Child Development Theories and Concepts
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Questions and Answers

What describes the process of synaptic pruning occurring at birth?

  • The elimination of extra neurons and connections (correct)
  • The formation of new neurons
  • The initiation of motor skills development
  • The expansion of existing neural networks

    • Which statement is true about the critical period in early childhood?

  • It primarily affects physical growth and maturity
  • It lasts only until the age of three
  • It is significant for the acquisition of specific skills like language (correct)
  • It is the time when all skills can be learned equally

    • What is meant by 'maturation' in relation to development?

  • Changes dependent on environmental factors
  • A flexible series of learning experiences
  • A specific timeline for achieving developmental milestones
  • A biological growth process setting the stage for development (correct)

    • How does experience influence the sequence of motor development in infants?

    <p>It has no effect on the sequence, only on the pace</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the concept of infantile amnesia related to?

    <p>The inability to form memories before age three</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary characteristic of egocentrism in preoperational children?

    <p>They struggle to see things from another person's perspective.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which developmental stage do children begin to engage in transformations of mathematical functions?

    <p>Concrete Operational Stage</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key difference between Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories regarding child development?

    <p>Vygotsky highlights social interactions as crucial for cognitive development.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What cognitive ability is developed during the Formal Operational Stage?

    <p>Reasoning about hypothetical scenarios and abstract concepts.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Vygotsky suggest children utilize inner speech?

    <p>To help control behavior and master new tasks.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At what age does Vygotsky suggest children increasingly begin to think in words?

    <p>By age 7.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does language play according to Vygotsky's theory of social development?

    <p>It is an important component that facilitates social mentoring.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason for the emotional attachment between infants and their caregivers?

    <p>Physical nourishment received from the caregiver</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What psychological development occurs around 8 months that leads to stranger anxiety?

    <p>Ability to differentiate known individuals from strangers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following factors is NOT associated with the formation of attachment in infants?

    <p>Cognitive maturity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement best describes the relationship between body contact and infant attachment?

    <p>Physical closeness fosters emotional ties instead of solely meeting nutritional needs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does stranger anxiety contribute to an infant's survival?

    <p>Helps the infant stay close to familiar caregivers for safety</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes the role of familiarity in infant attachment?

    <p>Familiar caregivers are often associated with safety and comfort.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which element is crucial for developing a strong bond between parent and infant?

    <p>Engaging in frequent body contact</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are infants expected to seek from their primary attachment figures?

    <p>Physical presence and comfort</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements about attachment is most accurate?

    <p>Strong attachment is characterized by seeking closeness and showing distress upon separation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Harlow's experiments with infant monkeys reveal about attachment?

    <p>The presence of a cloth mother provides comfort and security.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary concept illustrated by the attachment process in Harlow's research?

    <p>Familiarity, rather than nourishment, is critical in forming attachments.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    During which period do animals, such as goslings, form strong attachments according to the concept of imprinting?

    <p>Right after hatching when they see their first moving object.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does the mere exposure effect play in human familiarity according to the content?

    <p>It enhances safety signals through exposure to familiar individuals.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main finding regarding attachment styles observed in the Strange Situation experiment?

    <p>Children are either securely attached or insecurely attached.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What happens to infant monkeys when their cloth mother is taken away for cleaning?

    <p>They become distressed and anxious.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the concept of familiarity serve as in the context of social development for children?

    <p>A signal for safety and comfort.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the experience of attachment differ between humans and animals like ducklings?

    <p>Ducklings have a critical period for imprinting, while humans do not.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Harlow conclude regarding attachment and emotional comfort from his studies?

    <p>Emotional comfort is crucial and often outweighs the need for physical sustenance.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Developmental Psychology

    • Examines physical, cognitive, and social development throughout life
    • Each life stage presents unique challenges

    Infancy & Childhood

    • A variety of images illustrating infancy and childhood

    Old Age vs. Adolescence - Physical Challenges

    • Images showing physical challenges faced by both elderly and adolescents

    Old Age vs. Adolescence - Social Challenges

    • Images highlighting social challenges faced by elderly and adolescents

    Lecture Outline

    • Sections covering physical development, cognitive development, and social development

    Developmental Psychology

    • Focuses on major issues such as: nature vs nurture, continuity vs stages, and stability vs change

    Nature vs. Nurture

    • The nature-nurture debate concerns the relative influences of inherited characteristics (genetics, biology) and acquired factors (experience, learning) on human behavior.
    • The debate explores whether a person is primarily shaped by their genetics or their environment.
    • A 2023 survey on aggressive/violent behavior showed varied opinions, with no clear consensus (7% completely nature, 17% mostly nature/environment, 42% nature & environment both equal factors, 24% mostly environment/nature plays small role, 11% completely environment).
    • The idea that genes are set in stone has been disproven. Modern research (epigenetics) shows environmental experiences can influence gene expression.

    Epigenetics

    • Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence.
    • Gene expression can change based on experiences, which can lead to different outcomes in individuals with identical genetic make-up.

    Continuity and Stages

    • Developmental change may be gradual (continuous) or proceed through distinct stages.
    • Those who emphasize biological maturation, see development as a sequence of predetermined stages.
    • Researchers who emphasize learning and experience, view development as a gradual, continuous process.

    Stage Theorists

    • Various theorists propose age-linked stages of development
    • Examples include: Kohlberg (moral development), Erikson (psychosocial development), and Piaget (cognitive development)

    Stability and Change

    • The question of whether personality traits remain stable throughout life or change over time.

    Physical Development

    • Brain development (e.g neural networks grow increasingly elaborate as children mature)
    • Motor skills (e.g. infants follow an orderly pattern of development)
    • Memory

    Brain Development

    • The brain is immature at birth, with neural networks becoming increasingly complex as development progresses.
    • Neuronal growth and pruning (synaptic changes) contribute to brain development and efficiency of transmissions.
    • Early childhood sees rapid frontal lobe growth underpinning executive function. Critical periods exist influencing language and vision.
    • Ongoing changes in brain tissue and neural plasticity affect lifelong learning and adaptation.

    Motor Development

    • Infants exhibit an orderly pattern in acquiring motor skills.
    • Experience seemingly has little influence on the sequential development of these abilities.

    Maturation

    • Maturation refers to biological changes.
    • This relatively uninfluential developmental process affects the basic course of development, while learning adjusts it.
    • Some common motor milestones include sitting, crawling, and walking, which tend to develop sequentially regardless of environment. However, the timing of these milestones varies

    Infantile Amnesia

    • Infantile amnesia is the lack of conscious memory from the earliest years (roughly 3-½ years old).
    • The maturation of brain areas like the hippocampus and frontal lobes contributing to memory development.

    Cognitive Development

    • Piaget's work emphasized an interest in children's responses to questions about correct answers.
    • Piaget proposed that cognitive development proceeds through a series of stages, with each stage characterised by distinct cognitive abilities.
    • Key concepts include assimilation, accommodation, and schemas.

    Preoperational Stage

    • Language is a main focus at the preoperational stage (ages 2-7).
    • Children develop language skills.
    • Key concepts include pretend play, conservation, and egocentrism

    Pretend Play

    • Imaginative play, fantasy, or make-believe can occur from infancy.

    Conservation

    • The principle of understanding that properties like mass, volume, or number remain the same even when forms or appearances change.
    • Children who lack this understanding commonly experience issues in conservation tasks related to liquids, solids, or numbers.

    Egocentrism

    • Inability of preoperational children to see things from another person's perspective.
    • A child often might believe that others see objects or situations exactly as they do.

    Concrete Operational Stage

    • Logical reasoning about concrete events, including math.
    • Understanding about the mathematical relation between numbers.

    Formal Operational Stage

    • Abstract thinking and hypothetical reasoning occur in the formal operational stage (12 years and beyond).
    • Ability to reason about abstract ideas and possibilities.

    Vygotsky and the Social Child

    • Vygotsky's perspective focused on the role of social interaction in children's cognitive development, contrasting with Piaget's emphasis on individual cognitive processes.
    • Children develop cognitive abilities through interaction with the social environment, specifically through verbal communication.
    • Internalizing language and using inner speech are important aspects of social learning.

    Social Development: Attachment

    • Attachment is an enduring emotional bond that develops between a child and a caregiver.
    • Crucial for a child's physical and psychological development.
    • Attachment is a survival impulse prompting children to stay near their caregivers.
    • Factors contributing to attachment include body contact, familiarity, and nurturing caregiver interaction.

    Stranger Anxiety

    • Stranger anxiety is a response to unfamiliar individuals in children.
    • Emerging in infants at approximately 8 months.

    Origins of Attachment

    • Factors (e.g., body contact, familiarity, sensitivity, responsiveness) in the attachment parent-infant bond.
    • Bowlby's perspective highlighted critical periods and the importance of responsive parenting.
    • Harlow's research with monkeys challenged the traditional view; highlighting the importance of comfort and contact in forming attachment.

    Social Development: Familiarity

    • Familiarity plays a role in attachment.
    • Mere exposure effect in children (the fondness or familiarity that develops from repeated exposure to people.
    • Imprinting in other species (the rapid development of an attachment to something or someone that is the first one they see or encounter).
    • Children's understanding that familiar people might be trusted is a useful aspect of survival in childhood.

    Studying Attachment

    • The Strange Situation experiment is a tool used to measure attachment styles (secure vs. insecure attachment).
    • Securely attached children seek comfort from their primary caregiver.
    • Insecurely attached children may display varying reactions to separation and reunion.

    Parenting Styles

    • Different parenting styles impact how children respond to the social world and adjust to their environment.
    • Parenting style differences may influence development in cognitive, social, and emotional outcomes.
    • Different styles include: authoritarian, permissive, negligent, and authoritative.

    Deprivation of Attachment

    • Conditions that prevent attachment in children, such as neglect, abuse.
    • These early life experiences impact later health, social and emotional development.
    • Romania orphanages with inadequate caregiver-to-child ratios (early in the 1970s and 1980s) highlight possible long lasting effects on development.
    • Despite the negative situations, many children demonstrate resilience, overcoming childhood adversity.
    • However, certain problems are linked to early adversity, including health concerns, psychological disorders, substance-abuse and criminality.

    Self-Concept

    • Self-concept, an understanding of oneself, plays a crucial role in social development.
    • Children's views of themselves influence behaviors and interactions.
    • Those with positive self-concepts tend to be more confident, independent, optimistic, assertive, and sociable.
    • Developing self-awareness begins when children recognize themselves (around 6 months) as different from others and gradually emerges from a combination of experiences and interactions.

    Responsive Parenting

    • The caregiver's responsiveness greatly influences attachment security and development in children.
    • Caregivers who respond sensitively to a child's needs promote secure attachment.
    • Sensitive and responsive mothers notice their children's behaviors, respond appropriately

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    Infancy & Childhood Development Psychology PDF

    Description

    Test your knowledge on key concepts of child development, including synaptic pruning, critical periods, and the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. This quiz will challenge your understanding of various developmental stages and cognitive abilities in early childhood. Dive into the fascinating world of how children grow and learn!

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