Psychology Unit 3 Test study guide Flashcards
Piaget
He studied children and how they thought differently than adults. He saw children in 4 stages, explained Cognitive Development, and focused on the difference between development and learning (development is mostly universal)
Vygotsky
He studied Sociocultural Theory and believed that social interactions were the key to learning. He believed that culture, community, role models, imitation, guided learning, and collaboration were imperative for development
Kohlberg
He studied Moral Development and believed that not everyone progresses to the highest stage of moral development (like Piaget). He had three primary levels and six stages of moral development
What is the ZPD?
Zone of Proximal Development- distance between the actual developmental level and the potential developmental level (where you are - where you need to be)
What is the difference between the development of identical twins and fraternal twins?
Identical twins share 100% of the same DNA, they split in the womb from a single egg and are always the same gender. Fraternal twins are two separate eggs that both were released and fertilized simultaneously, they share 50% of the same DNA and can be different genders
What stage is a person statistically at their peak physical fitness?
Young adulthood (20s)
Explain the concept of a social clock.
Culturally preferred timing of events (marriage, parenthood, etc)
Create an example of the pressure of a social clock.
Someone in their 30s feeling pressure to settle down with another person and have children
When do babies begin to develop depth perception?
Around 9 months
What is the critical period?
A point in development in which a person will best learn a particular skill or behavior
What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning?
Classical conditioning is physical responses that are mostly involuntary, the response comes before the behavior to develop a relationship with the response. Operant conditioning is any voluntary behavior and a consequence or reward
How does observational learning occur?
A person can learn by observing or watching others
Give an example of classical conditioning.
Someone eats food that gives them food poisoning. They will associate that food with pain and may not eat it again (Pavlov’s dogs)
Give an example of operant conditioning.
A parent giving their child money after they clean their room
Explain the debate in development about Nature vs. Nurture.
Some people believe that Nature is the most important part of a person’s development. This includes what they are predisposed to like their genetics, family history, and the way they look and grow. Others believe that a person’s nurture is more important in their development through life. This includes the environment they grew up in and their experiences while growing up
Give an example of a nurture influence on development.
Children becoming strong readers because their parents read to them every night
Give an example of a natural influence on development.
Eye color and skin pigmentation
What is the difference between long-term memory and short-term memory?
Long-term memory is the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system (knowledge, skills, experiences) while short-term memory is activated memory that holds a few items briefly (such as the 7 digits of a phone dumber while dialing) before the information is stored or forgotten
What is a mirror neuron?
Neuron that fires when we perform certain actions and when we observe other performing those actions; neural basis for imitation and observational learning
Why are mirror neurons important?
They promote observational learning
Define forgetting.
An increase in errors when trying to bring back material from memory, then decay in a memory finally with extinction of that memory all together
What is the difference between explicit memory and implicit memory?
An explicit memory is one that requires effort to put into long-term memory (consciously retrieve). Implicit memories are memories that automatically are put into long-term memory (does not require conscious recollection, individual is unaware remembering has occurred)
Give an example for both explicit and implicit memory.
Explicit- remembering information you have learned while taking a test
Implicit- singing a familiar song
How does information go from short-term to long-term memory?
Through the process of rehearsal
How is information initially stored in memory?
As sensory memories
What is a phoneme?
The basic unit of sound that makes a meaningful difference in language
What does it mean to overextend language?
To use a word to refer to more than its intended referent
Give an example of overextending language.
Referring to all animals as “dog”
What does it mean to underextend language?
To use a word to refer to less than its intended referent
Give an example of an under-extending language.
The label “dog” only applies to the family pet
List and explain the five stages of grief.
Denial- the first reaction, individuals usually believe that it is a mistake
Anger- when the individual recognizes that denial cannot continue and becomes frustrated
Bargaining- hope that the individual can avoid a cause of grief or negotiate to extend someone’s life or bring them back
Depression- deep sadness over the situation
Acceptance- individuals embrace mortality or the inevitable future and try to cope with the situation
