Lecture 1 - Intro

Question 1

Provide the Legal, Biological and Psychological Definition of Childhood.

Answer 1

Legal= Below 18
Biological= Not fully developed
Psychological= Dependence on caregivers + Fundamentality of Learning

Question 2

True or False: Humans have the longest childhood of any species on the planet.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Compare Human and Elephant Brains

Answer 3

Human brains are smaller in size, despite being the largest amongst primates, and are the most neurally dense.

Question 4

List some examples of how children have adapted to learn during childhood.

Answer 4

Highly curious, Highly impressionable, imitating, unrealistic expectations of one’s own abilities.

Question 5

What is the main reason childhood is so long in humans?

Answer 5

Unlike other species who are born and immediately functioning at nearly adult-like levels, humans are born not fully developed, thus need an extended period of time to learn and practice simpler mechanics. Emphasis on learning as main goal during childhood.

Question 6

Describe the Large Brain Narrow Hips Trade-off

Answer 6

Humans have larger heads to support larger brains. However, we have evolved to have narrower hips due to bipedalism. To solve the large head- narrow hips conflict, we have evolved to be born earlier (prematurely) thus meaning that our brain continues to develop past birth. This makes it so that there is more nurture than nature compared to something like giraffes who are fully functioning within days of birth.

Question 7

Define Child Development

Answer 7

Acquiring Cognitive, Perceptual, Social and Emotional abilities that allow for the transition from dependence to independence.

Question 8

What are 3 Primary reasons to study childhood development?

Answer 8

1) Helps in raising children
2) Research can inform social policies affecting children
3) Research helps shape understanding of nurture VS nature in human psychology