development - paper one

Question 1

what is the function of the cerebellum

Answer 1

a small wrinkled structure at the back of the brain which coordinates motor movement, dexterity and balance

Question 2

what is the function of the cortex

Answer 2

the outer layer of brain where higher cognitive functions take place

Question 3

what is the function of the thalamus

Answer 3

the part of the brain that passes information from the sense organs to the cortex

Question 4

what is the function of the brain stem

Answer 4

the part of the brain that controls basic functions such as breathing and heart rate

Question 5

what happens if a person suffers damage to their cerebellum?

Answer 5

they will struggle with muscle coordination, keeping their balance and with fine motor skills

Question 6

name all four parts of the cortex

Answer 6

. temporal lobe
. frontal lobe
. occipital lobe
. pariteal lobe

Question 7

what is the function of the frontal lobe

Answer 7

associated with cognitive activities such as thinking planning and problem solving

Question 8

what is the function of the temporal lobe

Answer 8

involved with hearing

Question 9

what is the function of the partial lobe

Answer 9

processes information related to touch on the skin like heat, cold and pain

Question 10

what is the function of the occipital lobe

Answer 10

processes visual information

Question 11

define the term nature

Answer 11

the idea that our characteristics and behaviour are inherited

Question 12

define the term nurture

Answer 12

the idea that our characteristics and behaviour are influenced by our environment

Question 13

what is assimilation

Answer 13

adding new information to existing schemas

Question 14

what is accommodation

Answer 14

changing a new schema, or developing a new schema to cope with a situation

Question 15

what is a schema

Answer 15

a cognitive model of people, objects or situations; based on previous information and experiences which helps us to perceive organise and understand new information

Question 16

what are the four stages of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development called

Answer 16

. sensorimotor stage
. pre-operational stage
. concrete operational stage
.formal operational stage

Question 17

what’s the first stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

Answer 17

ages 0-2 years
Sensorimotor stage

Question 18

what’s the second stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

Answer 18

ages 2-7 years
Pre-operational stage

Question 19

what’s the third stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

Answer 19

ages 7-11 years
concrete operational stage

Question 20

what’s the fourth stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

Answer 20

ages 11+ years
Formal operational stage

Question 21

define egocentric

Answer 21

not being able to see things from another persons point of view

Question 22

define conservation

Answer 22

knowing the amount of something stays the same even though it’s appearance might change

Question 23

define a fixed mindset

Answer 23

Individuals with a fixed mindset believe their intelligence is unchanging and down to genetics, therefore nothing they can do will be able to change this

Question 24

define a growth mindset

Answer 24

Individuals with a growth mindset believe their intelligence derives from hard work and can be increased by putting in more time and effort into learning.

Question 25

what is self efficacy?

Answer 25

Self-efficacy is defined as the belief you have in your own ability to succeed at a task.

Question 26

what are the two types of praise according to Dweck’s Mindset theory

Answer 26

person and process praise

Question 27

define person praise

Answer 27

the student Is praised for their intelligence. for example, they are told they are clever

Question 28

define process praise

Answer 28

the students is praised for their effort and the processes they use in completing a task. for example, they are praised for the progress they have made

Question 29

how can students increase their levels of self efficacy?

Answer 29

. being successful at something

. being guided through a task

. being persuaded they can achieve by a role model such as a teacher

. observing other people succeed at something due to their effort

Question 30

define the term ‘learning styles’

Answer 30

the different ways that a person can process information

Question 31

define the term ‘verbaliser’

Answer 31

someone who processes information by speaking and listening, auditory processing

Question 32

define the term ‘visualiser’

Answer 32

someone who processes information by looking at it, visual processing

Question 33

what are the three main type of learning styles

Answer 33

1. visual
2. auditory
3. kinaesthetic

Question 34

describe a visual learner

Answer 34

they learn best by reading or seeing pictures. they like to look at what they are learning, they try to remember what things look like

Question 35

describe an auditory learner

Answer 35

they learn best by listening, they like to hear something or speak to learn it. they remember what they have heard

Question 36

describe a kinaesthetic learner

Answer 36

they learn best by doing something, they like to move or make what they are learning, physical activity is involved in order for them to learn well

Question 37

Descirbe Willingham’s learning theory

Answer 37

Willingham criticised the learning style approach to teaching and says it does not improve learning.
* Willingham believed that students should be taught using the best method based on the content being
taught rather than to their preferred learning style.
* For example when learning about maps, visual learning style should be used whereas for learning a
new language, auditory/ verbal styles may be preferable.
* A student’s ability to store the information is more important than how they learn it.
* His approach suggests it would be better for students to acquire the ability to use styles that are not
their preferred style, so that when information is presented in non-preferred styles learners can still
access the information.
* If a student struggles to learn a particular type of information, they should be given the opportunity to
practise dealing with that type of information.
* Willingham suggests teaching and learning can be improved by the application of findings from
cognitive psychology and neuroscience studies.
* Teaching children only in their preferred learning style will not improve their knowledge/
understanding/level of achievement.

Question 38

Evaluate Willingham’s learning theory

Answer 38

His criticism of the learning style approach is supported by evidence that shows teaching using a
student’s preferred learning style does not necessarily improve that student’s results.
* Willingham’s work can be applied to education to enhance learning, therefore his theory has real
world value.
* Willingham’s ideas are backed up by valid scientific evidence which is replicable meaning his theory
is testable and valid.
* His ideas were criticised for not valuing modern day/21st century teaching.
* The theory has been criticised for discouraging creativity/imaginative learning.
* Willingham contradicts himself as some aspects of his theory suggest only facts are important
whereas other aspects of the theory say that is not the case such as not relying too heavily on
exams.
* The use of appropriate supporting or contradictory evidence/theories can be credited.

Question 39

describe Dweck’s mindset theory of learning

Answer 39

Dweck developed her Mindset Theory of Learning which attempts to explain how students can achieve success in their learning. Dweck’s theory specifically links to mathematics and science although can be generalised to other subjects and sporting activities.

Dweck proposed that there were two types of mindsets within individuals; Fixed mindset and Growth mindset.

Growth Mindset – Individuals with a growth mindset believe their intelligence derives from hard work and can be increased by putting in more time and effort into learning.

Fixed Mindset – Individuals with a fixed mindset believe their intelligence is unchanging and down to genetics, therefore nothing they can do will be able to change this

When faced with challenges, the individual’s mindset will affect how they proceed to deal with it. Dweck believed that a fixed mindset would be likely to give up more quickly however an individual with a growth mindset would keep on trying, which would increase their chances of succeeding.

Question 40

evaluate Dweck’s mindset theory of learning, two positives

Answer 40

this theory helps us understand how students can increase their exam grades

it informs teachers that mindsets can be changed and explains how they can change them

Question 41

Evaluate Dweck’s mindset theory of learning, negative

Question 42

what was the AIM of Hughes’ Policeman Doll Study, 1978

Answer 42

to see if children can see from another persons point of view from an earlier age than Piaget suggested

Question 43

what was the study design of Hughes’ Policeman Doll Study, 1978

Answer 43

. lab study
. some control over extraneous variables
. all procedures were standardised to ensure replicability
. 30 children between the ages of 3.5-5 years took part in the study

Question 44

what the was method of Hughes’ Policeman Doll Study, 1978

Answer 44

Thirty children aged from 3.5 to 5 years old took part in the laboratory study.
* Hughes tested egocentrism using a model of two intersecting walls, a boy doll and two policeman
dolls.
* To introduce the task, a policeman doll was placed on the model. Each child was asked to hide the
boy doll from the policeman doll.
* The child was told if they made a mistake, and was allowed to try the task again.
* In the actual experiment, a second policeman doll was placed on the model and the child was asked
to hide the boy doll so that neither of the policeman dolls could see him.
* Ninety percent of the children were able to hide the boy doll from the policeman dolls.
* Hughes concluded that most children between 3.5 and 5 years old can see things from another
person’s point of view so are not egocentric in their thinking.

Question 45

what were the results of Hughes’ Policeman Doll Study, 1978

Answer 45

90% of the children aged between 3.5 and 5 years were able to hide the boy doll from the two policemen

Question 46

what was the conclusion of Hughes’ Policeman Doll Study, 1978

Answer 46

children aged between 3.5 and 5 can see thing’s from someone else’s point of view if the situation was similar to them and the task made sense

Question 47

Evaluate Hughes’ Policeman Doll Study, 1978 - two positives

Answer 47

1. • One strength of the study is that asking children to hide a doll made the task engaging and meaningful
     to children. It can be argued that this meant children were better able to show their cognitive ability
     than in Piaget’s original research

2.* One strength of this study is that it challenged Piaget’s conclusion that children are egocentric in their
thinking until the age of about seven-years-old. It suggested that some children can see the world
from different viewpoints at a significantly younger age than was previously thought

Question 48

Evaluate Hughes’ Policeman Doll Study, 1978, one negative

Answer 48

1. • A limited sample of children was used as all of the participants came from Edinburgh. This means it
     may be problematic to generalize these findings to explain when children from other cultures can see
     things from another person’s point of view

Question 49

what was the AIM of McGarrigle and Donaldson’s Naughty Teddy Study, 1974

Answer 49

to see if children developed conservation skills at an age earlier than Piaget suggested

Question 50

what was the study design of McGarrigle and Donaldson’s Naughty Teddy Study, 1974

Answer 50

. lab study
. some control over extraneous variables
. standardised procedures to ensure replicability
. 80 children between the ages of 4 to 6 took part in this study

Question 51

what was the method of McGarrigle and Donaldson’s Naughty Teddy Study, 1974

Answer 51

To investigate whether young children can conserve when accidental changes are made to the
appearance of objects.
* Eighty children aged from four to six years were shown two identical rows of counters and were asked
whether there were the same number of counters in each row.
* The ‘naughty teddy’ then accidentally moved one row of counters so they were more spaced out.
Again the children were asked whether there were the same number of counters in each row.
* Over 60% of the children gave the correct answer that there were the same number of counters in
each row. A higher proportion of the older children gave the correct answer compared to the younger
children.
* This suggests that children under the age of seven years old can conserve, and that the ability to
conserve number increases with age.

Question 52

what were the results of McGarrigle and Donaldson’s Naughty Teddy Study, 1974

Answer 52

62% of the 4-6 year old’s stated that there was the same amount of counters in each row and this shows that they could conserve

Question 53

what was the conclusion of McGarrigle and Donaldson’s Naughty Teddy Study, 1974

Answer 53

Children younger than the age of 7 can conserve if the change to the materials is accidental. the children know that the amount of counters has not changed

Question 54

Evaluate the McGarrigle and Donaldson’s Naughty Teddy Study, 1974 - POSITIVE

Answer 54

1. • This study was important because it challenged Piaget’s theory that children did not develop the ability
     to conserve until the age of seven years old. McGarrigle and Donaldson’s naughty teddy study
     showed that many children younger than the age of seven could conserve

Question 55

1Evaluate the McGarrigle and Donaldson’s Naughty Teddy Study, 1974 - Negative

Answer 55

1. Some children may not have noticed the change to the row of counters as they were focused on
   naughty teddy. So, they may have said the two rows had the same number of counters just because
   they hadn’t noticed any changes
2. The older participants all came from the same primary school, whereas the younger children came
   from different nursery schools. There may be extraneous variables related to the ways in which the
   children were educated that may affect the validity of the findings.

Question 56

Evaluate Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

Note: evaluation of a study with no link to the theory (max 1 mark)

this is abt the four stages

Answer 56

Piaget underestimated children’s abilities in his first three stages of development.
* Critical research such as Hughes ‘policeman doll’ study shows that children can think in more
developed ways than Piaget suggested when they are tested in different ways.
* Piaget assumed that all children develop the ability to think in abstract and logical ways in the formal
operational stage but research shows that this is not the case for all people.
* Piaget’s theory has been very influential in education.
* Child centred learning with a focus on readiness and discovery learning has had a great impact on
how children learn, particularly in early years and primary education.
* Piaget developed his theory using a small sample of children. They were middle class and from
Switzerland. This means his findings may not tell us about the cognitive development of children from
different social classes or cultures.
* His theory is not representative of all children

Question 57

Briefly describe Piaget’s concept of conservation

Answer 57

• Conservation describes the ability to know that, when the appearance of something changes, the
  quantity remains the same.
• Piaget says that children develop the ability to conserve when they are approximately seven years old
  so cannot conserve for most of the pre-operational stage.

Question 58

describe the sensorimotor stage

Answer 58

The sensorimotor stage sees children learn about the world through their senses and by doing things (hence the name sensory and motor being combined to form sensorimotor).

The main feature of this stage is that the child develops object permanence which is the understanding that objects still exist even when they are out of sight.

Question 59

describe the Pre-operational stage (2-7yrs)

Answer 59

The main feature of the pre-operational stages is the egocentric nature of children.
Piaget investigated this by showing children a model of three mountains and then placing a doll somewhere besides the model.

The child was then shown photos that had been taken from each side of the model and asked to choose the photo that represented the dolls viewpoint.
Piaget found that children younger than seven years old chose a photo that showed their own viewpoint, however, children older than this tended to be able to choose the dolls viewpoint. He concluded that children are no longer egocentric from the age of seven upwards.

Question 60

describe the Formal operational stage (11yrs+)

Answer 60

Piaget believed that by the age of seven onwards, children developed the ability to conserve (conservation) and were acting in the concrete operational stage. Conservation means children know that the amount of something may stay the same, even if its appearance may change.

To investigate conservation, Piaget showed children two identical rows of counters. He then asked the child if there were the same amount of counters in each row. When a child agreed there were, he spread out one row while the child watched and asked the question again (if there were the same amount of counters between the two rows). Children under the age of seven said there wasn’t while children over the age of seven said there was.

Question 61

how are animal studies used to show that NURTURE is important for brain development

Answer 61

Animal studies have been used to demonstrate how nurture is important for early brain development. One study compared two groups of rats with one group having toys to stimulate them while the other did not. The results found that the rats that lived with the stimulating toys developed bigger brains and showed better problem-solving skills compared to rats living on their own without stimulation. This shows how nurture can affect brain development.

Answer 62

Animal studies are useful however as they allow us to conduct tests that would not be possible on humans due to ethical reasons. This can help us understand how biological mechanisms in humans may work and provide us with insights that may not have been possible otherwise

Answer 63

Animal studies also have their limitations as we have to be careful when we draw conclusions on human development based on the findings of animal-based studies. This is because what applies to animals may not necessarily generalize to humans because human development is very complex and could be different.

Answer 64

Twins share exactly the same genetic makeup whereas non-identical twins do not. If identical twins are found to have similar characteristics then this is seen as evidence that supports nature as the cause.

Answer 65

Some research studies have shown that IQ between identical twins is very similar which implies nature plays a significant role in intelligence. Other research studies have found personality is also shaped by nature; one study compared the behaviours of identical twins who were raised apart.

They were found to be very similar when they met for the first time when aged 39. Both of them drove the same car, went on holiday to the same place as well as bit their nails.

This study showed some support for nature shaping personality.

Answer 66

Twin studies can be useful however care still needs to be taken when analysing the results.
Identical twins may have twins that appear to have similar characteristics and it can be easily thought to be down to nature but this may not be the case.

Answer 67

Identical twins may be treated similarly by people such as parents or peers and therefore their behavioural similarities may be due to nurture (and being treated the same) rather than their genes.
Newborn babies are useful to study as there is little chance for nurture (environmental influences) to have impacted the child. Psychologists have found that besides being able to cry, they can also recognise faces. This would suggest that nature is responsible for these abilities.