Developmental Psychology

Question 1

Preferential Looking Procedure

Answer 1

-Where researchers measure how long children look at one stimulus compared to another
-How can we speak to infants when they can read, write, speak?

Question 2

Habituation in infants

Answer 2

infants will turn toward novel sounds but stop after frequent exposure

Question 3

Classical conditioning in newborns

Answer 3

ex; newborns can be conditioned to associate touch on the forehead with getting milk

Question 4

Operant conditioning in newborns

Answer 4

newborns can activate a recording of their mothers voice by learning a sucking patterns

Question 5

Imitation in newborns

Answer 5

newborns will imitate adult facial expressions

Question 6

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Answer 6

learning happens through physical interaction with the environment
-Children’s thinking is fundamentally different than adults (qualitatively different)
-Apples and oranges (both fruit but different)

Question 7

Assimilation

Answer 7

The process by which new experiences are incorporated into existing schema

Question 8

Accommodation

Answer 8

The process by which new experiences cause existing schemas to change

Question 9

STAGES of Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development (4)

Answer 9

1. Sensorimotor Stage
2. Preoperational Stage
3. Concrete Operational Stage
4. Formal Operations

Question 10

Sensorimotor Stage

Answer 10

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development 1
-touching, putting things in mouth to explore them
Object permanence: peek a boo

Question 11

Preoperational Stage

Answer 11

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development 2
-schemas enable child to symbolize objects and events are absent, but cannot think about reversible consequences
-Understanding based on appearances rather than principles

Question 12

Concrete Operational Stage

Answer 12

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development 3
-permit a child to think about reversible consequences(understanding physical principles)
-Tied closely to actual world experiences

Question 13

Formal Operations

Answer 13

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development 4
permits a person to think theoretically and apply principles even to actions that cannot actually be performed
-What things might/could be
-Can ‘think about thinking’ (metacognition)

Question 14

Lev Vygotsky’s Sociological Theory

Answer 14

emphasizes the child’s interaction with the social environment
-Thinking is affected by values, beliefs, tools of intellectual adaptation found in a child’s culture

Question 15

Zone of proximal development

Answer 15

range of activity a child can do in collaboration with more competent others but cannot yet do alone

Question 16

Scaffolding

Answer 16

when experts provide responses that guide the novice to gradually increase their understanding of a problem

Question 17

Information-Processing Perspective

Answer 17

sensory memory-> short-term (working) memory -> long-term memory

Question 18

Theory of mind

Answer 18

-beliefs about the ‘mind’ and the ability to understand other people’s mental states (developed by age 4)
-False belief task and egocentrism (adopted by ages 5/6)
-Underlines deception and lying

Question 19

Attachment

Answer 19

-The strong emotional bond between children and caregivers
-First few years of life are sensitive period for attachment

Question 20

Imprinting

Answer 20

a simple yet profound and highly effective learning process that occurs during a critical period in the life of some animals
-Harry Harlow: studied attachment in rhesus monkeys (wire mother vs cloth mother)

Question 21

Bowlby

Answer 21

3 phases of attachment development during infancy

Question 22

Indiscriminate attachment (Bowlby)

Answer 22

Newborns cry, vocalize, and smile toward everyone

Question 23

Discriminate attachment (Bowlby)

Answer 23

-3 months
-infants direct attachment behaviors towards familiar caregivers more than strangers

Question 24

Specific attachment (Bowlby)

Answer 24

-7-8 months
-caregivers become a “secure base” for the infant

Question 25

Ainsworth 4 attachment styles

Answer 25

Secure: explore the playroom, react positively to strangers, distressed when she leaves and happily greets her when she returns
Anxious-resistant: fearful when mother is present, demand her attention, are highly distressed when she leaves, not soothed when she returns and may deflect attempted contact
Anxious-avoidant: show few signs of attachment, seldom cry when the mother leaves and doesn’t seek contact when she returns
Disorgazised

Question 26

Harry Harlow

Answer 26

-Studied attachment in rhesus monkeys (wire mother vs cloth mother)
-Attachment is not due to to the infants need for nourishment
-Attachment Deprivation: Monkeys were indifferent, terrified, abusive towards offspring

Question 27

Bowlby’s 3 phases of attachment development during infancy

Answer 27

1. Indiscriminate attachment: Newborns cry, vocalize, and smile toward everyone
2. Discriminate attachment: 3 months, infants direct attachment behaviors towards familiar caregivers more than strangers
3. Specific attachment: 7-8 months, caregivers become a “secure base” for the infant

Question 28

Ainsworth’s 4 attachment styles

Answer 28

1. Secure: explore the playroom, react positively to strangers
   - distressed when she leaves and happily greets her when she returns
2. Anxious-resistant: fearful when mother is present, demand her attention
   - highly distressed when she leaves, not soothed when she returns and may deflect attempted contant
3. Anxious-avoidant: show few signs of attachment
   - seldom cry when the mother leaves and doesn’t seek contact when she returns
4. Disorganised

Question 29

Attachement deprivation

Answer 29

Leads to disastrous outcomes
- harlow’s monkeys were indifferent, terrified, abusive towards offspring
- Humans show social and emotional impairments
- Infancy is a sensitive period for developing attachment with a caregiver