Developmental Psychology Overview

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Questions and Answers

What best describes quantitative change in development?

Development that does not follow the typical trajectory.

A temporary regression before improvement.

A sudden emergence of new functions.

An increase in the amount or quantity of a process. (correct)

Which scenario illustrates qualitative change?

A child starts using phonological memory strategies instead of visual ones. (correct)

A child begins to skip words when reading.

A child's working memory improves steadily with age.

A child takes longer to learn a new language.

What does U-shaped change refer to in child development?

Development that avoids common errors initially.

An unchanging pattern of skill acquisition.

Temporary regressions followed by advancements. (correct)

A consistent improvement with no setbacks.

Which statement about heritability is accurate?

Heritability reflects the proportion of variation due to genetic factors. Signup and view all the answers

In behavioral genetics, what do twin studies primarily compare?

Shared genetic factors between monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term environmentality refer to?

The influence of environmental factors on trait variation. Signup and view all the answers

Which scenario best exemplifies atypical development through divergence?

A child with Down syndrome performing better on spatial tasks than digit tasks. Signup and view all the answers

What is heritability primarily concerned with?

Trait variation within a population Signup and view all the answers

At what stage do children begin to develop symbolic thought and representation?

Pre-operational stage Signup and view all the answers

What do infants infer when they observe a hand reaching for an object in a new location?

The action is purposeful. Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the process of integrating new information into existing schemas?

Assimilation Signup and view all the answers

At what age do infants start to show selective prosocial behavior, helping others only when they know the recipient?

8-12 months Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic behavior of the sensorimotor stage?

Understanding of object permanence Signup and view all the answers

What did Piaget demonstrate through the 3 Mountain Experiment?

Egocentrism in young children Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the understanding that others have beliefs and desires that can differ from one's own perspective?

Metarepresentation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following abilities is NOT typically developed during the concrete operational stage?

Abstract logical reasoning Signup and view all the answers

What type of prosocial behavior is characterized by helping others without expecting anything in return?

Altruism Signup and view all the answers

At what age do children typically start recognizing object permanence?

8-12 months Signup and view all the answers

When do children begin to defend others' property, indicating an early understanding of ownership?

3 years Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about conservation tasks is true?

Children can't focus on both number and volume simultaneously. Signup and view all the answers

What does accommodation refer to in Piaget's theory?

Modifying existing schemas for new information Signup and view all the answers

At what age does hearing typically reach adult levels?

5-8 years Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of the subcortical system named Conspec in newborns?

To orient them towards face-like configurations Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the human preference for features like large eyes and round faces?

Babyness Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'contingency' refer to in the context of child development?

The immediate feedback children receive from their actions Signup and view all the answers

What is implied by the ability of newborns to mimic facial expressions?

A natural capacity for intersubjectivity Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes implicit memory in infants?

It is evident when infants show familiarity with previously encountered stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes explicit memory?

It develops later as neural structures mature. Signup and view all the answers

What distressing reaction occurs when a child sees a video of their mother that is out of sync?

Distress and discomfort Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of memory development is associated with a child's sense of self?

Childhood amnesia Signup and view all the answers

Semantic memory in infants is best described as:

General knowledge about the world. Signup and view all the answers

Which factor contributes to the encoding and organization of memories in children?

Language acquisition Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'imprinting mechanisms' refer to in newborns?

Evolved mechanisms that orient them towards faces Signup and view all the answers

At what age do infants typically begin babbling, regardless of hearing ability?

6 months Signup and view all the answers

Which phenomenon explains how infants link a word to an object after a single exposure?

Fast mapping Signup and view all the answers

What is a common issue in young children's eyewitness testimony?

Inaccuracies due to suggestive questioning Signup and view all the answers

What method do children often use to construct early memories, making recall more difficult for adults?

Employing fragmented encoding Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of early language development occurs around 24 months?

Telegraphic speech Signup and view all the answers

What ability are newborns known to exhibit regarding language before birth?

Preference for sounds of their native language Signup and view all the answers

What type of memory error are young children likely to make?

Misattribution errors Signup and view all the answers

What development primarily enhances a child's memory retention capabilities?

Language acquisition Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Developmental Psychology Introduction

Quantitative change involves a gradual increase in quantity, without altering the fundamental nature of a process.
Qualitative change represents a dramatic shift in a process, with new functions emerging abruptly.
U-shaped change involves temporary setbacks before improvement.
Atypical development includes delays (slower pace of development within the typical trajectory) and divergences (different or unusual trajectory).

Counting Span Task

Case et al. (1982) study showed children's working memory capacity increases with speed and efficiency in memory strategies.
Older children (11 years old) predominantly use phonological strategies, while younger ones (5-year-olds) mainly use strategies based on visual memory.

Memory Strategies and Development

Hitch et al. (1989) found qualitative change in memory strategies with age.
Children learn to use past tense verbs, but sometimes overgeneralize rules, demonstrating temporary regression before adopting the final strategy.
Roch & Jarrold (2008) study linked phonological awareness in Down syndrome individuals to delays in non-word reading.
Brock & Jarrold (2005) research showed lower digit task performance compared to expected performance, given spatial task performance, in those with Down Syndrome.

Nature vs. Nurture

Behavioral genetics studies explore the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to individual differences in traits.
Heritability measures trait variation attributable to genetic variation within a population.
Familial studies measure correlations in relatives.
Twin studies compare monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins to assess the impact of genetics.
Adoption studies examine twins separated at birth, reducing environmental similarity to assess genetic influence.

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

Piaget's theory proposes that children construct their knowledge through interaction with their environment.
Stages of development include sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational.
Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years): knowledge based on action.
Preoperational stage (2-6 years): symbolic thought, egocentrism emerges.
concrete operational stage (6-11 years): logical thought, but tied to concrete experiences.
formal operational stage (11+ years): abstract and logical reasoning.
Piaget emphasizes assimilation (integrating new information into existing schemas) and accommodation (adjusting schemas to fit new information).
Sensorimotor development includes object permanence, A-not-B error, and symbolic thought.

Egocentrism

Young children in the preoperational stage struggle to see the world from others' perspectives.
This is demonstrated through tasks such as the three-mountains experiment.
Children have difficulty understanding that others might perceive things differently.

Evaluating Piaget

Object permanence is demonstrated earlier than Piaget suggested, based on studies like Hood & Willatts (1986).
Piaget's theory, while influential, was criticized for oversimplifying cognitive development and underestimating children's capacities.
Siegler's overlapping waves theory emphasizes that children use multiple strategies to solve problems, and these strategies coexist and change over time.
Piaget's theory underestimated the gradual and quantitative changes in cognitive development.

Sensation, Perception, and Action

Perception of vision, audition, taste, smell and touch develops after birth.
Infants show visual preferences for patterned stimuli and faces.
Cross-modal perception is the ability to integrate information across different senses.
Preferences for certain tastes and smells may be influenced by experiences in the womb or early life.

Competence vs. Performance

Competence refers to what a child actually knows, but performance describes how well that knowledge is demonstrated.
Children might fail tasks due to limitations in executive function skills (attention, working memory, inhibition).
Immaturity in these areas can affect performance, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the underlying competence is missing.

Biological origins of early face preferences may contribute to social learning.
Imprinting mechanisms in humans likely facilitate initial social interactions.
Research on newborns and imitation emphasizes early intersubjectivity.
The importance of contingency factors in infant-caregiver interactions highlights the role of experience in social development.

Joint Attention

Joint attention refers to shared focus on an object or event between two individuals.
Pointing behaviors and gaze following in infants help with the development of joint attention abilities.
Shared attention lays the foundation for infants to understand others' intentions and communicate with them.

Memory Development

Implicit memory refers to non-conscious memory, and explicit memory involves conscious recall.
Semantic memory is general knowledge, while episodic memory comprises personal memories.
Childhood amnesia is the difficulty recalling early childhood memories.
Memory abilities undergo development along with language acquisition.

Suggestibility in Children's Memories

Young children are more susceptible to suggestions about events they have experienced or to information provided by interviewers.
Children are more easily influenced and their eyewitness accounts may become clouded by misleading information.

Language Development

Language development begins prenatally.
Infants gradually differentiate between the sounds of their native language and other languages.
Vocabulary acquisition is influenced by fast mapping and mutual exclusivity.
Syntax development involves acquiring the rules of grammar.

Neurodiverse Development

Domain-general theories propose a unified system for cognitive development, and domain-specific theories stress specialized brain structures for different cognitive abilities.
Developmental language disorder (DLD) reflects atypical development in a specific domain.
Other neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and Williams syndrome are also domains-specific, with particular strengths and challenges.

Early Emotional Development

Attachment theory emphasizes the importance of early relationships in shaping emotional development.
Ainsworth's Strange Situation is used to assess attachment styles in children.
Secure attachment is characterized by a child's comfort in exploring the environment and seeking comfort from the caregiver upon reunion; while insecure attachment styles are associated with distress upon separation, avoidance, or ambivalent responses.

Cultural Differences in Attachment Style

Cultural factors influence attachment styles.
These differences reflect diverse parenting styles and expectations about independence and dependence.

Infants recognize goal-directed behavior in others, even with non-human actors.
Understanding intentionality in actions is a crucial cognitive milestone for later social interactions.
This understanding emerges by around 6 months to 2 years.
Meta-representation is the ability to think about mental states (beliefs, desires, intents) in oneself and others.

Early Moral Development

Prosocial behavior, including helping, is commonly observed in young children.
Early moral judgments may reflect simple concern with consequences or conformity but gradually incorporate social rules and principles.
Kohlberg's stages of moral development describe how moral reasoning evolves from focusing on consequences and obedience towards abstract principles.

Perceptual Constancy in Newborns

Perceptual constancy is the ability to recognize that objects maintain their properties even when their appearance changes.
Studies have shown that infants display size constancy.
Integration of perception and action is demonstrated early on through reflexes, and visual cliff examples.

Theory of Mind

Theory of Mind (TOM) refers to the ability to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and intentions that may differ from one's own.
TOM development is assessed using experiments like the Sally-Anne task.
Children's performance on TOM tasks is frequently linked to age.
Alternative explanations exist for TOM development challenges.

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Description

This quiz covers key concepts in developmental psychology, focusing on types of change in development, such as quantitative, qualitative, and U-shaped changes. It also explores children's working memory development and the evolution of memory strategies as they age. Test your understanding of these foundational ideas in the field!