Psychology Ch. 11 Flashcards
Developmental psychology
Focuses on the physiological,
cognitive, and social changes that occur in individuals across
the lifespan
What reflexes are present at birth
Grasping, Rooting, Sucking Etc…
Recall - faces are special
Both behavioural and neuroimaging studies
provide evidence that face recognition occurs
early in infancy (e.g.,newborns prefer their
mother’s face over unfamiliar female faces)
Windows of Plasticity
Birth - Sensory, motor/language, higher cognition
Preferential looking technique
What babies like to look at or find interesting. Show babies different pictures or patterns at the same time and watch where the baby looks longer. The idea is that if a baby looks longer at one thing, it might mean they find it more interesting or can tell the difference better. This helps researchers understand what babies can see and what they like
Habituation/Orienting reflex
Researchers might show a baby a new toy (orienting reflex kicks in), and then, as the baby gets used to it (habituation), they introduce a new toy to see if the baby’s attention picks up again. This helps scientists understand what babies notice, what they find interesting, and how they learn about the world around them.
Longitudinal designs
Data from the same group of participants is
collected at intervals across a long period of time (e.g., decades!)
Cross-sectional designs
Data is obtained simultaneously from
participants of different ages in order to make age-related comparisons
Synaptic pruning
4-6yrs - As you get older you have less connections - (neuron to neuron)
Attachment Theory
the strong, lasting bond that develops between children and their caregivers. This bond is crucial because it provides the child with a sense of security and has a significant impact on their emotional and social development.
(Bowlby, 1969)
– Oxytocin
Harry Harlow (1959)
Attachment in Rhesus Monkeys (“Mom as milk”
vs. “Mom as comfort”)
Mary Ainsworth’s
“Strange Situation” Test (mom played with baby then left the room)
Secure attachment
Approx. 65% of children
E.g., Upset when caregiver leaves, but
easily comforted upon their return
Insecure-resistant (anxious-ambivalent)
E.g., Clings to caregiver, gets upset, both wants
and resists comfort (e.g., may act angry)
Insecure-avoidant (anxious-avoidant)
E.g., Little distress when caregiver leaves,
avoids the caregiver upon their return
Disorganized attachment
Added later; inconsistent, odd behaviours
What is the best parenting style?
Authoritative (love and rules)
Eric Erikson’s Psychosocial Model
Baby Stage (Trust or Mistrust): Babies learn whether the world is a safe and reliable place based on how caregivers treat them.
Toddler Stage (Autonomy or Shame): Toddlers start learning to do things on their own and feel proud when they succeed.
Preschool Stage (Initiative or Guilt): Preschoolers begin planning activities and taking the lead in play, feeling good when they accomplish things.
School Stage (Industry or Inferiority): School-age kids want to be good at things, both academically and socially.
Teenager Stage (Identity or Confusion): Teens explore who they are and what they want in life.
Young Adult Stage (Intimacy or Isolation): Young adults focus on forming strong relationships with others.
Middle-Age Stage (Generativity or Stagnation): Adults focus on their careers, families, and contributing to society.
Older Adult Stage (Integrity or Despair): Seniors reflect on their lives and find satisfaction in what they’ve done.
Jean Piaget
Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years) Primary circular reactions, Secondary circular reactions,Tertiary circular reactions
“Little scientists”
What is being displayed in the videos
of Isaac shown at the beginning of this video?
Preoperational Stage (2-6 years)
Begin to think symbolically, but not logically
* E.g., Piaget believed children at this age lacked an
understanding of the law of conservation (but there are
problems with Piaget’s methods – see Jove video!)
Concrete Operational Stage (6-11 years) Development of more logic thinking; but reasoning
is limited to concrete objects
Formal Operational Stage (12+ years)
Able to think and reason
abstractly
Deductive reasoning and
problem solving
Assimilation
fitting new things into what you already know. Imagine you have a box of “dog” in your brain. If you see a new kind of dog, you just put it in the same box without making a whole new one. It’s a way your brain uses what you already understand to deal with new stuff that’s similar. (Piaget)
(e.g., when a child sees a dog in a book, will later say “dog” when seeing a cat - she is trying to assimilate this new animal to an existing schema
Accommodation
adjusting your brain’s categories when you find something new that doesn’t fit the ones you already have. It’s like changing your idea of “bird” when you see a penguin that doesn’t fly. Your brain makes room for new stuff by tweaking what it already knows.
Equilibration
A brain game where it tries to match what it knows with what’s happening in the real world. When things fit, it’s happy and balanced. But when what you know doesn’t match up with what’s really going on, your brain gets a bit bothered. That feeling pushes your brain to learn new stuff and adjust its understanding to feel balanced again.
(goes through accommodation)
Lev Vgotsky
thought that learning is most effective when it happens with others. Teachers, peers, and cultural tools provide the support and resources needed for children to learn and develop their cognitive abilities.
Scaffolding
A teaching strategy where a more knowledgeable person (like a teacher, peer, or expert) provides structured support to help a learner build on their current abilities and reach a higher level of understanding or skill.
e.g., child learning to ride a bike. The parent might start by holding the bike and providing physical support while the child learns to balance. As the child becomes more confident, the parent might let go for short distances
Critical periods and Crucial periods
Critical periods represent time frames during which specific experiences are crucial for development, and missing them can have long-lasting consequences.
Continuity
Imagine development is like climbing a gentle slope. You go up gradually, step by step, without big jumps. Changes happen smoothly, like walking up a hill without any sudden drops.
Discontinuity
Now, think of development like climbing stairs. You go up, stop at a step, then go up again. Each step is a new stage with big changes. It’s not a smooth slope; it’s more like taking distinct steps or leaps
schemas
Mental frameworks
Egocentrism
A person’s tendency to see the world primarily from their own perspective, without fully understanding or considering the viewpoints of others.
