Development Psych

Question 1

What are the 3 Main Questions About Development? (Explain each with question)

Answer 1

Morality, Continuity, Knowledge

Question 2

Explain each of the 3 views of ‘knowledge’ with known thinkers of each

Answer 2

1) Empiricism - blank slate
2) Nativism - born with innate powerful structures in the brain
3) Constructivism - we construct knowledge through interacting with our environment

Question 3

Jean Piaget

Answer 3

The founder of Modern Developmental Psychology

Question 4

Genetic Epistemology

Answer 4

The study of the origins of knowledge (what Jean Piaget studied)

Question 5

Schemas

Answer 5

Mental frameworks or templates that represent things

Question 6

Assimilation

Answer 6

the process of incorporating new experiences with an existing schema

Question 7

Accomodation

Answer 7

the process of changing an existing schema because of new information that didn’t fit

Question 8

What was Piaget’s primary method for research?

Answer 8

Naturalistic observation and interviewing children; Longitudinal research (for continuous study)

Question 9

What was Piaget’s view of the differences between children and adults?

Answer 9

Children think in radically different ways than adults

Question 10

List Piaget’s Stages of Development

Answer 10

1) Sensorimotor Stage
2) Preoperational Stage
3) Concrete Operational Stage
4) Formal Operational Stage

Question 11

Sensorimotor Stage (age, summary, primary problem if applicable)

Answer 11

Age 0-2; Information acquired through senses and motor actions; Object Permanence, cannot reason

Question 12

Preoperational Stage (age, summary, primary problem if applicable)

Answer 12

Age 2-7; Emergence of reason, but not in a higher order; Egocentrism, No concept of Conservation

Question 13

Egocentrism

Answer 13

The inability to look at things from someone else’s view. ‘what I see is what everyone sees’

Question 14

Conservation

Answer 14

The recognition that quantity doesn’t change even as shape changes

Question 15

Concrete Operational Stage (age, summary, primary problem if applicable)

Answer 15

Age 7-12; Less egocentrism and better logic; Unable to reason abstractly or hypothetically

Question 16

Formal Operational Stage (age, summary, primary problem if applicable)

Answer 16

Age 12-adult; Able to reason abstractly and scientifically

Question 17

How’s the scientific verdict of Piaget?

Answer 17

He’s mostly accurate and falsifiable (better than Freud)

Question 18

Three Problems With Piaget’s Science

Answer 18

Lack of theory (how or why does change in learning happen?), Methodology (children are not very verbal and participant demand could be issue), Factual (babies are smarter than Piaget thought)

Question 19

Social Evaluation by Preverbal Infants - what did this study conclude?

Answer 19

Over 80% chose the ‘good character’ in the hill study and 70% for the puppet and stealing ball show.

Question 20

At what age (according to relatively recent research, not Piaget) are children able to view things in others’ perspectives?

Answer 20

Around 4.5 years

Question 21

Summarize Sally & Anne

Answer 21

Sally has basket, Anne has box. Sally puts toy in basket and walks away. Anne takes the toy and puts it in her box. Sally comes back and children are asked about where Sally would look for her toy.

Question 22

What are 2 explanations of development?

Answer 22

1) Neural Changes - the fewer connections, the more efficient connection and more plastic
2) A General Theory (Piagetian) - Children and adults see the world in different ways (like 2 random people see differently)

Question 23

Pruning (Synaptic Pruning)

Answer 23

The elimination of unused or unnecessary neural connections

Question 24

Myelination

Answer 24

The myelin sheath develops up till adolescence

Question 25

When are frontal lobes developed?

Answer 25

25 or even 30 for men

Question 26

What’s an explanation for the cause of autism? (and how many people are autistic)

Answer 26

The brain has a damaged capacity for social reasoning

Question 27

If modules for development exist, what are the modules?

Answer 27

A module for social, physical world, etc.