DEVELOPMENTAL LUNCH BUNCH

This Friday, April 18 will be our last Lunch Bunch of the semester.

Our clean-up batter will be Carl Frankel talking about "Co-Acquisition of Postural Stability and Fear of Falling: A Tale of Two Ontologies." This talk presents findings that show an important role, in the acquisition of wariness of heights, of the many ordinary 6 to 12 inch falls that infants incur, as they acquire the postural stability needed to operate on a progressively narrower base of support. Interestingly, experienced "short" falls do not make infants afraid of short falls generally. Infants typically incur many butt-plants in learning to pull-to-stand, then invite many more when letting go of all support, to learn to free stand. Yet "short" falls do play a role in the acquisition of wariness of heights! In two studies of 37 week old infants, we found that locomotor experience that involves some opportunity to fall correlates with the infant's emotional responses in contexts of maintaining postural stability and preventing falls. One study (n=39) contrasted a group of prelocomotor and belly crawling infants with a group having experience of form(s) of locomotion that incur a risk of falling. Infants with "can-fall" locomotor experience were more likely to display an emotion in the moving room than those with none. In the second study (n=37), all infants were locomotor, and we examined the relationships among locomotor experience, behavior on the visual cliff, and display of emotion in the moving room. As infants had more "can-fall" experience locomoting, they were less likely to venture onto the deep side of a three foot visual cliff. In addition, infants who did not venture onto the deep side were more likely to display emotion in the moving room. We take this to indicate that, from ordinary encounters with gravitational acceleration, infants calibrate and extrapolate the emotional sting that they risk, from large drops and from unexpected threats to postural stability.

Lunch Bunch is 12-1 in Hobbs 106. As always, feel free to bring your lunch.

Thursday, May 8, 2008
2:00-3:30 p.m.
Under the white tent in front of the Jesup Building on Peabody Campus

The Department of Psychology and Human Development will be honoring its graduates and award honorees for their academic acheivements and excellence.

Please join us!

Erik Emeric
Vanderbilt University
Department of Psychology/Schall Lab

Title

Thursday, September 4, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Rob Friedman, PhD
Vanderbilt University
Department of Psychology/Roe Lab

Title

Thursday, September 11, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Joseph Neimat, M.D.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Neurological Surgery

TItle

Thursday, September 11, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Anna Roe, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Department of Psychology

Title

Thursday, September 25, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Gopathy Purushothaman, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology/Psychology

Title

Thursday, October 2, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley @ carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Hisashi Tanigawa, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Department of Psychology/Roe Lab

Title

Thursday, October 9, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Leslie Dowell
Vanderbilt University
Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences/Wallace Lab

Title

Thursday, October 16, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol WIley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Peiyan Wong
Vanderbilt University
Department of Psychology/Kaas Lab

Title

Thursday, October 23, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Limin Chen, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Department of Imaging Sciences

Title

Thursday, October 30, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Jeremiah Cohen
Vanderbilt University
Department of Psychology/Schall Lab

Title

Thursday, November 6, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Carissa Cascio, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Department of Psychiatry

Title

Thursday, November 13, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Vivek Khatri, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences/Polley Lab

"Tales of Dr. Doolittle: Optimizing Rodent Cortical Circuits for Processing of Speech Sounds"

Thursday, November 20, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

NO Neuroscience Seminar Series
Thanksgiving Holiday

Mary Baldwin
Vanderbilt University
Department of Psychology/Kaas Lab

Thursday, December 4, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Psychology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact  Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu

Omar Gharbawie, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Department of Psychology/Kaas Lab

Title

Thursday, December 11, 2008
12:00 p.m.
316 Wilson Hall

Abstract

Department of Pyschology NEUROSCIENCE SEMINAR SERIES

For additional information, contact Carol Wiley@carol.wiley@vanderbilt.edu