Midterm #1

Question 1

What are the 6 truths of cognitive development?

Answer 1

1. Internal and external factors produce cognitive development
2. Cognitive development is constructed within a social context
3. Cognitive development involves both stability and plasticity overtime
4. Cognitive development affects how information is represented
5. Children develop increasing intentional control over their behavior and cognition
6. Cognitive development involves changes in both domain-general and domain-specific

Question 2

Describe the relationship between structure and function

Answer 2

Function: an internal or external action put forth by a structure
example: retrieving the name of your 5th grade teacher
Bi-directional, it is mutal and reciprocal

Question 3

Nativism vs. empiricism

Answer 3

Nativism: human intellectual abilities are innate (all biology)
Empiricism: Cognition arises as a result of experience (environment
Both nature and nurture
Biology and environment are INSEPARABLE

Question 4

What are executive functions?

Answer 4

a set of control processes that are involved in regulating behavior
Inhibition: resisting prepotent responses
Task switching: abiltiy to switch between different tasks or rules
Updating: continuously updating the contents of memory while performing a task
All of these stem from the prefrontal cortex in the brain

Question 5

What is evolutionary developmental psychology?

Answer 5

Evolutionary theory is impacting evolutionary developmental psychology
Filling in the missing link: Cognition

Question 6

What are biologically primary abilities?

Answer 6

Primary
Have undergone selection pressure and evolved to deal with problems faced by our ancestors
Most children attain “expert” level of proficiency
Acquired by children in all but the most deprived of environments
Acquired universally
Secondary
Do not have an evolutionary history but are built on biologically primary abilities
Are culturally dependent, reflecting the cognitive skills that are important in a particular culture (reading in literate cultures)

Question 7

Describe the concept of neuroconstructivism

Answer 7

Babies are born with innate abilties to seek knowledge and experience
They seek experiences that are common in their environment
The outcome: species typical patterns of cognitive development
We are active in our own development