Child Development Prereading Flashcards
Why are longitudinal studies more useful then cross sectional studies to developmental psychologists?
Longitudinal studies are more helpful to analyze the impact of trauma/abnormal development then cross sectional studies as they don’t rely on biased recall of traumatic events and the person before the event.
What is the difference between a sensitive period and a critical period?
A sensitive period is a period in which it is best for development for an event to happen, but development can continue without it. A critical period however, is a period in which the event must occur for development to continue normally.
Which five main questions/issues characterize development?
- Nature vs Nurture
- Continuity vs Discontinuity
- Stability vs change
- Sensitive and critical periods
- Normative vs non-normative events
Describe a sequential study design?
A sequential design combines the longitudinal and cross-sectional study. Tests across the desired parameter at one moment, then tests again over a time frame.
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What is a Teratogen?
An external agent that can cause abnormal prenatal development.
Describe Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
A cluster of severe developmental abnormalities including facial abnormalities, small, malformed brains.
Nicotine is an example of a ____
Teratogen.
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is an example of a ______
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Describe the preferential looking technique
The preferential looking technique entails showing infants two stimuli at the same time and filming their eyes to see which one they prefer to look at.
What is the general consensus on the capabilities of new born infants?
“Infants are born with several mechanisms that not only meet their biological needs but also help them respond to caretakers and learn important information.”
What is the psychological definition of maturation?
Maturation is the genetically programmed biological process that governs our growth.
What is the Cephalocaudal Principle?
The Cephalocaudal Principle states the tendency for development to proceed in a head-to-foot direction.
What is the Proximodistal Princple?
The Proximodistal Principle states that development begins along the innermost parts of the body and continues towards the outermost parts.
At 5 years old, the infant’s brain has reached almost ____ % of it’s adult size.
90
What does Passer and Smith describe as “crucial if infants are to develop to their full potential”?
Providing infants with a rich environment.
What does epigenetics suggest about brain development?
That environmental effects can have a powerful effect on brain development.
What are the 3 key points surrounding the influence of environment on brain development?
- Biology sets limits on environmental influences (a baby lacking the brain structures for motor control cannot stand)
- Environmental influences set limits on biology (impoverished environments stunt growth)
- Biological and environmental factors interact
Jean Piaget emphasized a _______ (stage-like) model of development. While many modern researches view development as a ______, or continuous, gradual process in which _______ ______ abilities become more efficient over time.
Qualitative
Quantitative
Information processing
What drives the process of Schema accommodation?
Disequilibrium between new experiences and the existing schema.
What is a schema?
An organized pattern of thoughts or actions.
What are the two processes by which schemas are modified?
Assimilation
Accomodation
What element of Jean Piaget’s theory of development was particularily controversial?
His argument that peers influence cognitive development much more then parents
According to Passer and Smith, why do children fail to conserve?
“Four year old’s thinking displays irreversibility.” Meaning that they can not restore some shape modification to it’s original state of equal size.
What is the Zone of Proximal Development?
The difference between what a child can do independently and what they can do with the assistance of an adult or more advanced peer.
What is it called when adults provide instruction to infants (with regards to the Zone of Proximal Development)?
Scaffolding
What is a “Violation-of-Expectancy Experiment”?
An experiment which analyzes infants reactions to unexpected or impossible shapes (i.e. occlusion experiment)
What is the Theory of Mind?
The Theory of Mind refers to a person’s beliefs about the mind and the ability to understand other people’s mental states.
According to the textbook, when do infants begin to display Theory of Mind?
Between ages 3 and 4, well before Jean Piaget thought they could.
What is Emotional Regulation?
The process by which we evaluate and modify our emotional reactions, develops with age.
How do children regulation their emotions when young?
They rely on their parents.
Describe the Still Face Paradigm.
When parents completely ignore their infant the child has a very adverse reaction and closes off from the parent.
What is the psychological definition of Temperment?
Temperament is a biologically based style of reacting emotionally and behaviorally to the environment.
Describe Erik Erikson’s 8 Stage Theory of Psychosocial Development.
Erik Erikson believed that personality develops through a series of eight psychosocial stages, each characterized by a different crisis over how we view ourselves in relation to other people in the world.
Which of Erik Erikson’s 8 Stages of Psychosocial Development pertain to early development?
Trust vs Mistrust (Infant - 18 months)
Autonomy vs Shame/Doubt (18 months - 3 years)
Initiative vs Guilt (3-5 years)
What is the psychological definition of imprinting?
A sudden, biologically primed form of attachment.
What is the psychological definition of attachment?
Attachment refers to the strong emotional bond that develops between children and their primary caregivers.
Evidence points to a ______ period for forming attachments.
Sensitive, meaning it is optimal for it to occur during the first few years of life, but can occur later if need be.
What did Harry Harlow’s “cloth vs wire” monkey experiment show?
That body contact with a comforting object is more important in fostering attachment then provision or nourishment.
What are the three phases of attachment?
- Indiscriminate attachment behavior (directed towards anyone)
- Discriminate attachment behavior (directed towards familiar caregivers)
- Specific attachment behavior (directed towards specific caregiver)
What is stranger anxiety?
Stranger anxiety is distress over contact with unfamiliar people (emerges around 6-7 months)
What is separation anxiety?
Separation anxiety is distress over being separated from a primary caregiver (peaks around 12 to 16 months and dissipates between 2 and 3 years.
What is the “Strange Situation” procedure?
The “Strange Situation” is a standardized procedure for examining infant attachment. Entails, mother leaving child alone with stranger before eventually returning. When mother leaves infants behavior is observed.
What are the three behaviors observed in the “Strange Situation” procedure?
- Securely attached = feel safe when mother present, distressed when mother leaves, easily soothed when mother returns
- Anxious-resistant = fearful even when mother present, distressed when mother leaves, are not soothed when mother returns
- Anxious avoidant = unperturbed by mother’s absence, do not seek contact when she returns
Evidence shows that a lack of attachment can lead to…
Long term socially maladaptive behaviors
When do children begin to develop a conscience?
Around two years old.
