Developmental Psychology

Question 1

Changes within childhood

Answer 1

Hand preference
Gender roles
Pretend play
Motor skills

Question 2

Changes within adolescence

Answer 2

Sexual maturity
Growth spurt
logical thinking

Question 3

Changes in Middle Age

Answer 3

Stability within life, career, social life
Self Identity
Peak of cognitive development

Question 4

Changes within Early Adulthood

Answer 4

Adjustment to new roles; marriage, parenting

Question 5

Changes in Old Age

Answer 5

Physical and cognitive decline

Question 6

3 Factors Included In Development

Answer 6

Physical/Biological Changes
- size, proportion, appearance, motor skills, coordination
Cognitive Changes
- thinking and reasoning, memory, attention, imagination, language
Social and Emotional
Intrapersonal, interpersonal relations

Question 7

Piaget’s Theory of Development

Answer 7

Cognitive development relies on the biological maturation of the brain interacting with past experiences, and all children go through the same developmental milestones around the same age regardless of culture

Question 8

Criticisms of Piaget

Answer 8

Not all cultures value the same aspects of “development”
Ethics of research - studied children
Egocentrism isn’t always evident; Gelman (1979) found 4 yr olds were able to modify their explanations for a blindfolded person, younger child

Question 9

Sensorimotor Stage

Answer 9

(0-2 years)
Discover a relationship between actions and reactions
Learning through actions
Object permanence

Question 10

Pre-operational Stage

Answer 10

(2-7 years)
Symbolic thinking
Egocentrism
Animism
Centration
Seriation
Conservation
Irreversability

Question 11

Concrete Operational Stage

Answer 11

(7-12 years)
Display less egocentrism and centration
Able to complete basic problems involving physical objects
Understands reversibility, conservation
Struggles with abstract thinking

Question 12

Formal Operational Stage

Answer 12

Logical and methodical thinking

Flexible thinking

Question 13

Importance of Play

Answer 13

Play is vital to social, cognitive, physical and emotional development of children

Question 14

Types of Play

Answer 14

Solitary
Onlooker 
Parallel 
Associative
Co-operative

Question 15

Nature vs Nurture

Answer 15

explores the influence of hereditary characteristics and environmental factors on development

Question 16

Interactionist Approach

Answer 16

The belief that both nature and nurture contribute to development

Question 17

Family Studies

Answer 17

used to determine the impact of genetics on a trait

Question 18

Adoptive Studies

Answer 18

Used to determine the environmental influence on a trait

Question 19

Twin Studies

Answer 19

Determines the genetic influence on traits
Separated twin studies - most effective in determining environmental and genetic influence
eg Jim Twins

Question 20

Negatives of Separated Twin Studies

Answer 20

Doesn’t show an accurate representation of environmental influences, as adoptive families generally have similar households
(Hay 1985)

Question 21

Nature v Nurture; Intelligence 1980

Answer 21

Bouchard et al (1980)
Intelligence in hereditary
1. Identical twins together
2. Identical twins apart
3. Fraternal twins together

Question 22

Nature v Nurture; Intelligence 1997

Answer 22

Sandtock (1997)

IQ scores between biological mother and child are more similar than adoptive mother and child

Question 23

Nature v Nurture; Intelligence (1979)

Answer 23

Texas Adoption Project - Hom et al (1979)

Family influence decreases with time while genetic influence increases

Question 24

Fine Motor Skills

Answer 24

Uses small muscle groups
eg holding a pencil
Develops after gross motor skills

Question 25

Gross Motor Skills

Answer 25

Uses large muscle groups

eg crawling

Question 26

Motor Development Influence

Answer 26

Motor development milestones influence cognitive milestones

reaching for a toy involves hand eye coordination and perceptual ability as well as muscle structures

Question 27

Innate Reflexes

Answer 27

Reflexes present at birth; blinking
Develop into voluntary reflexes
Lack of innate reflex can be indicative of problems

Question 28

Social Readiness

Answer 28

A principle that states that unless the necessary body structures are matured, a child can’t complete an action

Question 29

Changes within the infancy stage

Answer 29

Rapid brain and body growth

walking, talking