Childhood Development

Question 1

What is the definition for growth?

Answer 1

• Changes that can be measured and compared to norms

- Involves physical changes, increasing in size

Question 2

What is the definition for development?

Answer 2

• Progressive/continuous process of change
• Leading to a state of organised and specialised functional capacity
• Orderly processes occurring through life cycle

Question 3

What are the domains of human development?

Answer 3

1) Biological
2) Cognitive
3) Psychosocial

Question 4

Describe the biological domain

Answer 4

• Based on genetics and physiological factors (ie. age, race, gender)
• Changes in size, shape, characteristics of human body such as physiological processes in puberty

Question 5

Describe the cognitive domain

Answer 5

• Ability to learn and experience the world we live in and communicate with others
• Changes in thinking, problem solving, memory and learning, language and other intellectual skills

Question 6

Describe the psychosocial domain

Answer 6

Comprises of intra and interpersonal relationships of an individual with others which includes family, peers, love relationships, co workers

Question 7

What are the core themes in psychological understanding?

Answer 7

• Nature vs Nurture (Biology and Culture)
• Continuity and Changes in stages
• Stability and Change (lifelong development)

Question 8

Describe the biology and culture theme

Answer 8

• Psychological develop happens in a physical body located socially in a cultural context, affects outcomes
• Cognitive development influenced by sociocultural context

Question 9

Describe the continuity and change theme

Answer 9

• Nothing in permanent: inevitable change in patterns of development over lifespan
• Continuity/change life goals

Question 10

Why is knowledge of grow and development at each age important?

Answer 10

• Age gives us insights about person’s patterns of psychological functioning
• Physical changes throughout lifespan universal/identical

Question 11

Describe prenatal physical development

Answer 11

1) Zygote (fertilised egg)
2) Embryo (2 weeks to 2 months)
3) Foetus (2 months to birth)
- Genetic and environmental factors affect development (teratogens)

Question 12

What are teratogens?

Answer 12

• Any substance or environmental factor might cause birth defects
• ie. alcohol, smoking, stress, radiation

Question 13

Describe newborn physical development

Answer 13

• Arrive with several reflexes which equip them for survival
• Inborn, don’t have to be learned
• Networks in the brain begin to develop rapidly

Question 14

What is maturation?

Answer 14

Biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behaviour, not influenced by experience

Question 15

What is cognition?

Answer 15

All the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, communicating

Question 16

Describe Piaget’s cognitive theory

Answer 16

• Brain builds schema: a concept/framework to organise and interpret information
• Adjust schemes to incorporate new information
  1) Sensorimotor Stage
  2) Pre operational stage
  3) Concrete operational stage
  4) Formal operational stage

Question 17

What is the sensorimotor stage?

Answer 17

• Take in world through senses/actions
• Coordinate sensory input with motor actions
• Lack object permanence
• No symbolic/representational thought

Question 18

What is pre operational stage?

Answer 18

• Use language, doesn’t comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic
• Ego-centrism, animism
• Reasoning based on what things “seem like” from personal experience
• No principle of conversation

Question 19

What is concrete operational stage?

Answer 19

• Gain operations allowing logical thought about concrete events
• Understand conservation

Question 20

What is formal operational stage?

Answer 20

• Begin thinking logically about abstract concepts
• Symbols, work with imagined realities
• Systematic reasoning
• Understand freedom, think about moral values

Question 21

Describe social development for children aged birth to 6 months

Answer 21

• Enjoys being talked to and played with
• Imitate facial expressions and movements
• Preference for some people

Question 22

Describe social development for children aged 6 to 12 months

Answer 22

• Understand behaviour and bring attention to it
• Ability to point at 9 months
• Cooperate with care

Question 23

Describe social development for children aged 12 to 24 months

Answer 23

• Thinks centre of universe
• Enjoys playing beside another child (parallel play)
• Aggressive behaviour is more frequent and deliberate
• Emotional highs and lows, prone to temper tantrums

Question 24

What is attachment?

Answer 24

Emotional tie, separation causes anxiety

Question 25

Describe the critical period

Answer 25

Optimal period following birth when certain experiences produce proper development

Question 26

Describe imprinting

Answer 26

Process by which certain animals form attachments early in life

Question 27

What are the 4 parenting styles?

Answer 27

• Authoritarian
• Permissive
• Authoritative
• Neglectful

Question 28

Describe permissive parents

Answer 28

• Children likely to show certain specific competencies

- Low control, warmth/responsiveness high, loving but few rules

Question 29

Describe neglectful parenting

Answer 29

• Associated with least competent children
• Low control, warmth/responsiveness high, low parental involvement
• Few rules, inconsistent enforcement, harsh at times

Question 30

Describe authoritarian parents

Answer 30

• Children tend to do as they supposed to
• Authority figure retains a means of enforcement
• High control, low warmth, responsiveness
• Restrictive, strict rules punitive style

Question 31

Describe authoritative parents

Answer 31

• High overall competence i children who demonstrate high self esteem and achievement
• High control, high warmth responsiveness
• Rules are reasonable
• Child can negotiate rules