Lecture 8 PSYCH 250 1st EditionOutline of Last Lecture I. Theories of Early Psychosocial DevelopmentII. Proximal and Distal ParentingIII. Emotions in the First Year of LifeIV. TemperamentV. AttachmentA. Attachment ClassificationsOutline of Current Lecture VI. Body Growth and DevelopmentVII. The “Just So” Phenomenon in ChildrenVIII. Motor SkillsIX. Artistic DevelopmentCurrent LectureBody GrowthWhile baby fat tends to peak at about 9 months of age, children typically become thinner in terms of fat between the ages of 2 and 6. At age 5, an individual’s BMI (body mass index) will be the lowest it will ever be. A typical 6 year – old will weight 46 lbs. and be 46 inches tall. Not every 6 year – old has these measurements, and there tends be a lot of variability in children, especially in terms of weight.Children’s growth can be influenced by a number of factors including: Ethnicity and Culture SES  Genes Nutrition“Just So”The “Just So” phenomenon is a child’s insistence that certain events and experiences occur in a particular manner or sequence. This insistence on having certain things “just so” declines around the age of 3. Examples: Young children tend to be picky and prefer rituals (crust cut off bread, sandwich cut in a particular way)  Specific bedtime routines Insistence on wearing certain articles of clothingBrain Development and EmotionsA child’s brain grows much faster than their body, and by the age of 5, a child’s brain will be 90% of its adult weight. Children are also undergoing speed of processing (myelination)Myelination: Myelin is a fatty substance that covers the axons of neurons. This covering allows the action potential to travel quicker and more efficiently. Myelination is the process of myelin being applied to neurons. This allows the brain to engage in faster thinking and more abstract thinking, and children can do things that they couldn’t do before.The left hemisphere of the brain becomes more functional and children begin to coordinate language and handedness (dominant use of the left or right hand). Additionally, growth occurs in the prefrontal cortex in areas that promote planning and impulse control.Corpus Callosum: The corpus callosum is a band that connects the two hemispheres of the brain together. The connections in this area are rapidly myelinated to allow more efficient communication between the two halvesof the brain.Lateralization (or “sidedness”): is the specialization of certain functions by each side of the brain – left side of the brain generally functions in reason and logic, and the right side tends to deal more with creativity. Certain areas of the brain are localized for language, and hearing, and others for vision.EmotionsThe Limbic System of the brain is fundamental for the regulation and expression of different emotions. The Limbic System has three key components: The Amygdala, The Hippocampus, and the Hypothalamus.Amygdala Emotions: especially fear and anxietyThe amygdale is highly active during early childhood which could the reasoning behind night terrorsHippocampus This area focuses on memory, more specifically, on the location of the memoryHypothalamus Produces hormones in response to the amygdale and hippocampus that activate other parts of the brain and the bodyMotor SkillsGross Motor Skills: These skills develop throughout early childhood and from 2 – 6 children learn how to run, hop, jump, and skip (most cannot skip before age 5).Fine Motor Skills: Children develop their fine motor skills to assist in self-help. This includes dressing, eating, and tying shoes. Children also become interested in drawing, and create some rather unusual looking human characters.Artistic DevelopmentChildren generally tend to make scribbles at the age of 2. By age 3, children can begin drawing more representational forms. These are often humans with lots of facial detail (this is where children have been focusing since infancy) and little to no body (with exception of the belly button) and extremity detail. By age 5 or 6, children can begin to draw more realistic