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Prenatal development. Chapter 03 Psyc311 Jen Wright. as you are coming in…. If your group is covering topic #1, please sit together in class today.
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Prenatal development Chapter 03 Psyc311 Jen Wright
as you are coming in… • If your group is covering topic #1, please sit together in class today. • MAKE SURE you have arranged to meet together and/or to work on your arguments by email so that EVERYONE in the group has a chance to contribute to them by Friday’s class.
developmentalprocess • Cell division – from 1 cell to trillions of cells by birth • Cell migration – stem cells move from point of origin to other areas of developing child • Cell differentiation – once migrated, stem cells change to become “brain cells” and “bone cells”, etc. • Cell death (apoptosis) – programmed cell “suicide” part of developmental process.
the womb… the perfect classroom? • Can babies learn inside the womb? • Many people and companies make claims about prenatal learning. • BabyPlus children have an intellectual, developmental, creative, and emotional advantage from the time they are born.
prenatal learning • How might we track prenatal learning? • One technique – habituation. • What is habituation?
prenatal learning • Another technique – preferential learning. • What is preferential learning? • So, we can document prenatal learning if we can show: • Recognition of a particular stimulus • Preference for a particular stimulus
tools for learning: fetal senses • Touch – Fetuses respond to movement/touch • Taste – Fetuses drink more amniotic fluid when sweetener is added • Smell – Fetuses respond to new and familiar odors • Hearing – Fetuses develop preferences for certain sounds by 6+ mos • Sight – Fetuses will respond to light shown through belly wall.
prenatal learning • Fetuses learn their mother’s (but not their father’s) voices. • A mother's voice reaches the uterus with very little distortion. • A father’s voice does not. • They also begin to learn their native language. • Babies will prefer to watch people who are speaking their native language. • Babies will prefer to play with items handed to them by a native speaker.
DeCasper, 1980 • Mothers read the Dr. Seuss story, The Cat In the Hat, at regular intervals before birth. • At birth, babies were hooked up to recordings which they could select by sucking on a non-nutritive nipple. • After a few trials, babies sucked at whatever speed was necessary to obtain their mother's voice reading “The Cat in the Hat” but not their mother’s voice reading a different children’s story. • Likewise, musical passages repeated regularly are identified and preferred immediately after birth.
Firstart method • Mothers listened to tapes of classical music from 28 week to birth (attached around belly). • Progression from simple to complex melodies • Newborns were significantly better than a control group at • Gross and fine motor coordination • Hand-mouth coordination • Visual tracking and anticipation behavior • Object exploration • Object permanence • Babbling • Facial (and movement) imitation
Venezuelan study • Stroking fetus through belly • Soft/melodious sounds • Talking with fetus • Light on belly • Vibrations on belly • “Every time a brain is stimulated in an adequate way new neuronal connections are being made. The more connections, the more neurons integrated; this determines intelligence, social and emotional skills.”
