Dev Psych Chapter 8

"accident paradigm"

"injuries will occur despite our best efforts," allowing the public to feel blameless

secondary prevention

Actions that avert harm in a high-risk situation, such as stopping a car before it hits a pedestrian. Secondary prevention reduces danger in high-risk situations. example: crossing guard

primary prevention

Actions that change overall background conditions to prevent some unwanted event or circumstance, such as injury, disease, or abuse. Example: speed bumps, drivers training

tertiary prevention

Actions, such as immediate and effective medical treatment, that are taken after an adverse event (such as illness or injury) and that are aimed at reducing harm or preventing disability

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD

An anxiety disorder that develops as a delayed reaction to having experienced or witnessed a profoundly shocking or frightening event, such as rape, severe beating, war, or natural disaster. Its symptoms may include flashbacks to the event, hyperactivity and hypervigilance, displaced anger, sleeplessness, nightmares, sudden terror or anxiety, and confusion between fantasy and reality.

permanency planning

An effort by child-welfare authorities to find a long-term living situation that will provide stability and support for a maltreated child. A goal is to avoid repeated changes of caregiver or school, which can be particularly harmful to the child.

first sign of maltreatment

delayed development, such as slow growth, immature communication, lack of curiosity, or unusual social interaction

child maltreatment

Intentional harm to or avoidable endangerment of anyone under 18 years of age.

Several signs of a maturing prefrontal cortex include:

(1) Sleep becomes more regular (2) Emotions become more nuanced and responsive (3) Temper tantrums subside (4) Uncontrollable laughter and tears are less common * Prefrontal cortex helps with impulse control

Stress and the brain facts

- Chronic stress... bad for brain development - Cortisol- chronic high cortisol levels can destroy parts of the hippocampus -Stress can blunt or accelerate emotional responses.

Artistic Expression

-Young children are imaginative, creative, and not yet self-critical. They love to express themselves, especially if their parents applaud their performances, display their artwork, and otherwise communicate approval. The fact that their fine motor skills are immature, and thus their drawings lack precision, is irrelevant. Perhaps the immaturity of the prefrontal cortex is a blessing: It allows creativity without self-criticism.

Environmental Hazards

-air pollution from traffic and industry early in life was one cause, not just a correlate, of asthma (Clark et al., 2010). - In the United States, asthma is far more prevalent among children who live in poverty than among those who do not

gross motor skills

-physical abilities involving large body movements, such as walking and jumping -Adults need to make sure children have a safe space, time, appropriate equipment, and playmates. Children learn best from peers who demonstrate whatever the child is ready to try, from catching a ball to climbing a tree. Of course, culture and locale influence particulars: Some small children learn to ski, others to sail.

Nutrition facts 1-5

1. As family income decreases, both malnutrition and obesity increase 2. The main reason for preschool malnourishment in developed nations is that too often young children's small appetites are satiated with unhealthy foods, crowding out needed vitamins. 3. Adults often encourage children to eat, protecting them against famine that was common a century ago. Unfortunately, that encouragement is destructive when food is abundant. 4. Overfed children often become overweight adults. An article in The Lancet (the leading medical journal in England) predicted that by 2020, 228 million adults worldwide will have diabetes (more in India than in any other nation) as a result of unhealthy eating habits acquired in childhood 5. Appetite decreases between ages 2 and 6 because young children need fewer calories per pound than they did as infants. This is especially true for the current generation since children get much less exercise than former generations did.

Left handed people

1/10

kinship care

A form of foster care in which a relative of a maltreated child, usually a grandparent, becomes the approved caregiver.

adoption

A legal proceeding in which an adult or couple is granted the joys and obligations of being that child's parent(s).

foster care

A legal, publicly supported system in which a maltreated child is removed from the parents' custody and entrusted to another adult or family, which is reimbursed for expenses incurred in meeting the child's needs.

Corpus Callosum

A long, thick band of nerve fibers that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain and allows communication between them a) Failure of the corpus callosum to develop results in serious disorders: This failure is one of several possible causes of autism (Frazier et al., 2012).

child abuse

Deliberate action that is harmful to a child's physical, emotional, or sexual well-being.

The Left Handed Child

Developmentalists advise against switching a child's handedness, not only because this causes adult-child conflicts and may create neurological confusion but also because left lateralization is an advantage in some professions, especially those involving creativity and split-second actions

child neglect

Failure to meet a child's basic physical, educational, or emotional needs

Which type of motor skill is harder to master?

Fine motor skills are harder to master than gross motor skills.

reported maltreatment

Harm or endangerment about which someone has notified the authorities

substantiated maltreatment

Harm or endangerment that has been reported, investigated, and verified.

lateralization

Literally, sidedness, referring to the specialization in certain functions by each side of the brain, with one side dominant for each activity. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, and vice versa. Fact: Left-handed people tend to have thicker corpus callosa than right-handed people do. Because they need to know how to do things with their right hand for social reasons.

what reduces the rate of maltreatment?

Neighborhood stability, parental education, income support, and fewer unwanted children

What happens during each year of childhood?

Over each year of early childhood, well-nourished children gain about 4½ pounds (2 kilograms) and grow almost 3 inches (about 7 centimeters).

There are specific functions dedicated to the left and right sides of the brain:

Right: left side of body, creativity, emotional, music and art, big picture left: right side of body, analytical and logical, language and detail

Why shouldn't a Childs life be stress free?

Some cortisol is needed for normal development. However, there is "extensive evidence of the disruptive impacts of toxic stress" (Siegel et al., 2013). Too much cortisol early in life may lead to permanent deficits in learning and health, with major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and attention-deficit/hyper-activity in childhood and adolescence.

Why are 2- to 6-year-olds so vulnerable?

Some of the reasons have just been explained. Immaturity of the prefrontal cortex makes young children impulsive; they plunge into danger. Unlike infants, their motor skills allow them to run, leap, scramble, and grab in a flash. Their curiosity is boundless; their impulses uninhibited.

impulse control

The ability to postpone or deny the immediate response to an idea or behavior Example: Few 3-year-olds are capable of sustained attention, as required in primary school.

Myelination

The process by which axons become coated with myelin, a fatty substance that speeds the transmission of nerve impulses from neuron to neuron.

Perseveration

The tendency to persevere in, or stick to, one thought or action for a long time Example: uncontrollable laughing or crying

Stress may sometimes be helpful

When past support and experience are in place, cortisol will not be overwhelming during stressful events at age 6.

Ages 5-6 weight and height

a) Weighs between 40 and 50 pounds (between 18 and 22 kilograms) b) Is at least 3½ feet tall (more than 100 centimeters) c) Looks lean, not chubby (ages 5 to 6 are lowest in body fat) d) Has adult-like body proportions (legs constitute about half the total height)

Nutritional definicies

a. Most children do not always obtain adequate iron, zinc, and calcium b.Eating a wide variety of fresh foods may therefore be essential for optimal health. Compared with the average child, those preschoolers who eat more dark-green and orange vegetables and less fried food benefit in many ways. c. An added complication is that an estimated 3 to 8 percent of all young children are allergic to a specific food

Mastery of gross and fine motor skills results not only from maturation but also from

extensive, active play

Impulsiveness and perseveration are opposite manifestations of the same underlying cause:

immaturity of the prefrontal cortex. No young child is perfect at regulating attention; impulsiveness and perseveration are evident in every 2-year-old

Plumbism

lead poisoning

fine motor skills

physical abilities involving small body movements, especially of the hands and fingers, such as drawing and picking up a coin

What type of prevention is the most effective?

primary

injuries

primary cause of death until 40

injury control/harm reduction

reduction Practices that are aimed at anticipating, controlling, and preventing dangerous activities; these practices reflect the beliefs that accidents are not random and that injuries can be made less harmful if proper controls are in place.

Some cultures have traditionally preferred ______________ and have thought of ______________________ as lesser

right handedness; left handedness

BMI at 5 or 6

the average body mass index (BMI, the ratio of weight to height) is lower at ages 5 and 6 than at any other time of life. Gone are the infant's protruding belly, round face, short limbs, and large head. The center of gravity moves from the breast to the belly, enabling cartwheels, somersaults, and many other motor skills.

mistreated children

typically regard other people as hostile and exploitative; hence, abused children are less friendly, more aggressive, and more isolated than other children