Human Development, 3: Early Childhood

Question 1

A better established self concept leads preschoolers to be more:

Answer 1

possessive

Question 1

What is the relationship between self esteem and accurate self perceptions for most preschoolers?

Answer 1

Unrealistically high self esteem contributes to a lack of accurate perceptions of competence. This is normal and motivates preschoolers to explore.

Question 2

The relationship between guilt and self esteem, vs. shame and self esteem:

Answer 2

Preschoolers guilt can be utilized for healthy adjustment and development, provided it it accompanied with proper adult instruction. Shame is associated with deteriorating self esteem.

Question 3

Is it unhealthy for a preschool child to play alone while other children the same age are engaged in more advanced forms of social play nearby?

Answer 3

Not necessarily. Some children prefer to play alone more even though their social skills may be normally developed. And it’s healthy even for extroverted persons to spend some time alone. Signs of developmental problems occur if playing alone is accompanied by simple repetitive play and/or hovering.

Question 4

How is friendship characterized by preschool children?

Answer 4

Friendship is a more temporary state characterized by who one is playing with at the moment. It does not have the character of loyalty that will develop later in childhood.

Question 5

Although there are several theories of moral development, what assumption about moral development in early childhood is common?

Answer 5

That early morality is primarily built by external rewards and punishments from caregivers.

Question 6

What is Freud’s psychoanalytic perspective on the foundation of morality in the preschool years?

Answer 6

Fear of the loss of love of the parents, particularly the same sex parent one has identified with through the Oedipus/Electra Complex, drives one to emulate and internalize the standards of the parents. Essentially, Freud believed children fear being murdered by their same sex parent for their desire to completely possess the love and powers of the opposite sex parent.

Question 7

Contrast inductive discipline and punishment.

Answer 7

Punishment is a undesired consequence (presenting an aversive stimulus, or removing a desired stimulus). Using inductive discipline the focus is on using reasoning to scaffold the child’s understanding of moral behavior. Evidence suggests this more effective than punishment alone.

Question 8

What are the likely effects of relying only and frequently on punishment to discipline a young child?

Answer 8

Children are likely to change their behavior immediately after punishment, which leads many parents to utilize it sometimes. However, if it is their only tool, it is likely the child will learn to avoid the punisher rather than the undesired behavior, and may become aggressive due to frustration and social learning.

Question 9

What have correlational and experimental studies established regarding the effects of violent media?

Answer 9

They clearly increase hostile thoughts and behaviors. A large of the problem appears to be due to the highly unrealistic and positive way that many programs and games depict violence.

Question 10

Which parenting style is recommended by your textbook and many researchers, at least in the US?

Answer 10

Authoritative (NOT Authoritarian). This is characterized by high warmth, acceptance, involvement, flexible and appropriate autonomy, and reasonable and flexible expectations or boundaries.

Question 11

Characterize permissive child rearing.

Answer 11

Permissive childrearing is parenting with high warmth, very few boundaries or expectations, and high autonomy that can exceed the child’s actual preparedness. Involvement is often low, or unusually high.

Question 12

Characterize uninvolved child rearing.

Answer 12

Uninvolved parenting is low in warmth, involvement, expectations/boundaries, and high in autonomy. It looks similar to permissive parenting, but without the same “love.” Greater degrees of uninvolvement edge toward what is commonly termed child neglect.

Question 13

Which gland releases growth hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone?

Answer 13

Pituitary gland

Question 14

What elements of growth are affected by growth hormone?

Answer 14

The growth of the entire body, except the central nervous system and the genitals. The former is affected by the thyroid and the latter by sex hormones.

Question 15

What easily and inexpensively preventable disease leads to 2 million child deaths per annum?

Answer 15

Diarrhea, obtained through contaminated foods and water. In many developing parts of the world, oral rehydration therapy (a solution of salt, sugar, and water) is not yet generally understood.

Question 16

According to one recent study, what ratio of US children entering preschool lack at least some essential immunizations?

Answer 16

One in four.

Question 17

What is the hallmark of the shift to preoperational cognition?

Answer 17

First mental representations (i.e., dual representation in make believe play, using a different object to substitute for a play item not available).

Question 18

What response in the three mountain problem reflects egocentrism?

Answer 18

Responding as if the doll placed on the opposite side of a mountain diorama would have the same visual perspective as the child.

Question 19

What is Piagetian “conservation”?

Answer 19

An understanding that physical quantities are not changed simply because their appearance changes (ie, by moving into a differently shaped vessel) or by beign divided into more parts (ie, dividing a pizza into more slices).

Question 20

What do some critics charge regarding Piaget’s conclusions about preschool children?

Answer 20

They observe evidence that many of his conclusions may not give children enough credit for having abilities. When children are tested with more familiar materials, they often appear to have made progress on cognitive abilities that are not fully generalized at this stage.

Question 21

Contrast Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s views on private speech.

Answer 21

Piagest regarded private speech as a symptom of egocentrism. Vygostsky noted instead that children (and even adults) often utilize private speech as a tool to boost performance in the zone of proximal development.

Question 22

How does make believe play change in the preoperational stage?

Answer 22

Early in the preschool years, only strictly realistic items are used in play. Later, as mental representations develop, increasingly creative subsitutions (dual representation) are incorporated into make believe.