development over the human lifespan

Question 1

What is “Accomodation”?

Answer 1

The process by which new experiences cause our existing schemas (concepts) to change.(when experience does not fit pre-conception)

Question 2

Define “adolescence”?

Answer 2

An age between child an adult. Includes puberty.Is a social construction. 12-18 year-olds.

Question 3

What is “adolescent egocentrism”?

Answer 3

Natural inclination for adolescents to view their own thoughts and experiences as unique and to cogitate a lot about themselves.overly sensitive about others’views and overly dramatic about their own uniqueness.

Question 4

What is Assimilation?

Answer 4

Process of new experiences being incorporated into existing schemas.

Question 5

What is Attachment?

Answer 5

Emotional bond between children and their primary care-givers.

Question 6

What is an Authoritarian parent?

Answer 6

Asserts parental power but without warmth.Children have less self esteem, are less popular with peers and perform more poorly at school.

Question 7

What is an Authoritative parent?

Answer 7

Controlling but warm.Have clear rules but with support.Children have higher esteem and they are higher achievers.

Question 8

What is the Cephalocaudal Principle?

Answer 8

The tendency for development to occur from head to toe.eg. head of foetus disproportionally large as has grown most, first.

Question 9

What is Conservation?

Answer 9

The concept that objects’ mass, volume or quantity stays the same even if outward appearances change. eg.liquid into different shaped containers.

Question 10

What is Conventional Moral Reasoning?

Answer 10

Where “What is Right?”is based on conforming to society’s expectaions.

Question 11

What is a Critical Period?

Answer 11

An age period where certain experiences must occur, in order for normal development to continue. eg.If 6-8 weeks after conception, there is no functioning Testis Determining Factor gene,female organ development will occur.

Question 12

Outline how a Cross-sectional Design is conducted.

Answer 12

Multiple different cohorts tested at same time.

Question 13

Define Embryo

Answer 13

week 2 to week 8 after conception.Placenta and umbilicus form.Organs form.

Question 14

What is Emotion Regulation?

Answer 14

Process by which one can evaluate and modify an emotional reaction.

Question 15

What is Epigenetics?

Answer 15

The environment can influence which or how genes are activated or not. eg. Maternal grooming in mice shown to down regulate stress response in babies.

Question 16

Describe Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Answer 16

mild to severe cognitive and behavioural disorder caused by foetal exposure to alcohol. minimum level of exposure unknown, therefore recommen zero alcohol for mother.

Question 17

Describe Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Answer 17

One disorder within FASD.Causes severe abnormality, mental retardation, facial deformity, poor social skills
1/3rd to 1/2 of alcoholic mothers will have these children.

Question 18

Define Foetus.

Answer 18

9 weeks plus, post conception. eyes open at 27 weeks, with medical care, viable by 24 weeks.

Question 19

How is Gender Constancy defined?

Answer 19

The belief that gender is fixed and defined (and irreversible?). Usually forms age 6-7.

Question 20

Define Gender Identity.

Answer 20

A sense of oneself being male or female. Basic development occurred by 2-3 years of age.

Question 21

What is Imprinting?

Answer 21

A sudden biological priming of attachment.eg. young ducklings on caregiver. Not done by humans.

Question 22

What is an Indulgent Parent?

Answer 22

Warm but no clear rules or boundaries. Children more immature and self-centred.

Question 23

What is a Longitudinal Design?

Answer 23

Same cohort repeatedly tested at different times ( ie as they age).

Question 24

What is Maturation?

Answer 24

Genetically driven process of growth.

Question 25

What is a “Natural Experiment”?

Answer 25

Circumstances occurring naturally, without manipulation, which allows restrospective data analysis. eg 1980’s 100”s of Romanian orphans deprived of care. Later analysis could show this lead to poor social and language skills but could be reversed if young enough.

Question 26

Define Neglectful Parents.

Answer 26

Indifferent and uninvolved. Children insecurely attached,. Children most likely to have disturbed peer relations, be low achievers and aggressive.

Question 27

What is Object Permanence?

Answer 27

The knowledge that an object is an actuality even when no longer in view. Occurs at around 8 months of age.

Question 28

What is Postconventional Moral Reasoning?

Answer 28

Moral principles have been internalised and are no longer “simply because society says so”. May later be able to advance one’s thinking further to embrace Universal Ethical Principles.

Question 29

What is Preconventional Moral reasoning?

Answer 29

Reasoning is based on expected reward or punishment.

Question 30

What is the Proximodistal Principle?

Answer 30

The idea that development starts medially and progresses laterally.

Question 31

Describe Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages.

Answer 31

1. Infancy. 0-1year. Basic trust vs basic mistrust
2. Toddlerhood. 1-2years. Autonomy vs shame and doubt.
3. Early Childhood. 3-5years. Initiative vs guilt.
4. Middle Childhood. 6-12years. Industry vs inferiority.
5. Adolescence.12-19years. Identity vs role confusion.
6. Early adulthood. 20-39years. Intimacy vs isolation.
7. Middle adulthood. 40-64. Generativity vs stagnation.
8. Late adulthood. 65+.Integrity vs despair.

Question 32

What is Puberty?

Answer 32

A biological stage. Rapid development. Become able to reproduce. Hypothalamus causes increased pituitary hormones. Breasts develop in females and more hair in males.Menarche or first menses in girls and first ejaculation in boys.Usually 11-13 years for girls and 12-14 years for boys.

Question 33

What is a Schema?

Answer 33

An organised pattern of thought and action.The way we think the world is.

Question 34

What is Senile Dementia?

Answer 34

Dementia (cognitive impairment) starting at 65 years or more.Impaired memory, poor judgement, language problems and distress, and physical decline. One study showed 20-25% of people 65+ without dementia, had mild cognitive impairment. Approx 9% of 65+ have senile dementia.30% of 85+ have senile dementia. Alzheimers is the most common form of senile dementia, accounting for 66%. Other forms of senile dementia include Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Question 35

What is a Sensitive Period?

Answer 35

A development range of time which is optimal for certain experiences but not critical.eg. Attachment ideally occurs before 6months of age.

Question 36

Describe Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development.

Answer 36

1. Sensorimotor. 0-2yrs.Understand world through sensory and motor experience. Learns Object permanence. Thinks symbolically.
2. Preoperational.2-7yrs.Use symbolic thinking (words and images) to represent objects and experiences). Engage in pretend play. Egocentric thinking.
3. Concrete Operational.7-12yrs. Logical thought about actual/concrete events. Understand conservation and serial ordering.
4. Formal Operational.12+. Can think more abstractly. Can hypothesise and test.

Question 37

Describe Separation Anxiety.

Answer 37

Distress when parted from a primary caregiver. Starts around 8months, peaks at 12-16 months and disappears at 2-3 years. Expressed by crying when mother leaves.

Question 38

What is a Sequential Design?

Answer 38

Combines crossectional and longitudinal.Most comprehensive. Most labour intensive.

Question 39

Describe Stranger Anxiety.

Answer 39

Distress when approached or touched by unfamiliar person. Starts 6-7 months, ends pprox 18months. Infant cries and reaches for caregiver.

Question 40

Describe the Strange Situation.

Answer 40

Standardised procedure developed by Ainsworth. Allows examination of infant’s attachment to caregiver.Tested at 12-18months of age in an unfamiliar environment.

1. Infant plays with toys in mother’s presence.
2. Stranger enters and interacts with infant.
3. Mother leaves.
4. stranger leaves.
5. Mother returns.

Question 41

Describe gradings for The Strange Situation.

Answer 41

1. Securely Attached.Play when mother there. upset when mother leaves.Happily greet mother when returns.50-75%.Are better socially adjusted through childhood.Manage intimacy and independence better in adulthood.Possibly greater later capacity for compassion and altruism.
2. Anxious-resistant.Fearful in mother’s presence.Demanding attention. Upset when mother leaves. Not soothed when mother returns.
3. Anxious-avoidant. Few signs of attachment when mother present, not upset when leaves,don’t seek contact when she returns.

Question 42

What is Temperament?

Answer 42

A biological style of response (behaviour and emotion) to the environment. eg. outgoing, passive, shy etc.

Question 43

What is a Teratogen?

Answer 43

A substance which can adversely affect in utero development.
Examples:1.Rubella (German measles) in early pregnancy can cause blindness, deafness, heart defects and mental retardation.
2.Syphyllis. can use stillbirth.(25%).
3.HIV.Delivered without caesarean,25% also infected.
4.Mercury, lead, radiation can cause birth defects.
5.Alcohol.
6.Nicotine.Can cause low birth weight and increased risk of respiratory illness.Arousal and attention may be impaired.

Question 44

What is the Theory of Mind?

Answer 44

How well one is capable of judging another’s state of mind or what another is thinking.Develops around 5 years. Appreciate that someone else may not know what you do, also appreciate therefore lying.

Question 45

What is the Zone of Proximal development?

Answer 45

The difference between what a child can accomplish individually and what can be achieved with some assistance from more advanced peers or adults.Cognitive development is argued to be faster/further achieved with such techniques available to children.

Question 46

What is a Zygote?

Answer 46

First 2 weeks post conception.