PSY BEH 110D Lecture 6: Mini-Lecture 6-2 Reflexes Case Study - Stepping
8 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Apparent before 2 months of age and then disappears. Re-emerges later in development as true walking behavior. As they get older (1 year) it reemerges. Primarily thought that shift from subcortical to cortical functioning was responsible for the disappearance of the stepping reflex. If brain development is responsible, however, all infants should go through the process around same time. If variability exists, cannot be influenced only by brain development. Maybe what matters is infant weight, not brain development. Infant weight as influential factor: crawling and walking. The reason for kicking but not stepping may be due to brawn, not brains. Babies weren"t as able to step as they were previously. Placed babies in water and would look to see if stepping reflex in water. If you place baby in water, the stepping reflex reemerges. Indicating that factors other than brain development were influential in the disappearance of the stepping reflex.
