Chapter 10 Flashcards
Cognitive development
Study of changes in memory, thought, and reasoning processes that occur throughout lifespan.
Sensitive period
Period of time in development during which exposure to different types of environmental stimulus is important for development of specific abilities.
Jean Piaget
Studied, tested, and measured his children as they grew up.
Interested in how children think and reason.
2 central processes involved in learning
Assimilation
Accommodation
Assimilation
Fitting new information into the belief system/understanding you already process
Accommodation
Process whereby people modify their way of understanding based on new experiences.
Proposed 4 stages of cognitive development
Sensorimotor (0-2 years)
Preoperational (2-7 years)
Concrete operational (7-11 years)
Formal operational (11 years-adult)
Sensorimotor
Infants’ thoughts are based on immediate sensory and motor exploration.
“Out of sight, out of mind”
Object permanence
Ability to understand that objects exist even when they aren’t being perceived.
Preoperational
Focused on language development, symbol use, and pretend play.
Children can understand object permanence, not abstract thinking.
Can only come with experiential learning
Children can count and use numbers but can’t mentally manipulate the info.
Also can’t understand the connection of shape manipulation and how it doesn’t mean amount manipulation.
Conservation
Quantity or amount of an object is not the same as the physical arrangement or appearance of that object
Concrete operational
Develop logical thinking and number manipulation skills.
Difficulty with abstract versions: A>B, C>A –> C>B
Formal operational
Development of advanced cognitive processes such as abstract reasoning and hypothetical thinking.
Core knowledge hypothesis
Infants are born with abilities to understand key aspects of their environment.
What did ‘post Piaget’ studies use to study infants’ cognitive abilities?
Habituation-dishabituation responses
Habituation
Decrease in responding with repeated exposure to an event.
Dishabituation
Increase in responding with presentation of new stimulus.
Do infants only 2 days old demonstrate preference for the congruent trials. (No. of shapes = No. of sounds)
Yes
Attachment
The enduring emotional bond formed between individuals.
Strange situation test (Ainsworth)
Measures infant attachment. (humans)
Attachment styles:
Secure attachment
Insecure attachment
Disorganized attachment
Secure attachment
Child occasionally ‘checks in’ with parent while exploring.
Child shows some distress when parent leaves, avoids stranger.
Child seeks comfort from parent when they return.
Insecure attachment
- Anxious/ambivalent
Very clingy to parent rather than explore on their own.
Similar behavior to secure attachment when parent leaves but when they return, child also resists.
- Avoidant
Child appears to not need parent at all.
Unconcerned when parent leaves, unconcerned by stranger.
Doesn’t seek contact when parent returns.
Disorganized attachment
Characterized by instability.
Child views parent as source of fear and comfort.
Demonstrates inconsistent behavior to parent.
Self-awareness
Ability to recognize one’s individuality.
Young children starts off only considering their own perspective. Eventually demonstrates a ‘Theory of Mind’.
Erik Erikson’s (8) stages of psychosocial development
Infancy: Trust vs. Mistrust → Developing a basic sense of security toward caregivers
Toddlerhood: Autonomy vs. Shame → seeking independence and gaining self-sufficiency
Early Childhood: Initiative vs. Guilt → Testing boundaries, responsibility of actions, active exploration of the environment, taking personal initiative.
Childhood: Industry vs. Inferiority → Being able to perform at a good level vs. failing to achieve that.
Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion → Establishing sense of self, attachment to particular social groups.
Young Adulthood: Intimacy vs. Isolation → Establishing and maintaining close relationships.
Adulthood: Generativity vs. Stagnation → Productive engagement in the world.
Aging: Ego Integrity vs. Despair → Focusing on accomplishments vs. failures
Primary and secondary sex traits
Primary: Changes in the body directly related to reproduction.
Secondary: Changes not directly related to reproduction.
Preconventional morality
Characterized by self-interest in seeking reward or avoiding punishment.
Conventional morality
Regards social conventions and rules as guides for appropriate moral behavior.
Postconventional morality
Considers rules and laws as relative. Right and wrong are determined by more abstract principles.
Does the basis of moral decision making differ between male and females?
Yes
Identity
One’s sense of the kind of person they are, what types of people they belong with, and their roles in society.
Dysphoria
Anxiety or discomfort regarding one’s sex assigned at birth.
Romantic relationships
Shift in attachment needs from safety and security to physical and emotional intimacy.
Peer groups
Characterized by common social and behavioral interest goals, conventions.
3 main areas of personal growth
Relationships → Trust, support, establish intimate connections
New possibilities → Freedom to pursue goals and interests
Personal strength → Confidence to overcome life’s challenges
What’s being a part of a committed, long-term relationship is associated with?
Greater health.
Longer life.
Increased happiness.
Gottman’s ‘Love lab’
Observation of couples interacting.
Certain behaviors noted as predictive of divorce.
Up to 94% accuracy
4 horsemen of the (Relationship) apocalypse
Criticism → Focusing on partner’s flaws, expressing disappointments.
Defensiveness → Responding to perceived attacks and counter-attacks.
Contempt → Dismissive eye rolls, sarcastic comments, sharp tone of voice.
Stonewalling → Shutting down verbally and emotionally.
Socioeconomical Selectivity Theory
Older adults learn to select more positive and nourishing experiences.
Participate in activities that emphasize positive emotions and sharing meaningful connections.
What are some challenges with aging?
Loss of loved ones.
Health challenges.
Loss of personal freedoms.
Aging
Associated with decline in grey and white matter volume in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex.
Alzheimers
Thought to be primarily caused by buildup of protein (plaques) and/or neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.
Developmental psychology
Study of human physical, cognitive, social, and behavioral characteristics
across the lifespan.
Cross-sectional design
Measures and compares samples of people at different ages at a given point in time.
Less expensive, lot quicker.
Cohort effect
Differences between people resulting
from the time period in which they were born.
Longitudinal design
Follows development of the same set of individuals through time.
Attrition
Participants dropping out of the study.
Fetal brain development
Embryonic stage (2 weeks)
Nerve cells develop
Neural tube becomes CNS.
4 weeks
Forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain divisions observable.
7 weeks
Spinal cord development allows movement,
strengthening and coordination of limbs
11 weeks
Cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, brain stem have all developed.
7 months
Cerebral cortex forms folds and ridges.
Myelin builds up around developing nerve cells.
9 months (birth)
Brain is approx. 25% the size and weight of adult brain.
Approx. 100 billion neurons.
Synaptogenesis
Forming of new synaptic connections
Synaptic Pruning
Loss of weak nerve cell connections
Teratogens
Substances that impair developmental processes.
When does visual acuity become comparable?
By 6 months
By 8 months infants can perceive shapes and objects as well as adults.
Rooting reflex
Turning head in the direction of stimulation at corner of the mouth.
Moro reflex
Reaching out of arms, followed by hugging motion; grimacing.
Grasping reflex
Clenching of hand in response to stimulation of the palm.
Stepping reflex
Straightening of leg in anticipation of pressure on the sole of the foot.
