Developmental Psychology - Infant Development
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary focus of developmental psychology?

  • The impact of environmental factors on senior citizens
  • The changes in physical and emotional abilities throughout life (correct)
  • The influence of genetics on adulthood
  • How adults interact with each other

Which term describes the time-sensitive windows in which certain abilities may develop?

  • Critical and sensitive periods (correct)
  • Developmental milestones
  • Cognitive thresholds
  • Emotional intervals

What happens to unused synapses after the age of 2?

  • They become more active
  • They are reinforced and strengthened
  • They are kept intact regardless of use
  • They are trimmed away (correct)

What is the gestation period for humans?

<p>38-40 weeks (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Exposure to teratogens can lead to what kind of complications during fetal development?

<p>Genetic mutations and atypical development (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential outcome for children exposed to alcohol in the womb?

<p>Cognitive and behavioral impairments (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

At what age does an infant's brain reach about 50% of the size of an adult brain?

<p>6 months (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the formation of synapses between neurons in the brain?

<p>Synaptogenesis (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is object permanence?

<p>The understanding that objects exist even when out of sight (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

At what age do children begin to demonstrate the ability to perform operations on concrete problems according to Piaget?

<p>7-12 years (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which task is used to illustrate egocentrism in children?

<p>Three mountain task (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the key cognitive ability that infants lack during the sensorimotor stage?

<p>Object permanence (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes constructivism, as proposed by Piaget?

<p>Children actively construct their understanding of the world (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Piaget's concrete operational stage, what becomes important for problem solving?

<p>Concrete and tangible aspects of problems (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What type of error do infants demonstrate in the A-not-B task?

<p>Perseveration error (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following stages does Piaget suggest occurs last in a child’s cognitive development?

<p>Formal operational (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

During which stage are children still egocentric and lack the ability to perform logical operations?

<p>Pre-operational (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main characteristic of the sensorimotor stage?

<p>Exploration through the senses and movement (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is conservation in the context of Piaget's theory?

<p>Understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in appearance (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which researcher introduced the concept of psychosocial development alongside Piaget?

<p>Erik Erikson (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What cognitive ability begins to emerge at the end of the sensorimotor stage around 2 years old?

<p>Symbolic understanding (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Developmental Psychology

The study of how and why biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, and social abilities develop throughout childhood.

Stability vs. Change

A debate in developmental psychology considering if traits remain consistent or change throughout life.

Continuity vs. Discontinuity

A debate in developmental psychology that contrasts gradual, continuous development vs. abrupt stages.

Nature vs. Nurture

A debate in developmental psychology about the relative contributions of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture).

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Critical Period

A specific time during development when an ability or skill is most readily acquired.

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Teratogen

Substances causing atypical development if exposed in utero.

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Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

Developmental impairments caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy.

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Neural Plasticity

The brain's ability to change and form new connections throughout life.

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Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight.

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Sensorimotor Stage

The first stage of cognitive development, from birth to about 2 years, where infants use their senses and actions to understand the world.

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A-not-B Error

A tendency for infants in the sensorimotor stage to search for an object in the location where they last found it, even if they see it hidden elsewhere.

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Pre-operational Stage

The second stage of cognitive development, from about 2 to 7 years, where children are egocentric and think symbolically but lack logical thought.

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Egocentrism

The inability to understand that other people have different perspectives or points of view.

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Conservation

The understanding that changes in appearance do not change the quantity of something.

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Concrete Operational Stage

The third stage of cognitive development, from about 7 to 12 years, where children think logically about concrete events.

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Formal Operational Stage

The final stage of cognitive development, starting around age 12, where systematic reasoning and hypothetical thinking are developed.

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Constructivism

The idea that children actively build their understanding of the world rather than passively receiving knowledge.

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Piaget's Stages of Development

Cognitive development follows a sequence of four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational.

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Perseverative Reaching

A tendency for infants to persist with a response, even when the response no longer appropriate.

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Cognitive Development

The process through which children develop their thinking abilities.

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Industrial Revolution

A major era of technological advances in manufacturing and industry.

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Stage Theory

A theory of development suggesting that individuals move through distinct stages in a set order.

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Operation

Mental rules that can be used to solve a problem.

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Study Notes

Developmental Psychology

  • Focuses on how and why biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, and social abilities develop throughout childhood.
  • Key debates include stability vs. change, continuity vs. discontinuity, nature vs. nurture, and critical vs. sensitive periods.
  • Studying development helps understand adult minds, clinical conditions, and childhood abilities.

Infant Development

  • Human development begins in utero.
  • Gestation period is roughly 38-40 weeks (9 months).
  • Infant brains are structurally similar to adult brains but are smaller (about a quarter the size).
  • By 6 months, the brain reaches about 50% of its adult size.

Infant Development - Before Birth

  • Brain neurons are not fully myelinated or connected at birth.
  • Myelination and synaptogenesis (formation of synapses) continue until around 2 years old.
  • Unused synapses are pruned throughout development.
  • Neural plasticity (brain's ability to form and maintain synapses) decreases with age.

Infant Development - Prenatal Damage & Teratogens

  • Damage can occur to an infant brain before birth.
  • Teratogens are substances that cause atypical development if present during prenatal exposure.
  • Exposure to harmful substances (e.g. Teratogens) during pregnancy negatively impacts development.
  • Examples include air pollution (leading to genetic mutations, per Perera et al, 2002) and PVC exposure (leading to shorter pregnancies and early delivery, per Latini et al, 2003).
  • Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) can result from prenatal alcohol exposure.

FASD Cognitive and Behavioral Impairments

  • Infancy: Slower reaction times.
  • Preschool: Decreased attention, hyperactivity.
  • Childhood: Learning problems, memory deficits.
  • Adulthood: Impaired problem-solving and higher rates of substance dependence.

A Brief History of Studying Development

  • Increased need for an educated workforce during the Industrial Revolution fueled early research.
  • Initial focus was on cognitive development for education.
  • Later research explored emotional/social development, and adulthood development.
  • Key figures include John B. Watson, Charles Darwin, and Wilhelm Preyer.
  • By 1880, 47 empirical studies were conducted across Europe and North America.

Leading Figures in Developmental Psychology

  • Jean Piaget (1896-1980): A Swiss child psychologist who proposed a stage theory of cognitive development.
  • Also relevant: Sigmund Freud's psychodynamic theory and Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory.

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

  • Sensorimotor (0-2 years): Infants sense and move but have limited cognition. Object permanence (understanding objects exist even when unseen) is a key cognitive ability not fully grasped at this stage.
  • Preoperational (2-7 years): Egocentrism (inability to see things from another's perspective) is characteristic; children are biased by their perceptions and cannot use operations.
  • Concrete Operational (7-12 years): Children can solve concrete problems using operations.
  • Formal Operational (12 years +): Systematic, rigorous reasoning and use of hypothetical situations characterize this stage; children can conduct experiments on abstract situations that go beyond their immediate perception.

Key Cognitive Concepts

  • Object Permanence: Understanding that objects exist even when out of sight.
  • A-not-B Error: Infants persist in searching for an object in a familiar location (A) even after it’s moved to a new location (B). This signifies perseverative reaching.
  • Egocentrism: Inability to take another's perspective.
  • Conservation: Understanding that changes in appearance do not change underlying properties (e.g., quantity, volume).
  • Mental Imagery: Representing objects and events mentally.
  • Operations: Logical mental rules to solve problems.
  • Constructivism: Children actively build their understanding of the world.

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Description

Explore how biological and cognitive abilities develop during infancy, from pre-birth to the early years of life. Understand the key concepts of neural development, brain growth, and the factors influencing stability and change in developmental psychology.

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