Theorists

Question 1

Piaget - stages of cognitive development

Answer 1

• Sensorimotor - birth to 2yrs
Infants use sense to physically explore the world.
• Pre operational - 2 yrs to 7 yrs
Not able to think logically - pretend play & symbolic behaviour
• Concrete operation - 7yrs to 11yrs
Use practical resources to help understand - use logic
• Formal operation - 11yrs to 18yrs
Abstract thought & problem solving

Question 2

Piaget - schema

Answer 2

Theory explains how children use their experiences to construct the their understanding of the world around them.

Question 3

Schema stages

Answer 3

• Assimilation - child constructs an understanding/concept
• Equilibrium- experience fits that understanding
• Disequilibrium - a new experience disturbs the schema
• Accommodation - child’s understanding changes to take into account the new experience

Question 4

Piaget - conservation

Answer 4

Water experiment - amount remains the same even when container has changed.
Children under 7yrs cannot understand that the two beakers contain the same amount.

Question 5

Piaget - egocentrism

Answer 5

Until 7yrs, children only see things from their perspective.

• Criticisms - with support, some children can develop more advanced concepts, some children can see others perspectives before 7yrs.

Question 6

Chomsky - LAD

Answer 6

• Children are born with a structure in their brains that enables them to acquire language.
• They have a critical period for developing their first language in the first yrs of their life.
• All follow the same pattern.
• Have an innate understanding of the structure of language.

• Criticisms - lack of evidence, rate of language development is affected by degree of interactions with others.

Question 7

Bowlby - attachments

Answer 7

• Infants are biologically preprogrammed to form attachments.
• Infancy is a critical period for forming attachments.
• Early months - form 1 primary attachment.
Disruption to this attachment has a negative impact on development.

• May cause - anxiety, difficulty in forming relationships, depressive disorders, delinquency.

Question 8

Schaffer and Emerson

Answer 8

• 0-3 months – responds to any caregiver
• 4-7 months – shows preference for primary caregiver but accepts care from others.
• 7-9 months – prefers primary caregiver and seeks comfort from them, unhappy when separated and shows fear of strangers.
• 10 months+ - begins to develop attachments with others who respond to them. By ten mnths most will have formed multiple attachments.

Question 9

Ainsworth

Answer 9

• Studied reactions of children when parted from a parent:
• Secure attachment - parent is in tune with the child and their emotions. Child will show distress when caregiver leaves and greet them upon their return. Will seek comfort from caregiver when upset and is happy with strangers if caregiver is present.
• Insecure/avoidant attachment - parent is unavailable to child or rejects them. Child will not show distress when primary caregiver leaves and may got to a stranger for comfort.
• Insecure/resistant attachment - parent is inconsistent in meeting their child’s needs. Child will show distress when primary caregiver leaves but resists contact on their return. Anxious and insecure.

Question 10

Rutter - argument

Answer 10

• Argued against Bowlby’s point that separation anxiety caused potential LTS. He felt privation - problem. Privation - children haven’t had opportunity to form strong attachment in early life.

Question 11

Harlow

Answer 11

• Harlow explanation - attachment develops as a result of the mother providing “tactile comfort”, - infants have innate biological need to touch/cling for emotional comfort.
• Number of studies on attachment in Rhesus monkeys - 1950/60s.
• Concluded that privation (never forming an attachment bond) is permanently damaging to monkeys.

Question 12

Gesell - maturation theory

Answer 12

• Based theory on belief that development is genetically determined from birth - children follow same orderly sequence in their development but the pace may vary.
• Observed the behaviours of many children - determined “norms” and “milestones” still used today.

Question 13

Bandura - SLT

Answer 13

• Believed Learning happens - observing, imitating, modelling behaviours of others.
• Four stages:- attention, retention, reproduction, motivation.
• Reinforcement - behaviour repeated or resisted.
• Pos reinforcement - behaviour repeated - personal saris or reward.
• Neg reinforcement - behaviour not repeated - avoid adverse experience (told off)
• Bobo doll experiment

Question 14

Stress diathesis model

Answer 14

• Nature and nurtures play a part in psychological disorders.
• Nature - born with predisposition / vulnerability to mental disorders.
• Nurture - traumatic experiences.

• Both together lead to a psychological disorder.

Question 15

Homes and Rahe - social adjustment rating scale

Answer 15

• Believed link between psychological illness and stressful events.
• Listed 43 events individual may experience - death of partner, marriage, change of school, retirement.
• Applied score to each.
• Patients indicated life experiences they had experienced, last two years. Added up scores.
• Higher score - more likely to become ill due to stress.

Question 16

Activity theory

Answer 16

• Individuals can achieve healthy ageing - continued social activity.
• Social and psychological needs remain same.
• Need activity and social interactions.
• Adjust to their declining health and mobility and strength.
• Continue to involve themselves in community.

Question 17

Social disengagement theory

Answer 17

• Reduction in social contact is natural - older age.
• Naturally withdraw from social contact - older age.
• Society withdraws from elderly.
• Focus on their previous life and activities.
• Family expect less from elderly.
• Become more dependent.
• Ageing can result - tranquillity and positive development.