Chapter 4: The Preschool Years

Question 1

interindividual variability=

Answer 1

the change that separates one child from another

Question 2

interindividual variability=

Answer 2

the change that happens within the child

Question 3

by __ years old, body proportions are similar to adults

Answer 3

6

Question 4

in preschool years, appetite decreases. What’s the ideal diet for kids this age?

Answer 4

high-iron, low-sodium, and low-fat foods

*iron deficiency is common in this stage

Question 5

what is the greatest risk that preschoolers face?

Answer 5

accidents

• most common illness is colds

Question 6

t/f

lead poisoning affects everyone, but children’s developing brains are especially susceptible

Answer 6

true!

causes hyperactivity, aggression, decreased intelligence

Question 7

by age __ the brain is at 95% of it’s adult weight

as brain size increases, the number of ___ also increases

Answer 7

6

interconnections

Question 8

lateralization=

Answer 8

process by which different functions become localized in the brain

*both sides can do everything, but left specializes in verbal tasks, right in non-verbal

Question 9

describe the motor development that occurs in the preschool years in boys vs girls

Answer 9

gross and fine motor skills improve b/c of increased myelination & practice

• boys: stronger, more active (better gross skills)
• girls: better dexterity/ coordination (fine)

Question 10

kids show a clear preference for dominant hand by __ months

- they’re definitely right or left handed by age __

Answer 10

18 months

3yrs

Question 11

preschoolers are in Piaget’s _____ stage.

Meaning:

Answer 11

preoperational

meaning they use symbolic thinking- mental reasoning and use of concepts increases (use pretend play)

Question 12

the 3 mountain task is used to assess egocentrism. Define egocentrism and explain how this method works

Answer 12

egocentrism= can’t understand perspectives of others

• by age 7, kids can see “Dolly’s” perspective of the 3 mountains, not just their own
• younger kids can only see their own POV, assume Dolly’s must be the same

Question 13

Preschoolers lack understanding of conservation. Explain what it is

Answer 13

understanding that moving or reshaping objects does not change the quantity (tall vs short glass, same amount of water)
- start to understand this at age 7

Question 14

________ memory is not accurate until age 3 (accuracy gradually increases after 3)

Answer 14

autobiographical memory (the memory of specific events in the child’s life)

Question 15

___ attention is limited in 3/4 year olds, but improves by age 5

Answer 15

divided attention (the ability to switch focus between tasks)

Question 16

Lev Vygotsky proposed that the focus of cognitive development should be on a child’s ___ and ___ world, as opposed to the Piagetian approach concentrating on ____ performance

Answer 16

social and cultural

individual

Question 17

t/f
vygotsky would agree that a child would be able to advance significantly based only on their own discoveries, without social interactions

Answer 17

false

believed without social interactions, the child’s mind won’t advance far b/c their knowledge is based only on their own discoveries

Question 18

define vygotsky’s zone of proximal development

Answer 18

where a child can perform a task with assistance from someone (using scaffolding)
- allows cognitive abilities to increase

Question 19

scaffolding=

Answer 19

the temporary support that parents/ teachers give a child to do a task

Question 20

preschoolers begin to acquire ___ (the system of rules that determine how our thoughts can be expressed) BUT ___ is not great yet

Answer 20

grammar

pronunciation

Question 21

describe the pathway of language development in preschool years

Answer 21

• syntax
• vocabulary
• semantic (understanding the meaning of words)
• private speech (how they talk to themselves)
• social speech (how they talk to others)
• writing skills

Question 22

preschoolers also learn how to use pragmatics, which is ___

Answer 22

how to use language specifically in their culture to be polite

Question 23

describe the stage that erikson proposed preschoolers are in

Answer 23

initiative vs guilt stage (3-6yrs)

• face conflicts b/w desire to act independently of parents and guilt if they don’t succeed
• begin to make own decisions

Question 24

preschoolers become curious of gender differences, but at this age boys play with___ and girls play with ___

Answer 24

boys
girls
- develop expectations of gender-appropriate behaviors, and do not intermingle much

Question 25

What are the 4 parenting styles according to Baumrind’s model of parenting style?

Answer 25

• authoritative (healthiest)
• authoritarian
• permissive
• neglectful/ uninvolved

Question 26

childhood sexual abuse is very common :(

when is it especially harmful to the child?

Answer 26

when the perpetrator is someone the child trusts (eg caretaker)
- creates feelings of self-blame, guilt, etc

Question 27

___ is the most common form of child abuse

Answer 27

neglect

Question 28

What was Piaget’s view of moral development in children?

List the 3 stages

Answer 28

1. heteronomous morality: rules are fixed
2. incipient cooperation stage: kids become more social, rules remain unchangeable (7-10yrs)
3. autonomous cooperation stage: start to understand that rules could change if everyone agrees (10+yrs)

Question 29

prosocial behavior=

how do kids learn this?

Answer 29

helping behavior

• learned through reinforcement and modelling of this behavior

Question 30

t/f

aggression occurs in preschoolers and is always a concern

Answer 30

false

• some types of aggression are normal
• extreme aggression is concerning though

Question 31

what are 2 hypotheses for the roots of aggression

Answer 31

Freud: motivated by sexual and aggressive instincts
Evolutionary/ sociobiologists: aggression leads to more opportunities to mate
Lorenz: we share a fighting instinct (primitive- defend our territory)

Question 32

t/f

all kids will have the same interpretations of aggression when witnessing it, so will have the same levels of aggression

Answer 32

false