Chapter 5- Physical and Cognitive development in infancy Flashcards
Describe Piaget’s preoperational stage
lasts from ages 2-7, stage where children begin to represent the world with words and drawings, children are thinking more and asking “why?”
What are the 2 substages of Piaget’s preoperational stage?
symbolic function and intuitive thought
Describe the symbolic function substage
(2-4) child gains the ability to mentally represent objects that aren’t currently present
What are the 2 important limitations of the symbolic function substage?
Egocentrism and animism
What is egocentrism?
the inability to distinguish between one’s own perspective and someone else’s perspective
Describe the intuitive thought substage
(4-7) children begin to use primitive reasoning and want to know the answers of all sorts of questions
What are the 2 main limitations of the intuitive thought substage?
Centration and conservation
What is centration?
tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation, problem or object
What is conservation?
form of centration- the awareness that altering an object or substance’s appearance doesn’t change its basic properties
Give an example of a child lacking conservation
2 same size glasses of water- pour 1 into taller thinner glass- child will think taller glass has more
Describe Vygotsky’s social constructivist approach
emphasis of the social contexts of learning and the construction of knowledge through social interaction
What was Vygotsky’s view on speech and language development in early childhood?
children use speech not only for social communication, but also to help them solve tasks
What is private speech and inner speech?
Private speech is basically thinking out loud. This eventually internalized and becomes inner speech (what we know as thinking)
Describe the development of gross motor skills in young children
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
What is the most prominent change in the brain during early childhood development?
rapid growth in the prefeontal cortex
How much does the average child grow in a year during early childhood?
2 1/2 inches, 5-7 lbs
At what age does hand-eye coordination tend to improve?
5
How does attention change from toddlerhood to preschool years?
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
What does executive attention involve?
planning actions, focusing on goals, being able to realize and correct their errors, dealing with difficult tasks
Young children make advances in what 2 aspects of attention?
executive attention and sustained attention
What is sustained attention?
extended attention to an object, task, event, etc
What is short-term memory? How can it be temporarily improved?
individuals retain info for up to 30 seconds, can be improved with rehearsal/ repeating what was heard
What age group is the most susceptible to suggestion when it comes to long term memory?
preschoolers, if ya tell them something happened, their memories might change and they’ll believe it did
What is executive function?
an umbrella concept that encompasses a number of higher-level cognitive processes linked to the development of the brain’s frontal cortex
What does executive function involve?
managing one’s thoughts to engage in goal-directed behavior and exercise self-control
What aspects of executive function advances the most in early childhood?
cognitive inhibition (holding back the urge to do something wrong), cognitive flexibility (shifting attention), goal setting, delay of gratification
What is theory of mind? How does it develop in ages 2-3?
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)
How does the theory of mind develop in 4-5 year olds?
the understand that people can have false beliefs
