Unit 3a: Development Psychology

Question 1

Stability and change across lifespan

Answer 1

This area of study helps us understand how and why people remain the same in some ways but also evolve and adapt in others as they go through different life stages.

Question 2

Continuous and discontinuous

Answer 2

Continuity: refers to developmental changes that are slow and steady, where each step builds directly on the previous ones.

Discontinuity: people pass through stages of life that are qualitatively different from each other

Question 3

Longitudinal studies

Answer 3

a research method that follows the same group of individuals over an extended period of time to examine developmental changes and continuity across the lifespan.

Question 4

Cross-sectional studies

Answer 4

a research method that compares individuals of different ages or developmental stages at a single point in time to examine age-related differences

Question 5

Teratogens

Answer 5

harmful substances, such as drugs, alcohol, or infections, that can cause developmental abnormalities or birth defects when a fetus is exposed to them during prenatal development.

Question 6

Fine and gross motor coordination

Answer 6

Fine: The ability to control small muscle movements, enabling tasks like writing, buttoning, and using utensils with precision.

Gross: The ability to control large muscle movements, enabling tasks like walking, jumping, and throwing with balance and strength.

Question 7

Infant reflexes: Rooting

Answer 7

A newborn’s built-in reaction that occurs when the infant’s cheek is stroked, resulting in the baby turning its head toward the touch, looking for something to suck.

Question 8

Critical and sensitive periods (specifically language)

Answer 8

a developmental stage during which an organism is particularly sensitive to environmental influences and experiences, which are necessary for the normal development of certain abilities or behaviors

Question 9

imprinting

Answer 9

a form of rapid and irreversible learning that occurs during a critical period, typically in young animals, in which they form strong attachments to a specific individual or object.

Question 10

primary and secondary sex characteristics

Answer 10

Primary: the physical structures and organs directly involved in reproduction, such as the reproductive organs and genitalia.

Secondary: physical features that develop during puberty but are not directly involved in reproduction, such as body hair, breast development, and voice changes.

Question 11

Vygotsky’s view on cognitive development

Answer 11

adults in society foster children’s cognitive development by engaging them in challenging and meaningful activities.

Question 12

Scaffolding

Answer 12

the support or guidance provided to learners to help them acquire new skills or knowledge, gradually reducing as the learner becomes more competent.

Question 13

Zone of proximal development

Answer 13

Vygotsky’s concept of the difference between what a learner can do without help and what they can do with help.

Question 14

Fluid intelligence

Answer 14

The capacity to think logically and solve problems in novel situations, independent of acquired knowledge.

Question 15

Crystallized intelligence

Answer 15

The ability to use learned knowledge and experience.

Question 16

Piaget’s theory

Answer 16

Piaget argued that children’s cognitive development occurs in stages (Papalia & Feldman, 2011). Specifically, he posited that as children’s thinking develops from one stage to the next, their behavior also changes, reflecting these cognitive developments

Question 17

Sensorimotor stage

Answer 17

the first stage of cognitive development in Jean Piaget’s theory, occurring from birth to about 2 years old, characterized by the infant’s exploration of the world through sensory experiences and motor actions.

Question 18

Object permanence

Answer 18

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched, typically developed during the sensorimotor stage of Piaget’s theory.

Question 19

Preoperational stage

Answer 19

In Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, the second stage, occurring from about 2 to 7 years old, characterized by symbolic thought, egocentrism, and the use of language and imagination.

Question 20

Conservation (lack of)

Answer 20

a logical thinking ability first studied by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. In short, being able to conserve means knowing that a quantity doesn’t change if it’s been altered

Question 21

Reversibility (inability at this stage)

Answer 21

The understanding that objects can be changed and then returned back to their original form or condition, an important concept in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.

Question 22

Egocentrism

Answer 22

the inability to take another person’s perspective or understand that others may have different thoughts, feelings, or beliefs.

Question 23

Animism

Answer 23

The belief that inanimate objects have lifelike qualities and are capable of action, common in young children.

Question 24

Theory of mind

Answer 24

the ability to understand and attribute mental states, such as beliefs, desires, and intentions, to oneself and others, which is crucial for social cognition and perspective-taking.

Question 25

Concrete operational stage

Answer 25

In Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, the third stage, occurring from about 7 to 11 years old, characterized by the ability to think logically about concrete events and grasp concrete analogies.

Question 26

Formal operational stage

Answer 26

In Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, the fourth stage, occurring from about age 12 through adulthood, characterized by the ability to think abstractly, reason logically, and engage in hypothetical thinking.

Question 27

Universal language stages

Answer 27

a theory proposed by Noam Chomsky, suggesting that all human languages share a common underlying structure and set of principles, which are innate and genetically programmed.

Question 28

Telegraphic speech

Answer 28

a stage of language development in which young children speak using short, simple sentences that mainly consist of nouns and verbs, omitting articles, prepositions, and other grammatical elements.

Question 29

Overgeneralization of language rules

Answer 29

The application of a grammatical rule in cases where it doesn’t apply, often seen in children’s language development.

Question 30

Ecological systems theory

Answer 30

proposed by Urie Bronfenbrenner, this theory emphasizes the influence of various environmental systems (such as family, school, community) on individual development

Question 31

Microsystem

Answer 31

The immediate environment in which a person interacts, such as family, school, and peers.

Question 32

Mesosystem

Answer 32

The relationships between microsystem elements affect the child’s development, like how parental involvement in school activities enhances academic success.