Chapter 5- Physical and Cognitive development in infancy

Question 1

Describe Piaget’s preoperational stage

Answer 1

lasts from ages 2-7, stage where children begin to represent the world with words and drawings, children are thinking more and asking “why?”

Question 2

What are the 2 substages of Piaget’s preoperational stage?

Answer 2

symbolic function and intuitive thought

Question 3

Describe the symbolic function substage

Answer 3

(2-4) child gains the ability to mentally represent objects that aren’t currently present

Question 4

What are the 2 important limitations of the symbolic function substage?

Answer 4

Egocentrism and animism

Question 5

What is egocentrism?

Answer 5

the inability to distinguish between one’s own perspective and someone else’s perspective

Question 6

Describe the intuitive thought substage

Answer 6

(4-7) children begin to use primitive reasoning and want to know the answers of all sorts of questions

Question 7

What are the 2 main limitations of the intuitive thought substage?

Answer 7

Centration and conservation

Question 8

What is centration?

Answer 8

tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation, problem or object

Question 9

What is conservation?

Answer 9

form of centration- the awareness that altering an object or substance’s appearance doesn’t change its basic properties

Question 10

Give an example of a child lacking conservation

Answer 10

2 same size glasses of water- pour 1 into taller thinner glass- child will think taller glass has more

Question 11

Describe Vygotsky’s social constructivist approach

Answer 11

emphasis of the social contexts of learning and the construction of knowledge through social interaction

Question 12

What was Vygotsky’s view on speech and language development in early childhood?

Answer 12

children use speech not only for social communication, but also to help them solve tasks

Question 13

What is private speech and inner speech?

Answer 13

Private speech is basically thinking out loud. This eventually internalized and becomes inner speech (what we know as thinking)

Question 14

Describe the development of gross motor skills in young children

Answer 14

2-3: Rhythmic walking, running, jumping, ridged
throwing and catching
3-4: Improved stair climbing, less rigidity, steering skills
4-5: Smoother running, starts skipping, improved
catching and throwing, improved steering skills
5-6: Faster running, true skipping, may ride a bike

Question 15

What is the most prominent change in the brain during early childhood development?

Answer 15

rapid growth in the prefeontal cortex

Question 16

How much does the average child grow in a year during early childhood?

Answer 16

2 1/2 inches, 5-7 lbs

Question 17

At what age does hand-eye coordination tend to improve?

Answer 17

5

Question 18

How does attention change from toddlerhood to preschool years?

Answer 18

preschoolers can spend time focusing on a single thing without getting too distracted, for example a 2 year old can’t sit and watch an entire movie but a 4 year old can

Question 19

What does executive attention involve?

Answer 19

planning actions, focusing on goals, being able to realize and correct their errors, dealing with difficult tasks

Question 20

Young children make advances in what 2 aspects of attention?

Answer 20

executive attention and sustained attention

Question 21

What is sustained attention?

Answer 21

extended attention to an object, task, event, etc

Question 22

What is short-term memory? How can it be temporarily improved?

Answer 22

individuals retain info for up to 30 seconds, can be improved with rehearsal/ repeating what was heard

Question 23

What age group is the most susceptible to suggestion when it comes to long term memory?

Answer 23

preschoolers, if ya tell them something happened, their memories might change and they’ll believe it did

Question 24

What is executive function?

Answer 24

an umbrella concept that encompasses a number of higher-level cognitive processes linked to the development of the brain’s frontal cortex

Question 25

What does executive function involve?

Answer 25

managing one’s thoughts to engage in goal-directed behavior and exercise self-control

Question 26

What aspects of executive function advances the most in early childhood?

Answer 26

cognitive inhibition (holding back the urge to do something wrong), cognitive flexibility (shifting attention), goal setting, delay of gratification

Question 27

What is theory of mind? How does it develop in ages 2-3?

Answer 27

awareness of the mind/mental processes,

ages 2-3 begin to understand 3 mental states:

• perceptions (ppl have diff. perspectives)
• emotions (mom smiles=mom is happy)
• desires (understands that if someone wants something, they’ll try to get it)

Question 28

How does the theory of mind develop in 4-5 year olds?

Answer 28

the understand that people can have false beliefs