13 - INTRO TO DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCH

Question 1

What is developmental psychology?

Answer 1

Developmental psychology is a scientific approach which aims to explain growth, change and consistency through the lifespan.

Question 2

What is the difference between theories of continuous change vs stage theories?

Answer 2

Theories of continuous change see development as a life-long, continuous experience which does not follow stages. Stage theories see development as a succession of changes that produce different behaviours in different age-specific life periods.

Question 3

What is Piaget’s constructivism theory?

Answer 3

The child must actively engage with the world to construct knowledge.

Question 4

Piagetian equilibrium leads to…?

Answer 4

Assimilation

Question 5

Piagetian disequilibrium leads to…?

Answer 5

Accomodation

Question 6

What is Piaget’s first stage of cognitive development?

Answer 6

Sensorimotor (0-2): understand the world through senses and actions

Question 7

What is Piaget’s second stage of cognitive development?

Answer 7

Pre-Operational (2-7): understand the world through symbols

Question 8

What is Piaget’s third stage of cognitive development?

Answer 8

Concrete Operational (7-11): understand world through logical thinking

Question 9

What is Piaget’s fourth stage of cognitive development?

Answer 9

Former Operational (11+): understand world through abstract thinking and scientific reasoning

Question 10

According to Piaget, when does object permanence occur?

Answer 10

~8-12 months

Question 11

According to Piaget, when does conservation become possible?

Answer 11

~7 years (evidence for shift from pre-operational to concrete operational)

Question 12

What does the three mountains task show about egocentrism?

Answer 12

Children under 7 give egocentric responses (evidence for shift from pre-operational to concrete operational)

Question 13

What does the pendulum problem show?

Answer 13

Children under 12 usually perform unsystematic experiments and draw incorrect conclusions - evidence for Former Operational stage

Question 14

What kind of constructivism did Vygotsky propose?

Answer 14

Social constructivism - knowledge is constructed through social interactions

Question 15

What are elementary and higher cognitive functions according to Vygotsky?

Answer 15

Elementary cognitive functions are innate and not unique to humans, higher cognitive functions are socially constructed and are unique to humans.

Question 16

What are private speech and inner speech according to Vygotsky?

Answer 16

We use private speech to convert social speech into inner speech

Question 17

What is the zone of proximal development according to Vygotsky?

Answer 17

Distance between actual developmental level and level of potential development

Question 18

What is scaffolding according to Vygotsky?

Answer 18

Distance between actual developmental level and level of potential development

Question 19

How did Vygotsky suggest thought and language develop?

Answer 19

Age 0 - thought and language independent
~3 years - thought and language start to converge
~6-7 years - children start thinking in speech