Chapter 5 Flashcards
What is developmental pyschology?
The psychology of growth, change , and consistency throughout the lifespan.
When/what is neonatal development?
(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)
What is neonatal reflex development?
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
When/What is the infancy period of development?
1 month to 18 months
A sensitive period for neural development, because infants are incredibly receptive to certain types of stimuli
What happens to brain mass in the first two years of life?
It increases by 50%
Until age 10 what occurs in the most active regions of the brain?
they receive the most new connections
By age 11 what beings to occur?
Synaptic pruning: Unused neuronal connections get “unplugged” until they are rerouted.
What is attachment?
Socio-emotional relationship between a child and a caregiver
What is Harry Harlow’s Monkey experiment?
Landmark study for attachment
He studied contact comfort: body contact and warm touch are reassuring.
What were Harry Harlow’s experiment findings?
- 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.
What is imprinting?
form of early learning forming an attachment to the first moving object an animal sees.
T/F: imprinting in many species attachment is instinctive?
True
What is secure attachment?
Children are relaxed and comfortable with a caregiver
- tolerant of strangers and new experiences .
- when separated from caregiver, children exhibit distress (separation anxiety)
What is Anxious ambivalent attachment?
When caregiver leaves the child will become very upset.
- even when caregiver returns they still throw a tantrum
- uncomfortable with strangers and new situations
What is avoidant attachment?
insecure attachment:
- shows no interest in contact with caregiver
- no distress at separation
- no relief or happiness when reunited
What are Ainsworth’s attachment styles?
secure attachment
Anxious ambivalent attachment
avoidant attachment
What is Piaget’s stage theory of development?
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
What is the order to Piaget’s stage theory of development?
- ) New information is incorporated into existing schemas (assimilation)
- ) Existing schemas are modified or replaced due to new information (accommodations)
What were Piaget’s stages of development?
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)
Within the sensorimotor stage, what is object permanence?
The knowledge that objects out of sight still exist (around 8 months)
What does object permanence help explain?
Separation anxiety, through the demonstration that children may not be aware that the object/caregiver will return.
within the sensorimotor stage describe the simple goal directed behaviors?
- ability to keep a goal in mind as they pursue it.-
- developing a basic understanding of the consequences of behaviors.
object permanence + goal directed behavior =
development of mental representations:
being able to hold a concept in mind.
What is egocentrism?
What Piaget stage does it belong to?
- ) inability to recognize viewpoints besides one’s own and a lack of awareness for other perspectives.
- ) preoperational stage
What is animalistic thinking?
What Piaget stage does it belong to?
- ) ascribing life and mental processes to inanimate objects
- ) preoperational stage
What is centration?
What Piaget stage does it belong to?
- ) excessively narrow focusing of attention, failing to realize more than one property at the same time
- )preoperational stage
Why does centration occur?
Due to irreversibility- the inability to “work backwards”
What is the Concrete operational stage ?
- Ability to think “Actions have consequences” .
- Less gullible
What is conservations?
What stage of Piaget development does it belong to?
1.) Being able to perform mental operations.
thinking things through before acting
2.) Concrete operational stage
What is the Formal operational stage?
Abstract thought develops and continues to improve
and participate in metacognition.
What is metacognition?
Thinking about thinking
What is deductive reasoning?
What stage of Piaget development does it belong to?
- ) drawing conclusions from facts, abstract concepts and logic
- ) Formal operational stage
Criticisms of Piaget’s theory?
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)
