Chapter 5

Question 1

What is developmental pyschology?

Answer 1

The psychology of growth, change , and consistency throughout the lifespan.

Question 2

When/what is neonatal development?

Answer 2

(Birth-One Month)
several abilities begin to develop:
sensory abilities- taste, smell, visual and auditory preferences.
social abilities- imitation of emotional behavior and facial expressions (mimicry)

Question 3

What is neonatal reflex development?

Answer 3

innate abilities that do not need to be learned:
postural reflex- sitting ( with support)
grasping reflex-grasp fingers around objects in front of them
rooting reflex- turning and attempting to suck on objects that touch their cheeks
Stepping reflex- “marching movement” of feet

Question 4

When/What is the infancy period of development?

Answer 4

1 month to 18 months

A sensitive period for neural development, because infants are incredibly receptive to certain types of stimuli

Question 5

What happens to brain mass in the first two years of life?

Answer 5

It increases by 50%

Question 6

Until age 10 what occurs in the most active regions of the brain?

Answer 6

they receive the most new connections

Question 7

By age 11 what beings to occur?

Answer 7

Synaptic pruning: Unused neuronal connections get “unplugged” until they are rerouted.

Question 8

What is attachment?

Answer 8

Socio-emotional relationship between a child and a caregiver

Question 9

What is Harry Harlow’s Monkey experiment?

Answer 9

Landmark study for attachment

He studied contact comfort: body contact and warm touch are reassuring.

Question 10

What were Harry Harlow’s experiment findings?

Answer 10

• monkey prefered the cloth mother that had no milk over the wire monkey mom with food.
• Infants will actively seek a connection with sources of such comfort.

Question 11

What is imprinting?

Answer 11

form of early learning forming an attachment to the first moving object an animal sees.

Question 12

T/F: imprinting in many species attachment is instinctive?

Answer 12

True

Question 13

What is secure attachment?

Answer 13

Children are relaxed and comfortable with a caregiver

• tolerant of strangers and new experiences .
• when separated from caregiver, children exhibit distress (separation anxiety)

Question 14

What is Anxious ambivalent attachment?

Answer 14

When caregiver leaves the child will become very upset.

• even when caregiver returns they still throw a tantrum
• uncomfortable with strangers and new situations

Question 15

What is avoidant attachment?

Answer 15

insecure attachment:

• shows no interest in contact with caregiver
• no distress at separation
• no relief or happiness when reunited

Question 16

What are Ainsworth’s attachment styles?

Answer 16

secure attachment
Anxious ambivalent attachment
avoidant attachment

Question 17

What is Piaget’s stage theory of development?

Answer 17

Cognitive development occurs in discrete stages

• each with a distinct way of thinking
• development relies on schemas: mental structures or ways of thinking that guide cognitive development

Question 18

What is the order to Piaget’s stage theory of development?

Answer 18

1. ) New information is incorporated into existing schemas (assimilation)
2. ) Existing schemas are modified or replaced due to new information (accommodations)

Question 19

What were Piaget’s stages of development?

Answer 19

Sensorimotor stage ( 0-2) : rely heavily on innate motor response to stimuli (reflexes).
Preoperational stage (2-7): Mental representations and language skills become well developed
3.) Concrete operational stage (roughly age 7-11)
4.) Formal operational stage ( 12- adult hood)

Question 20

Within the sensorimotor stage, what is object permanence?

Answer 20

The knowledge that objects out of sight still exist (around 8 months)

Question 21

What does object permanence help explain?

Answer 21

Separation anxiety, through the demonstration that children may not be aware that the object/caregiver will return.

Question 22

within the sensorimotor stage describe the simple goal directed behaviors?

Answer 22

• ability to keep a goal in mind as they pursue it.-

- developing a basic understanding of the consequences of behaviors.

Question 23

object permanence + goal directed behavior =

Answer 23

development of mental representations:

being able to hold a concept in mind.

Question 24

What is egocentrism?

What Piaget stage does it belong to?

Answer 24

1. ) inability to recognize viewpoints besides one’s own and a lack of awareness for other perspectives.
2. ) preoperational stage

Question 25

What is animalistic thinking?

What Piaget stage does it belong to?

Answer 25

1. ) ascribing life and mental processes to inanimate objects
2. ) preoperational stage

Question 26

What is centration?

What Piaget stage does it belong to?

Answer 26

1. ) excessively narrow focusing of attention, failing to realize more than one property at the same time
2. )preoperational stage

Question 27

Why does centration occur?

Answer 27

Due to irreversibility- the inability to “work backwards”

Question 28

What is the Concrete operational stage ?

Answer 28

• Ability to think “Actions have consequences” .

- Less gullible

Question 29

What is conservations?

What stage of Piaget development does it belong to?

Answer 29

1.) Being able to perform mental operations.
thinking things through before acting
2.) Concrete operational stage

Question 30

What is the Formal operational stage?

Answer 30

Abstract thought develops and continues to improve

and participate in metacognition.

Question 31

What is metacognition?

Answer 31

Thinking about thinking

Question 32

What is deductive reasoning?

What stage of Piaget development does it belong to?

Answer 32

1. ) drawing conclusions from facts, abstract concepts and logic
2. ) Formal operational stage

Question 33

Criticisms of Piaget’s theory?

Answer 33

some abilities may appear earlier than described:
object permanence
distinguish real from imaginary
Overcome egocentrism
- development may more gradually, with less abrupt transitions ( wave metaphor)