Chapter 5: Cognitive Development in Infancy and Toddlerhood

Question 1

Assimilation

Answer 1

In Piaget’s theory, the process by which new experiences are interpreted and integrated into preexisting schemas
SS = Same Schema

Question 2

Accomodation

Answer 2

In Piaget’s theory, the process by which schemas are modified or new schemas created in light of experience
CC = Change or Create schemas

Question 3

Cognitive Equilibrium

Answer 3

A balance between the processes of assimilation and accommodation. Once assimilation and accommodation are balanced, we are not creating schemas or adapting our schemas, therefore our schemata match the real world

Question 4

Cognitive Disequilibrium

Answer 4

A mismatch between the processes of assimilation and accommodation. Leads to cognitive growth as a child attempts to alleviate the confusion caused by the mismatch.

Question 5

Mental Representation

Answer 5

Thinking about an object using mental pictures; an internal depiction of an object

Question 6

Sensorimotor Substage 1: Reflexes

Answer 6

Newborns use their reflexes to react to stimuli. During the first month of life, newborns strengthen and modify their original reflexive schemata to explore the world around them

Question 7

Sensorimotor Substage 2: Primary Circular Reactions

Answer 7

Infants make accidental discoveries. They find a pleasurable stimulus and repeat that action using the specific body part that bring upon the pleasurable stimulus

Question 8

Circular Reactions

Answer 8

The repetition of an action and its response in which infants repeat a newly discovered event caused by their own motor activity

Question 9

Primary Circular Reactions

Answer 9

Repeating an action that produced a chance event involving the infant’s body

Question 10

Sensorimotor Substage 3: Secondary Circular Reactions

Answer 10

Infants repeat actions that trigger events in their external environment. Their attention has expanded to outside their body and their action have an effect on the environment around them

Question 11

Secondary Circular Reactions

Answer 11

Repeating an action that produced a chance event that triggers a response in the external environment

Question 12

Sensorimotor Substage 4: Coordination of Secondary Circular Reactions

Answer 12

Represents true means-end behavior and the beginning of intentional behavior, rather than accidental discoveries. Infants purposely combine two secondary circular reactions and apply them in new situations to achieve a goal

Question 13

Object Permanence

Answer 13

The understanding that objects continue to exist outside of sensory awareness. Signifies a capacity for mental representation, or internal thought

Question 14

Sensorimotor Substage 5: Tertiary Circular Reactions

Answer 14

Infants begin to experiment with new behaviors to see the results. “little scientists” stage. Move from intentional behavior to systematic exploration. May engage in trial-and-error analysis by attempting a behavior over and over until they find the best way to attain their goal

Question 15

Tertiary Circular Reactions

Answer 15

Repeating an action to explore and experiment in order to see the results and learn about the world

Question 16

Sensorimotor Substage 6: Mental Representation

Answer 16

The transition between sensorimotor and preoperational reasoning stages. They can use symbols or mental images to represent things in memory. Allows for internal mental exploration to help determine the best outcomes before acting them out. They can think about objects that they no longer see in front of them

Question 17

Representational Thought

Answer 17

The ability to use symbols such as words and mental pictures to represent actions and objects in memory

Question 18

Violation-of-Expectation Task

Answer 18

A task in which a stimulus appears to violate physical laws. If an infant reacts differently to a stimulus that violates physical law, then they have a representation of what the stimulus should do in a regular setting

Question 19

A-not-B Error

Answer 19

An infant is able to find an object in Place A after it is hidden, but when the infant sees the object moved to Place B, the infant will still look for the object in Place A

Question 20

Deferred Imitation

Answer 20

The ability to repeat an act performed some time ago. Acting on the basis of stored memories/representation of the action

Question 21

Core Knowledge Theory

Answer 21

Infants are born with several innate knowledge systems, or core domains of thought, that promote early rapid learning and adaptation

Question 22

Sensory Memory

Answer 22

The first step in the information processing system in which stimuli are stored for a brief moment in its original form to enable it to be processed

Question 23

Working Memory

Answer 23

The component of the information processing system that holds and processes information that is being manipulated, encoded, or retrieved and is responsible for maintaining and processing information used in cognitive tasks

Question 24

Central Executive

Answer 24

The part of our mental system that directs the flow of information and regulates cognitive activities such as attention, action, and problem solving

Question 25

Executive Function

Answer 25

The set of cognitive operations that support planning, decision making, and goal-setting abilities, such as the ability to control attention, coordinate information in working memory, and inhibit impulses

Question 26

Long-Term Memory

Answer 26

An unlimited store that holds information indefinitely. The information is not processed or manipulated, only store until retrieved to use in working memory

Question 27

Attention

Answer 27

Our ability to direct our awareness

Question 28

Categorization

Answer 28

An adaptive mental process in which objects are grouped into conceptual categories, allowing for organized storage of information in memory, efficient retrieval of that information, and the capacity to respond with familiarity to new stimuli from a common class

Question 29

Intelligence

Answer 29

An individual’s ability to adapt to the environment

Question 30

Cooing

Answer 30

An infant’s repetition of sounds, such as “ahhhh”, “ohhhh”, and “eeee”, that begins 2-3 months of age.

Question 31

Babbling

Answer 31

An infant’s repetition of syllables such as “ba-ba-ba-ba” and “ma-ma-ma-ma”, which begins at about 6 months of age

Question 32

Holophrase

Answer 32

A one-word expression used to convey a complete thought

Question 33

Fast Mapping

Answer 33

A process of quickly acquiring and retaining a word after hearing it applied a few times

Question 34

Naming Explosion (Vocabulary Spurt)

Answer 34

A period of rapid vocabulary learning that occurs from about 16-24 months of age

Question 35

Underextension

Answer 35

Applying a word more narrowly than it is usually applied so that the word’s use is restricted to a single object
Example: Cup = daddy’s cup only rather than cup = all types of cups

Question 36

Overextension

Answer 36

Applying a word too broadly

Example: Cow = cow, sheep, chicken, horses, and all other farm animals

Question 37

Telegraphic Speech

Answer 37

Two-word utterances produced by toddlers that communicate only the essential words

Question 38

Grammar

Answer 38

The rules of language

Question 39

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

Answer 39

An innate facilitator of language that allows infants to quickly and efficiently analyze everyday speech and determine its rules, regardless of their native language

Question 40

Universal Grammar

Answer 40

Rules that apply to all human languages

Question 41

Broca’s Area

Answer 41

The region of the brain that controls the ability to use language for expression; damage to the area inhibits fluent speech

Question 42

Wernicke’s Area

Answer 42

The region of the brain that is responsible for language comprehension; damage to this area impairs the ability to understand others’ speech and sometimes the ability to speak coherently

Question 43

Canonical Babbling

Answer 43

A type of babbling with well-formed syllables that sounds remarkably like language

Question 44

Expansions

Answer 44

Adult responses to children’s speech that elaborate and enrich its complexity

Question 45

Recast

Answer 45

When an adult repeats a child’s sentence back to him or her in a new grammatical form, helping the child to acquire grammatical rules more quickly