Chapter 4: The Preschool Years Flashcards
interindividual variability=
the change that separates one child from another
interindividual variability=
the change that happens within the child
by __ years old, body proportions are similar to adults
6
in preschool years, appetite decreases. What’s the ideal diet for kids this age?
high-iron, low-sodium, and low-fat foods
*iron deficiency is common in this stage
what is the greatest risk that preschoolers face?
accidents
- most common illness is colds
t/f
lead poisoning affects everyone, but children’s developing brains are especially susceptible
true!
causes hyperactivity, aggression, decreased intelligence
by age __ the brain is at 95% of it’s adult weight
as brain size increases, the number of ___ also increases
6
interconnections
lateralization=
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
describe the motor development that occurs in the preschool years in boys vs girls
gross and fine motor skills improve b/c of increased myelination & practice
- boys: stronger, more active (better gross skills)
- girls: better dexterity/ coordination (fine)
kids show a clear preference for dominant hand by __ months
- they’re definitely right or left handed by age __
18 months
3yrs
preschoolers are in Piaget’s _____ stage.
Meaning:
preoperational
meaning they use symbolic thinking- mental reasoning and use of concepts increases (use pretend play)
the 3 mountain task is used to assess egocentrism. Define egocentrism and explain how this method works
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
Preschoolers lack understanding of conservation. Explain what it is
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
________ memory is not accurate until age 3 (accuracy gradually increases after 3)
autobiographical memory (the memory of specific events in the child’s life)
___ attention is limited in 3/4 year olds, but improves by age 5
divided attention (the ability to switch focus between tasks)
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
social and cultural
individual
t/f
vygotsky would agree that a child would be able to advance significantly based only on their own discoveries, without social interactions
false
believed without social interactions, the child’s mind won’t advance far b/c their knowledge is based only on their own discoveries
define vygotsky’s zone of proximal development
where a child can perform a task with assistance from someone (using scaffolding)
- allows cognitive abilities to increase
scaffolding=
the temporary support that parents/ teachers give a child to do a task
preschoolers begin to acquire ___ (the system of rules that determine how our thoughts can be expressed) BUT ___ is not great yet
grammar
pronunciation
describe the pathway of language development in preschool years
- syntax
- vocabulary
- semantic (understanding the meaning of words)
- private speech (how they talk to themselves)
- social speech (how they talk to others)
- writing skills
preschoolers also learn how to use pragmatics, which is ___
how to use language specifically in their culture to be polite
describe the stage that erikson proposed preschoolers are in
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
preschoolers become curious of gender differences, but at this age boys play with___ and girls play with ___
boys
girls
- develop expectations of gender-appropriate behaviors, and do not intermingle much
What are the 4 parenting styles according to Baumrind’s model of parenting style?
- authoritative (healthiest)
- authoritarian
- permissive
- neglectful/ uninvolved
childhood sexual abuse is very common :(
when is it especially harmful to the child?
when the perpetrator is someone the child trusts (eg caretaker)
- creates feelings of self-blame, guilt, etc
___ is the most common form of child abuse
neglect
What was Piaget’s view of moral development in children?
List the 3 stages
- heteronomous morality: rules are fixed
- incipient cooperation stage: kids become more social, rules remain unchangeable (7-10yrs)
- autonomous cooperation stage: start to understand that rules could change if everyone agrees (10+yrs)
prosocial behavior=
how do kids learn this?
helping behavior
- learned through reinforcement and modelling of this behavior
t/f
aggression occurs in preschoolers and is always a concern
false
- some types of aggression are normal
- extreme aggression is concerning though
what are 2 hypotheses for the roots of aggression
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)
t/f
all kids will have the same interpretations of aggression when witnessing it, so will have the same levels of aggression
false
