Developmental Psychology: Nature vs. Nurture
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Questions and Answers

What is the core idea of the 'nature' perspective on development?

  • Development is the unfolding of innate abilities according to genetic programs (correct)
  • Development is shaped by environmental factors
  • Development is purely a result of learning mechanisms
  • Development is a result of random chance

    • What is the main difference between the 'nature' and 'nurture' perspectives?

  • The 'nature' perspective focuses on environmental factors, while the 'nurture' perspective focuses on genetic programs
  • The 'nature' perspective emphasizes innate abilities, while the 'nurture' perspective emphasizes environmental input (correct)
  • The 'nature' perspective is only applicable to children, while the 'nurture' perspective is applicable to adults
  • The 'nature' perspective is based on empirical evidence, while the 'nurture' perspective is based on theoretical assumptions

    • What is an example of evidence cited in support of the 'nature' perspective?

  • The role of chance in determining development
  • The influence of environment on shaping behavior
  • The ability of infants to learn rapidly
  • The appearance of fixed schedules in behavioral development (correct)

    • What is the extreme implication of the 'nature' argument?

    <p>That development is predetermined and cannot be changed</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main message conveyed by J.B. Watson's quote?

    <p>That environmental input can shape development into anything</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the importance of considering the interaction between 'nature' and 'nurture'?

    <p>It recognizes the complexity of the development process</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the 'nurture' perspective on development?

    <p>It highlights the significance of environmental input in shaping behavior</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the implication of the 'Little Albert' experiment?

    <p>That environmental input can shape behavior</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between universal development and culturally-mediated approach?

    <p>Universal development assumes the same pattern of development across cultures, while culturally-mediated approach acknowledges cultural differences.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a limitation of cross-sectional studies in developmental psychology?

    <p>They assume age is a proxy for development, but group differences don't reveal how development proceeds.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a potential problem with cross-sectional designs, according to the text?

    <p>They are prone to cohort effects.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of a universal pattern of development?

    <p>Physical play across different cultures.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main advantage of cross-sectional studies, according to the text?

    <p>They are easy to study development by comparing groups at different ages.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why might working memory appear to improve with age in a cross-sectional study?

    <p>Because the study is prone to cohort effects due to different childhood environments.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between cross-sectional and longitudinal studies?

    <p>Cross-sectional studies compare groups at different ages, while longitudinal studies follow the same group over time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of introducing another test that requires less inhibition, according to the text?

    <p>To measure inhibition in children.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a prerequisite for perspective taking and navigating our social environment?

    <p>Understanding of different mental processes and perspectives</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At what age does the understanding of different mental processes and perspectives typically develop?

    <p>Around 4-5 years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary basis for forming attachment relationships?

    <p>Contact comfort</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Harry Harlow's experiment with rhesus monkeys show?

    <p>That emotional needs are more important than physical needs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main idea behind attachment theory?

    <p>That infants are attached to their mothers for emotional reasons</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of a enduring tie of affection in attachment theory?

    <p>A child's affection towards their caregiver</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the age range during which attachment relationships are typically formed?

    <p>Infancy to early childhood</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term used to describe the attachment between a child and their caregiver?

    <p>Attachment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common characteristic shared by Victor and Genie?

    <p>They both had very little exposure to language and social interactions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a critical period in biology?

    <p>A specific developmental time window in which an environmental stimulus has an effect</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the formula to calculate h2?

    <p>h2 = 2 × (rMZ - rDZ)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of a critical period in biology?

    <p>Imprinting in geese</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does rMZ represent in developmental psychology?

    <p>Monozygotic twin correlation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main reason both Victor and Genie failed to develop language?

    <p>They both missed the critical period for language acquisition</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the 13-year-old girl who was discovered in 1970, with very little exposure to language and social interactions?

    <p>Genie</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of calculating h2 in developmental psychology?

    <p>To determine the role of genetics in development</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the field of study that examines human development?

    <p>Developmental psychology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term used to describe the idea that there are specific time windows during which an individual is most likely to acquire certain skills or abilities?

    <p>Critical Periods</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of a critical period in foetal development?

    <p>The sensitivity to certain toxins during a narrow time window</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the correlation between monozygotic twins?

    <p>rMZ</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the correlation between dizygotic twins?

    <p>rDZ</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why were teachers and researchers unable to teach Victor and Genie language and social cues?

    <p>The critical period for language acquisition had already passed for both Victor and Genie</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does h2 represent in developmental psychology?

    <p>The heritability of a trait</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is the study of twins important in developmental psychology?

    <p>To understand the role of genetics in development</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the 'nature' perspective on development argue about innate abilities?

    <p>They unfold according to genetic programs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the implication of the extreme 'nature' argument?

    <p>Human development is fixed and unchangeable</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main point of J.B. Watson's quote?

    <p>The ability to train children to become any type of specialist</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the 'nurture' perspective on development?

    <p>It suggests that children's abilities are shaped by their environment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the importance of considering the interaction between 'nature' and 'nurture'?

    <p>It highlights the complexity of human development</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between the 'nature' and 'nurture' perspectives?

    <p>The emphasis on innate abilities or general learning mechanisms</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of evidence cited in support of the 'nurture' perspective?

    <p>The ability of young infants to learn and adapt</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important to consider the interaction between 'nature' and 'nurture'?

    <p>To provide a more comprehensive understanding of human development</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of thought in the Preoperational stage?

    <p>Dynamic and concrete</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a misconception about Piaget's stages of development?

    <p>The stages reflect biological maturation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of thought in the Formal Operations stage?

    <p>Formal reasoning and hypotheticals</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Piaget's perspective on how children construct their understanding of the world?

    <p>Constructivist</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the age range of the Sensorimotor stage?

    <p>0-2 years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the prerequisite for formal reasoning?

    <p>Concrete reasoning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of the Concrete Operational stage?

    <p>Thought is more dynamic, concrete operational</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is Piaget's legacy?

    <p>He left an indelible footprint on developmental psychology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At what stage of development do infants display their first intentional behavior?

    <p>Substage 4</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the error that occurs when an infant searches for a hidden object in the last location they found it, rather than its actual location?

    <p>A-not-B error</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary characteristic of the preoperational stage of development?

    <p>Egocentrism and centration</p> Signup and view all the answers

    During which stage of drawing development do children draw what they 'know'?

    <p>Intellectual realism stage</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the tendency to perceive the world solely from one's own point of view?

    <p>Egocentrism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At what age do children typically begin to create mental representations outside of sensory experience?

    <p>18-24 months</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary characteristic of the schematic stage of drawing development?

    <p>Visual realism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of developmental psychology?

    <p>Studying change across the lifespan at every level of analysis</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the task that demonstrates egocentrism in children?

    <p>3 mountain task</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the central theme of the 'nature vs nurture' debate in developmental psychology?

    <p>The interaction between genetic and environmental factors in human development</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of 'critical periods' in developmental psychology?

    <p>Specific time windows during which certain skills or abilities are most easily acquired</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a key controversy in developmental psychology?

    <p>The universal vs culturally-specific nature of human development</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary goal of studying developmental processes?

    <p>To describe typical and atypical developmental processes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main focus of Piaget's stage theory of cognitive development?

    <p>The stages of cognitive development from infancy to adolescence</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the 'sensorimotor period' in Piaget's theory?

    <p>The period of infancy and early childhood, marked by the use of senses and motor skills to understand the world</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between the 'nature' and 'nurture' perspectives on development?

    <p>The role of genetics vs environment in shaping human behavior</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary prerequisite for perspective taking and navigating our social environment?

    <p>Understanding others' mental processes and perspectives</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Harry Harlow's experiment with rhesus monkeys, what do monkeys prioritize?

    <p>Comfort over food</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary basis for forming attachment relationships, according to attachment theory?

    <p>Contact comfort</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the typical age range during which the understanding of different mental processes and perspectives develops?

    <p>4-5 years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main idea behind attachment theory?

    <p>Infants are attached to their caregivers for emotional reasons</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of an enduring tie of affection in attachment theory?

    <p>Caregiver-infant bond</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Harry Harlow's experiment with rhesus monkeys show about love and comfort?

    <p>They are non-physical needs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term used to describe the attachment between a child and their caregiver?

    <p>Attachment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the focus of developmental psychologists?

    <p>Studying change across the lifespan at every level of analysis</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the core controversy in developmental psychology?

    <p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the 'nature' perspective on development argue about innate abilities?

    <p>They proceed according to a genetically-programmed schedule</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of studying developmental psychology?

    <p>To describe typical and atypical developmental processes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key concept in developmental psychology?

    <p>Critical Periods</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the focus of Week 5, Lecture 1 in Developmental Psychology?

    <p>Themes and Methods in Developmental Psychology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who is the lecturer for Week 5, Lecture 1 in Developmental Psychology?

    <p>Dr. Seamus Donnelly</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the topic of Week 7 in Developmental Psychology?

    <p>Biological Development and Cognitive Development</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was a common characteristic shared by Victor and Genie?

    <p>They had both been isolated from society for a long time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term used to describe the specific time windows during which an individual is most likely to acquire certain skills or abilities?

    <p>Critical Periods</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an example of a critical period in biology?

    <p>Imprinting in geese</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why were teachers and researchers unable to teach Victor and Genie language and social cues?

    <p>They missed the critical period for language acquisition.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main reason why Victor and Genie failed to develop language?

    <p>Missed critical period for language acquisition</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the significance of the cases of Victor and Genie?

    <p>They highlight the critical periods for language acquisition.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be inferred about Victor's and Genie's language abilities?

    <p>They were unable to learn language.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a possible explanation for Victor's and Genie's lack of social skills?

    <p>They lacked social interaction during critical periods.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is centration in the context of developmental psychology?

    <p>The tendency to focus on a single, perceptually striking feature of an object or event.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why might children in the pre-operational stage insist that one row has more coins than the other?

    <p>Because they are focusing on a single, perceptually striking feature of the objects.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a limitation of the task used to demonstrate centration?

    <p>It requires complex verbal responses and instructions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why might a 3-year-old child attribute a 2-month-old brother's crying to missing something on television?

    <p>Because the child is trying to make sense of the world around them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a criticism of the tasks used to measure centration?

    <p>They require complex verbal responses and instructions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of thought in the pre-operational stage?

    <p>The tendency to focus on a single, perceptually striking feature of an object or event.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why might a child in the pre-operational stage have difficulty with certain tasks?

    <p>Because they are still developing their cognitive abilities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main limitation of the task used to demonstrate centration, according to the text?

    <p>It may be biased towards children with better verbal comprehension or cognitive abilities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary characteristic of the sensorimotor stage of development?

    <p>Reasoning about the world through sensory and motor experiences</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At which stage do children begin to mentally manipulate objects and representations?

    <p>Concrete operational stage</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the key limitation of children's understanding during the sensorimotor period?

    <p>They cannot reason about objects outside of their current sensory experience</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary characteristic of the formal operational stage of development?

    <p>Hypothetical and formal thought processes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At what age do children typically develop mental representations of the world?

    <p>2-7 years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the defining feature of the pre-operational stage of development?

    <p>Development of mental representations of the world</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary characteristic of children's reasoning during the concrete operational stage?

    <p>Restricted to very concrete settings</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of children's understanding during the sensorimotor stage?

    <p>Limited to immediate sensory experience</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main characteristic of children in the Concrete Operational Stage?

    <p>Ability to reason logically about concrete features of the world</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the limitation of children's reasoning in the Concrete Operational Stage?

    <p>They are limited to concrete situations and poor at abstract reasoning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the task given to children in the pendulum experiment?

    <p>To determine the variables that affect the time it takes to complete an arc</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do children in the Concrete Operational Stage often perform in the pendulum experiment?

    <p>They perform biased experiments that confirm initial hypotheses</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the characteristic of children in the Formal Operational Stage?

    <p>Ability to think abstractly or hypothetically</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do children in the Formal Operational Stage approach the pendulum experiment?

    <p>They are aware that all variables can have an influence and test them systematically</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main difference between children in the Concrete Operational Stage and the Formal Operational Stage?

    <p>Children in the Formal Operational Stage are better at abstract reasoning</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At what age do children typically enter the Formal Operational Stage?

    <p>12+ years</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Developmental Psychology

    • Development is the maturation of innate abilities according to genetic programs, motivated by examples of biological maturation (e.g., secondary teeth).
    • Many behaviors appear to follow fixed schedules, supporting the idea that development is influenced by genetic programs.

    Nature vs. Nurture

    • The nature argument implies that development is shaped by innate abilities and genetic programs.
    • The nurture argument implies that development is shaped by environmental input and general learning mechanisms.
    • The controversy lies in the extremes of each argument, with nature implying immutability and nurture implying that a child can do anything with the right environment.

    Importance of Early Experience

    • Early experience is crucial for development, especially in language and social interactions.
    • The cases of Victor and Genie demonstrate the impact of restricted social interaction and language exposure on development.

    Critical Periods

    • Critical periods are specific developmental time windows during which environmental stimuli have a significant impact.
    • Examples of critical periods include imprinting in geese and foetal development.

    Development: Universal or Culturally-Specific

    • The universal development approach suggests that development follows the same pattern across cultures, but with differences in expression.
    • The culturally-mediated approach suggests that aspects of the social and physical environment lead to different developmental outcomes.

    Studying Development

    • Research designs used to study development include cross-sectional studies and cohort studies.
    • Cross-sectional studies compare groups of different ages on variables of interest, while cohort studies follow a group of individuals over time.
    • Cross-sectional designs are vulnerable to cohort effects, which can influence the interpretation of results.

    Attachment Theory

    • Attachment theory postulates that infants form enduring ties of affection with caregivers based on contact comfort.
    • Harry Harlow's work with rhesus monkeys demonstrated that both love and comfort are non-physical needs.

    Developmental Psychology

    • Developmental psychology studies change across the lifespan, focusing on typical and atypical developmental processes.

    Nature vs Nurture

    • Nature: Development proceeds according to a genetically-programmed, innate schedule; development is maturation, unfolding of innate abilities according to genetic programs.
    • Nurture: Children's development is shaped by their environment; most behaviors are the outcome of environmental input and some general learning mechanisms.

    Controversies

    • Critical periods: Are there specific times for development or learning?
    • Development: Continuous or stage-like?
    • Development: Universal or culturally-specific?

    Studying Development

    • Research designs:
    • Developmental methods:

    Freud and Piaget

    • Freud: Not covered in this lecture.
    • Piaget: Focused on cognitive development, proposing a stage theory of cognitive development.

    Stage Theory of Cognitive Development

    • Sensorimotor Period (0-2 years): Development of object permanence, intentional behavior.
    • Preoperational Stage (2-7 years): Egocentrism, centration, rapid symbolic development (language, drawing).
    • Concrete Operational Stage (7-12 years): Development of formal operations, concrete reasoning.
    • Formal Operations (12+ years): Formal reasoning (hypotheticals, deductive reasoning).

    Misconceptions about Piaget

    • Stages do not reflect biological maturation, but rather logical necessity of completing one stage before the other.
    • Piaget was a constructivist, believing children construct their own increasingly abstract model of the world.

    Piaget's Legacy

    • Piaget left an indelible footprint on developmental psychology, influencing our understanding of children's cognitive development.
    • His work on perspective taking and social environment has had a lasting impact.

    Attachment Theory

    • Attachment: Enduring ties of affection that children form with caregivers, based on contact comfort.
    • Harry Harlow's work with rhesus monkeys demonstrated that attachment is driven by emotional, not just physical needs.

    Developmental Psychology

    • Developmental psychology studies change across the lifespan, focusing on typical and atypical developmental processes at every level of analysis in psychology.

    Themes and Methods

    • Controversies in developmental psychology include:
      • Nature vs nurture
      • Critical periods
      • Continuous vs stage-like development
      • Universal or culturally specific development

    Nature vs Nurture

    • Nature: development proceeds according to a genetically-programmed, innate schedule
    • Examples of failed language development:
      • Victor, a 12-year-old boy who emerged from the forest in France with no language or social interaction skills
      • Genie, a 13-year-old girl who was isolated from language and social interaction by her parents

    Critical Periods

    • Critical periods in biology: an environmental stimulus has an effect in a specific developmental time window
    • Examples: imprinting, foetal development, and toxins affecting development
    • Critical periods in psychology: universality, applying to children everywhere, with differences in timing of stages between individual children and cultures

    Stage Theory of Cognitive Development

    • Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years): intelligence is entirely sensory and motor, with no understanding of object permanence
    • Pre-operational stage (2-7 years): mental representations of the world, but difficulty with mental manipulation and reasoning
    • Concrete operational stage (7-12 years): beginning to mentally manipulate objects, with reasoning restricted to concrete settings
    • Formal operational stage (12+ years): abstract, hypothetical, and formal thought

    Sensorimotor Period (0-2 years)

    • Understanding of the world limited to immediate sensory and perceptual experience
    • Children's earliest schemas were reflexes, such as sucking and grasping
    • Hypothesised that infants didn't understand object permanence

    Sensorimotor Stages

    • Substage 1 (0-1 months): modification of innate reflexes
    • Substage 2 (1-4 months): primary circular reactions, with repetition of initially random movements leading to unexpected pleasant outcomes
    • Substage 3 (4-8 months): secondary circular reactions, with reasoning about others

    Centration

    • Tendency to focus on a single, perceptually striking feature of an object or event
    • Examples: children's responses to conservation tasks, such as pouring water into different shaped glasses

    Criticisms of Piaget's Theory

    • Overstated breadth of domains
    • Method: tasks may be difficult for children due to cognitive abilities or linguistic comprehension

    Concrete Operational Stage (7-12 years)

    • Children begin to reason logically about concrete features of the world
    • Can apply "operations" to representations
    • Pass conservation tasks, but reasoning is limited to concrete situations and still poor at abstract reasoning

    Formal Operations (12+ Years)

    • Characterised by ability to think abstractly or hypothetically
    • Reasoning about the world is not limited to concrete experience
    • Example: pendulum experiment, where children in the formal operational stage are aware that all variables can have an influence and test this systematically.

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