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Developmental psychology > Chapter 2: Theories and issues in child development > Flashcards

Chapter 2: Theories and issues in child development Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the difference between minor and major theories?

A

Minor: about a single phenomenon
Major: broad phenomenon

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2
Q

Name 4 aspects of a good developmental theory

A
  1. Relates to ontogeny = individual development
  2. Focuses on change over time
  3. Explains emergence of new properties
  4. Useful in education/interventions
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3
Q

What are the three main dimensions?

A
  1. Nature-nurture
  2. Continuous-stagewise
  3. Passive-active
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4
Q

What are the 6 groups of major theories?

A
  1. Motor development
  2. Cognitive development
  3. Social-cognitive development
  4. Evolution and ethology
  5. Psychoanalytic theories
  6. Humanistic theories
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5
Q

Name 2 aspects of motor milestones

A
  1. Sequence is often the same (sitting, standing, crawling, walking), but timing is different
  2. Each accomplishment brings increasing degree of independence
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6
Q

What are the two major theories of motor development?

A
  1. Maturational theories
  2. Dynamic systems theory
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7
Q

Which two directions of motor development does Gesell describe in his maturational theory?

A

From global to specific:
1. Cephalocaudal: head to foot
2. Proximodistal trend: from center towards periphery of body

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8
Q

What is the main idea of maturational theory of Gesell?

A

Maturation of the body shapes motor development and the same developmental patterns are followed. Environmental input is not very relevant

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9
Q

What are three criticisms of Gesell’s maturational theory?

A
  • Not all children follow the same pattern of motor development
  • Not generalizable to more cultures
  • Environment can play guiding role
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10
Q

What is McGraw’s maturational theory? What was his evidence?

A

Environment can shape motor development besides maturation

Evidence: training of twin from birth in specific skills can accelerate development

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11
Q

What were 2 criticisms on McGraw’s maturational theory?

A
  1. No evidence for genetic cause motor development sequence
  2. Doesn’t account for individual differences in acquiring motor skills
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12
Q

What is the main point of the dynamic systems theory of Thelen?

A

Individual interacts dynamically in a complex system.

Actions change physical properties and environment and with every new action, this continues

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13
Q

For which 3 aspects does the dynamic systems theory account for?

A
  1. Children skipping developmental steps
  2. Infants developing new motor skill is the same in adults –> trial and error
  3. Infants don’t have a fixed understanding of their own abilities and have dynamic flexibility to adjust abilities for new motor problems
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14
Q

Where do maturational theories and the dynamic systems theory fall on the spectrum of nature-nurture?

A

Maturational: more nature (McGraw a little more towards nurture)

Dynamic systems: interaction between nature and nurture

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15
Q

What are the two key points of psychoanalysis?

A
  1. Behavior is determined by the unconscious
  2. Children don’t shape own course of development
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16
Q

What is the organismic world view and to what psychologist does this view apply?

A

Children interact with the environment to shape their own development

Piaget

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17
Q

What are functional invariants? Which two does Piaget mention in his theory?

A

Processes that don’t change during development

Assimilation + accommodation are always together in development

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18
Q

What are schemas according to Piaget?

A

Mental structures in thinking that provide representations + plans for behaviors. They are adapted by assimilation and accommodation

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19
Q

What are the 4 stages of cognitive development according to Piaget?

A
  1. Sensorimotor: thought = action
  2. Preoperational: egocentricity, animism, centration, no logic
  3. Concrete operations: decentration (conservation task)
  4. Formal operations: scientific, hypothetic reasoning
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20
Q

Why did it take so long for Piaget’s theory to be accepted? Name 3 reasons?

A
  1. French
  2. Complex way of writing
  3. Psychology was dominated by behaviorism: a mechanistic world view
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21
Q

What is the main idea of information processing approaches? Which 3 innovations were important for this theory?

A

Focus on information available in external environment and the means by which the child receives/interprets this information

  1. Computers
  2. Behavior can’t be understood without knowing structure of perceiver’s environment
  3. Constructivism: perception fills in information that can’t be seen/heard directly
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22
Q

In which direction does cognitive development go according to information processing approaches?

A

Bottom-up: uptake of information by the child and then building complex systems of knowledge (nurturist view)

23
Q

How do children assemble building blocks of knowledge according to the information processing theories?

A

Through perception of causality
1. Temporal proximity: violated if something moves after it has been touched
2. Physical proximity: if something moves without physical contact

24
Q

What is object unity and how do infants perceive this according to information processing theories?

A

Two parts of an object are visible but the center is hidden –> it’s still 1 object

Young infants: see components
Older infants: perceive a whole

25
Q

What is connectionism?

A

Computer programs designed to model an aspect of cognition including its development. This is used in information processing approaches

26
Q

What 4 things happen in cognitive development in childhood according to information processing approaches?

A
  1. Incorporation new strategies
  2. Identification efficient strategies
  3. Efficient execution strategies
  4. More adaptive choices for strategies
27
Q

What are 3 similarities and 2 differences between information processing theories and Piaget’s theory on cognitive development?

A

Similarities:
1. Specification children’s abilities/limitations during development
2. Focus on active participation of child
3. Explain how new levels of understanding develop from earlier ones

Differences:
1. IPT: emphasis development strategies to overcome limitations of thinking
Piaget: no processing limitations, gradual construction logical frameworks for thought
2. IPT: continuous (qualitatively similar)
Piaget: stages (qualitatively different)

28
Q

What is understood by social cognitive development? Which 3 main views are there on social cognitive development?

A

Interaction between child and their community

  1. Vygotsky
  2. Behaviorism
  3. Social learning theory
29
Q

What is the main point of Vygotsky’s theory? What is the zone of proximal development?

A

Development of intellectual abilities is influenced by relationships with more advanced individuals

Zone of proximal development is the zone where things are too difficult for the child to understand alone, but not if helped by an adult

30
Q

What is introspectionism? Who were 2 important figures in this and to what type of psychology did it lead?

A

When observers are asked to reflect on their thoughts, feelings and perceptions

Pavlov + Thorndike

Lead to behaviorism

31
Q

What is the main point of behaviorism?

A

Denying role of the mind as an object of study and all behavior are chains of simuli from the environment

32
Q

What is reductionism?

A

Reducing complex phenomena to simpler core processes. Part of behaviorism: all behaviors are repeated connections between stimulus and a response

33
Q

What is Skinner’s view on behaviorism? How are you able to shape behavior?

A

Operant conditioning: children operate behavior on their environment

Shaping behavior by manipulating reinforcements

34
Q

Which 2 points are most important in early behaviorist views?

A
  1. Child is passively molded under pressure of environment and can be shaped in any direction
  2. Infant is born with machinery of condition
35
Q

What is the main point of Bandura’s social learning theory? What are the 3 main differences from behaviorism?

A

Behaviorism with emphasis on observational learning

  • Less mechanistic than Skinner
  • Focus on processing in the mind instead only observable behavior
  • Law of effect + learning with observation
36
Q

What is an ethological approach? Name 2 examples

A

Emphasis on evolutionary origins of behaviors that are important for survival

Examples:
1. Imprinting: following first objects they see
2. Precocial species: young are able to locomote immediately after birth

37
Q

What is a critical period according to the ethological approach? What is the current view on this?

A

Length of time for behavior to mature. After this period, behavior can’t develop

Current view: sensitive period instead of critical period

38
Q

What is the attachment theory of Bowlby and what are the two different drives?

A

Emotional development theory that helps understand attachment formation in infancy and childhood

  1. Primary drive: basic needs
  2. Secondary drive: object can require reinforcing properties by being associated with satisfaction of primary drives
39
Q

What were the results of Harlow’s experiment with 2 surrogate monkey mothers? How does this contradict the behaviorist view?

A

Contact comfort is a basic need, so attachment is a basic need

Behaviorists believed attachment was a secondary drive

40
Q

What is monotropy? What were later views on this?

A

Infant has basic need to form attachment with 1 significant person

Later this was broadened to multiple attachments to persons that provide meaningful interactions

41
Q

When is attachment very apparent in infants? How is the level of attachment measured in kids?

A

When children start crawling they look for agreement of parent (social referencing)

Measured with strange situation measure

42
Q

What are the id, ego and superego? When do these items develop

A

Id: impulses, emotions, desires (newborns)
Ego: mediator reality - desires id
Superego: duty, conscience, responsibility (last to develop)

43
Q

How do the ego and superego develop?

A

In 5 psychosexual stages:
1. Oral
2. Anal
3. Phallic
4. Latency
5. Genital

44
Q

What are the 5 psychosexual stages of Freud?

A
  1. Oral: stimulation lips, mouth
  2. Anal: toilet training, anal control
  3. Phallic: oedipus/electra/castration complex
  4. Latency: rest of sexual awakening
  5. Genital: sexual awakening and desires
45
Q

What are the 2 main issues with Freudian theory?

A
  1. Impossible to test
  2. Reaction formation: individual may react unconsciously to behavior and reverse effects, implying you can never predict child’s development
46
Q

What was Anna Freud’s view on ego development?

A

This occurs in adolescence, where the ego struggles. Through this, the ego matures and is able to defend itself

47
Q

What is the main difference between Erikson’s psychosocial stages and Freud’s psychosexual stages? What is the range of Erikson’s stages?

A

More emphasis on broader social context, not just sexual.

Erikson’s stages go from basic trust to sense of integrity/self worth

48
Q

What is the main point of humanistic theory? Name 3 aspects

A
  • Focus on person’s subjective experiences
  • Humans have free will
  • Humans have motivation to fulfill their potential = self-actualization
49
Q

What is self-actualization?

A

The fulfillment of needs beyond those deemed necessary for survival

50
Q

What is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs?

A
  1. Physiological
  2. Safety/security
  3. Love/belonging
  4. Esteem
  5. Self-actualization
51
Q

What is a cognitive aspect of gender development?

A

Understanding gender constancy (one is either a boy or girl) and developing gender-role behavior as a result of this

52
Q

What is the social learning point of view on gender development? Name 2 aspects

A
  1. Child is reinforced for gender appropriate behavior
  2. Gender roles are shaped by observation and imitation
53
Q

What is a psychoanalytic point of view on gender development?

A

Children take on same-gender parent’s view and behavior. Electra/oedipus complexes are developed

54
Q

What is behavior genetics and which dimension is important?

A

How genetic factors influence behavior and differences between individuals –> estimating contributions nature and nurture to individual variations

Developmental psychology (19 decks)

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