Lecture 9

Question 1

Focus of developmental psychology

Answer 1

how humans develop and change over time
– Change can occur across the life span of the person
– Assumes that change is inevitable
– Change can be continuous or discontinuous

Question 2

What are some core developmental issues?

Answer 2

Nature vs nurture
Importance of early experiences due to critical periods
Assess whether change is qualitative: Development occurs in distinct stages or continuous: gradual process

Question 3

Cross sectional vs longitudinal method

Answer 3

Cross-sectional method compares groups of different
ages at the same time
– Useful for assessing age differences
– Not useful for examining age changes
* The problem is that each age group (cohort) has different life
experiences

Longitudinal method compares same group at
multiple time points

Question 4

Sequential studies

Answer 4

examine different age groups at
multiple time points (reduce cohort effects)

Question 5

3 phases of prenatal period

Answer 5

Germinal period (1st 2 weeks after
conception)
– Embryonic period: 3rd to 8th weeks of
gestation
– Fetal period: from 9 weeks to birth

Question 6

Teratogens

Answer 6

environmental agents that harm
the fetus (viruses, chemicals). During the embryonic period, the developing
fetus is susceptible to toxins

Question 7

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Answer 7

If the mother consumes
alcohol during pregnancy, the fetus is exposed to the alcohol, which can lead to abnormal physical development and to learning disabilities

Question 8

Crack Cocaine

Answer 8

Fetal exposure to cocaine alters
motor and emotional development

Question 9

Infant Reflexes

Answer 9

Reflexes are innate motor responses elicited by critical stimuli
– Reflexes are adaptive
* Examples of infant reflexes:
– Rooting reflex: A touch on the cheek induces the infant to move its mouth toward the source of the touch (helps guide feeding)
– Sucking reflex: Tactile stimulation of the mouth produces rhythmic sucking

Question 10

Describe motor development of a child from the ages of 2-12 months

Answer 10

2: Lifts chin
5: Sits alone
6: Stands with support
9: Walks with support
11: Stands alone
12: Walks alone

Question 11

Cognitive Development described by piaget

Answer 11

Piaget argued that children have schemas which are organized patterns of thought or behavior
– Cognitive development for Piaget involved the modification of intellectual schemas as the child seeks to understand its world

Question 12

Assimilation and Accommodation

Answer 12

The cognitive schemas developed by children must be able to handle new information and situations
* Piaget proposed 2 intellectual processes:
– Assimilation: Involves interpreting new information in light of an old schema
* All 4-legged animals are viewed as a “dog”
– Accommodation: Process by which old schemas are modified to fit new situations
* A horse is not a “dog”

Question 13

3 issues in cognitive development

Answer 13

Object permanence refers to the realization by a child that an object continues to exist even if it cannot be seen
Egocentrism refers to a cognitive view in which a child understands the world to have only their view (has great difficulty in understanding the views of
others)
* Conservation: Understanding that the basic properties of an object are constant even if the object
changes shape