Glossary

affordances	opportunities for interaction offered by objects that are necessary to perform functional activities. (See 180)



cephalocaudal pattern	the sequence in which the greatest growth occurs at the top - the head - with physical growth in size, weight, and feature differentiation gradually working from top to bottom. (See 154)



cerebral cortex	located in the forebrain, the structure that makes up about 80 percent of the brain's volume. It plays critical roles in perception, language, thinking, and many other important functions. (See 158)



dynamic systems theory	proposed by Esther Thelen, this theory seeks to explain how motor behaviors are assembled for perceiving and acting. (See 170)



ecological view	proposed by the Gibsons, this view states that perception functions to bring the organism in contact with the environment and increase adaptation. (See 179)



fine motor skills	motor skills that involve more finely tuned movements, such as finger dexterity. (See 176)



frontal lobe	in the cerebral cortex, the structure that is involved in voluntary movement and thinking. (See 158)



grasping reflex	a neonatal reflex that occurs when something touches the infant's palms. The infant responds by grasping tightly. (See 172)



gross motor skills	motor skills that involve large muscle activities, such as walking. (See 173)



intermodal perception	the ability to relate and integrate information about two or more sensory modalities, such as vision and hearing. (See 185)



kwashiorkor	a condition caused by a deficiency in protein in which the child's face, legs, and abdomen swell with water. (See 166)



lateralization	specialization in the brain's hemispheres. For example, speech and grammar are localized to the left hemisphere in most people. (See 159)



marasmus	a wasting away of body tissues in the infant's first year, caused by severe deficiency of protein and calories. (See 166)



neuron	a nerve cell that handles information processing at the cellular level. (See 155)



occipital lobe	in the cerebral cortex, the structure that is involved in vision. (See 158)



parietal lobe	in the cerebral cortex, the structure that is involved in bodily sensations, such as touch. (See 158)



perception	the interpretation of what is sensed. (See 179)



proximodistal pattern	the sequence in which growth starts at the center of the body and moves toward the extremities. (See 154)



rooting reflex	a newborn's built-in reaction that occurs when the infant's cheek is stroked or the side of the mouth is touched. In response, the infant turns its head toward the side that was touched, in an apparent effort to find something to suck. 171 Moro reflex a neonatal startle response that occurs in reaction to a sudden, intense noise or movement. When startled, the newborn arches its back, throws its head back, and flings out its arms and legs. Then the newborn rapidly closes its arms and legs to the center of body. 172



sensation	occurs when information contacts sensory receptors - the eyes, ears, tongue, nostrils, and skin. (See 179)



stepping reflex	occurs when babies flex their legs up and down in response to pressure applied to the soles of their feet. (See 172)



sucking reflex	a newborn's built-in reaction of automatically sucking an object placed in its mouth. The sucking reflex enables the infant to get nourishment before it has associated a nipple with food. (See 171)



sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)	a condition that occurs when an infant stops breathing, usually during the night, and suddenly dies without apparent cause. (See 164)



temporal lobe	in the cerebral cortex, the structure that is involved in hearing. (See 158)

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