Theoretical Foundations Flashcards
List and define the two processes that form the basis of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
- Accommodation: the process of creating new schema to allow for the understanding of novel events.
- Assimilation: the process of expanding an existing schema to allow for the inclusion of additional related information.
List the four stages of development according to Piaget, including the corresponding age range.
- Sensorimotor (0 to 2 years);
- Preoperational (2 to 7 years);
- Concrete operational (7 to 12 years);
- Formal operational (teenage years).
List the two characteristics of the sensorimotor stage of development.
- A lack of object permanence;
- Knowledge is limited to only things that an infant can sense.
In the pre-operational stage of development, what is knowledge motivated by?
- Egocentrism;
- The emergence of symbolic representation.
In the concrete operational stage of development, what is knowledge motivated by?
- The ability of a child to engage in conservation and parallel processing.
In the formal operational stage of development, what is knowledge motivated by?
- The ability of teenagers to engage in abstract reasoning and future perspective.
Define the term ‘egocentrism’.
The perception that knowledge is only important if it benefits ‘me’ in some way.
Define the term ‘symbolic representation’.
The understanding that people and events can be represented in different ways.
Define the term ‘conservation’.
The ability to understand that things do not change in actuality, even if they appear to.
Define the term ‘parallel processing’.
The ability to think of several features of something at the same time.
Define the term ‘abstract reasoning’.
The ability to understand and think about complex issues from numerous perspectives.
Define the term ‘future perspective’.
The ability to make decisions based on how they might impact one’s future.
Define the term ‘psychology’.
The science of behaviour and mental processes.
List the three important debates in psychology.
- Nature vs. Nurture;
- Freewill vs. Determinism;
- Mind vs. Body.
What does the nature vs. nurture debate revolve around?
The issue of how people acquire their behaviours and mental processes.
What does the freewill vs. determinism debate revolve around?
The issue of whether our behaviours and mental processes are a product of our choice or the unavoidable result of our precursors.
What does the mind vs. body debate revolve around?
The issue of establishing the relationship between the mind (cognitive processes) and the body (behaviour).
List the four aspects of the mind/body relationship.
- Emergence: attitudes cause behaviours.
- Epiphenomenalism: behaviours cause attitudes.
- Interactionism: behaviours cause attitudes/attitudes cause behaviours.
- Psychophysical Parallelism: behaviours and attitudes are not causally related.
In terms of the mind/body relationship, what does emergence suggest?
That the mind controls the body.
In terms of the mind/body relationship, what does epiphenomenalism suggest?
That the body controls the mind.
In terms of the mind/body relationship, what does interactionism suggest?
That the mind and body both causally affect each other.
List the six ethical guidelines in psychology.
- Protection from harm;
- Right to privacy;
- Deception;
- Informed consent;
- Debriefing;
- Social responsibility.
List the five steps of the scientific method.
- Observation;
- Hypothesis generation;
- Hypothesis testing;
- Theory development;
- Replication and extension.
Identify and explain the 1st step of the scientific method.
- Observation: revolves around noticing some aspect of abnormal human behaviour.
