide 11 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Handedness, the Brain, and Cognitive Abilities 95% of right-handed primarily process speech in left hemisphere Left handed – Are more likely to have reading problems – Show more variation – Have better spatial skills – More common among mathematicians, musicians, artists, and architects Motor Development

Slide 12 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. What Are Sensation and Perception? Sensation — occurs when information contacts sensory receptors Perception — interpretation of sensation Sensory and Perceptual Development

Slide 13 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Introduction to Sensation and Perception Sensation (process of receiving, converting, and transmitting raw sensory information from the external and internal environments to the brain) Perception (process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information) 13

Slide 14 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Studying Infant Perception Visual preference method — to determine if infants can distinguish between various stimuli Habituation and Dishabituation – Habituation — decreased responsiveness to stimulus – Dishabituation — recovery of habituated response Tracking — moving eyes and/or head to follow moving objects Videotape equipment, high-speed computers Sensory and Perceptual Development

Slide 15 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Hearing Sensory and Perceptual Development Fetus hears in last 2 months of pregnancy Newborns – cannot hear soft sounds well – display auditory preferences – sensitive to human speech Infants less sensitive to sound pitch Most children’s hearing is inadequate – otitis media: middle ear infection

Slide 16 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Hearing Sensory and Perceptual Development Adolescence – Most have excellent hearing; loud sounds poses risks Adulthood – Decline begins about age 40 – Males lose sensitivity to high-pitched sounds sooner than females – Gender differences may be due to occupation – Treatment includes hearing aids

Slide 17 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Other Senses Sensory and Perceptual Development SenseInfantsOlder Adults Touch and Pain Smell Taste Newborns feel pain; by 6 mos., can coordinate vision and touch Can differentiate odors at birth; shows some preferences May prefer sweet tastes before birth; likes salty at 4 months Less sensitive to pain and touch in lower extremities Loss of some sense of smell around age 60 Decline in taste of begins in 60s

Slide 18 © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. The End 5