Baby Brain & Habit Formation

Describe how the infant brain differs from the adult brain in synaptic density, connectivity, and energy consumption.

Explain the processes of synaptogenesis and synaptic pruning in the first two years of life, citing the 'use it or lose it' principle.

Describe the role and timeline of myelination in the sequential maturation of infant brain circuits.

Distinguish between critical periods and sensitive periods using Hubel and Wiesel's visual deprivation experiments as a key example.

Differentiate between experience-expectant and experience-dependent plasticity as primary mechanisms of brain development.

Identify the key sensitive periods for vision, language, and social-emotional development and explain their significance.

Explain habituation as a form of infant learning and describe its use as a research tool in infant cognition studies.

Describe Rovee-Collier's mobile conjugate reinforcement paradigm and what it revealed about memory capacity and context-dependency in young infants.

Explain how the maturation of the hippocampus supports the transition from implicit to explicit memory.

Connect the principles of reinforcement (e.g., from Rovee-Collier's paradigm) to the initial formation of goal-directed actions.

Describe the role of the basal ganglia and repetition in transitioning goal-directed actions into stimulus-response habits.

Identify examples of early habit formation in an 8-12 month old's daily routines, such as feeding and sleep cues.

Describe Bowlby's attachment theory and Ainsworth's 'Strange Situation' experiment, including their neurobiological underpinnings.

Explain how the HPA axis mediates stress responses and how prolonged stress can affect developing brain architecture.

Define 'serve and return' interactions and list evidence-based strategies for supporting healthy brain development in an 8-12 month old.