Questions and Answers
What is primarily lost during early brain development?
The frontal lobes are fully developed by early childhood.
False
What is the significance of myelin sheath development?
It allows neurons to run faster and more effectively.
During development, children may struggle with _____ due to immature frontal lobes.
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Match the following terms with their descriptions:
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What developmental process is important for permitting advanced thought?
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Neural pruning results in an increase in the number of neurons.
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What behavioral issue in children might arise from underdeveloped frontal lobes?
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What is one proposed module for understanding people?
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Young children and babies have a complete understanding of language.
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What is one key question that arises regarding the differences between the minds of children and adults?
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Stephen Jay Gould posed a question about zebras: Are zebras _____ animals with black stripes or black animals with white stripes?
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What type of psychology debates the roles of different cognitive modules?
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Match the following concepts with their descriptions:
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Adult psychology has nothing to learn from the study of child development.
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Who is the great biologist mentioned for the importance of development?
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What is one reason why Piaget believed children think differently from adults?
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Susan Carey believes that changes in children's thinking are similar to changes in adult scientific theories.
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What is one common trait observed in individuals with autism?
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The theory proposed by Simon Baron-Cohen suggests that autism is caused by damage to a ______ reasoning module.
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Match the following concepts with their corresponding theorists:
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Which developmental perspective contrasts with the idea of large-scale changes in childhood thinking?
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Individuals with autism typically exhibit enhanced communication skills.
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What task do individuals with autism often fail to perform related to social reasoning?
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According to the content, autism's prevalence is estimated to be about ______ out of 1,000 for autism spectrum disorder.
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What does the term 'conservation task' refer to in developmental psychology?
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High-functioning individuals with autism can typically make social inferences similar to average adults.
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What is one example of a stereotypical behavior often seen in individuals with autism?
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The debate in developmental psychology often revolves around whether change is characterized by ______ changes or modular developments.
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Which of the following best describes the approach of Susan Carey towards understanding children's cognitive changes?
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Match the following disorders with their characteristics:
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Study Notes
Neural Development
- Development involves neural changes in a child's brain, primarily through pruning, which eliminates neural connections.
- This pruning is essential for more advanced and mature thought processes as the brain matures.
- Myelination, the process of the myelin sheath forming around neurons, enhances neural efficiency and continues into adolescence.
- The frontal lobes, crucial for inhibition and impulse control, are not fully developed until late adolescence.
Piagetian Theory
- According to Piaget, children think differently than adults, which explains their failure in tasks like conservation.
- Conceptual change in children mirrors the evolution of scientific theories as proposed by philosopher Thomas Kuhn.
- Differences in perspective between children and adults can be compared to shifts in scientific understanding.
Debates in Developmental Psychology
- Developmental psychologists explore whether significant changes occur from childhood to adulthood, as proposed by Freud and Piaget.
- An alternative theory posits that cognitive development occurs through specific modules in the brain, each with unique developmental paths.
- Early understanding of concepts like autism suggests a link between impaired social reasoning and developmental modules.
Autism and Cognitive Modules
- Autism spectrum disorder affects roughly 1-2 out of 1,000 individuals; about 10 out of 1,000 have milder forms like Asperger syndrome.
- Common traits include social disconnection, language impairment, and a tendency to treat peers as objects.
- Simon Baron-Cohen's theory proposes autism arises from damage to a social reasoning module, affecting individuals' abilities in social inference.
Nature of Cognitive Modules
- Researchers speculate on distinct modules for understanding the physical world, social interactions, and even artifacts.
- The modularity discussion raises questions about the nature and function of these cognitive systems.
Role of Language in Development
- Language acquisition plays a critical role in shaping understanding and perception from childhood to adulthood.
- The transformation in thinking associated with learning to speak is a significant area of inquiry in developmental psychology.
Importance of Studying Development
- Understanding child development yields insights into adult psychology and behavior.
- An example illustrated by Stephen Jay Gould highlights how developmental studies can clarify questions about adult animals, such as zebras' coloration.
- Developmental perspectives enable deeper comprehension of why organisms develop characteristics and behaviors as they do.
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Description
Explore the various approaches to explaining child development, focusing on the significant changes that occur in the brain. This quiz delves into the role of neurons and how their numbers and functions evolve throughout a child's growth.
