Human Development Quiz - Infancy and Childhood

Chapter 1 - Basic Concepts and Methods - The Scientific Study of Human Development

• Beliefs about human development have been influenced by the ideas of philosophers' observations of people at different ages.
• Currently rely on the scientific method to study development.
• Developmental psychology is the scientific study of age-related changes in our bodies, behaviour, thinking, emotions, social relationships, and personalities.
• Development encompasses enduring changes in people's capacity and behaviour as they grow older because of the biological growth process and people's interactions with their environment.
• Charles Darwin understood the development of the human species by studying child development.
• G. Stanley Hall identified norms, or average ages at which milestones happen.
• Arnold Gesell suggested the existence of a genetically programmed sequential pattern of change, termed maturation.
• Jean Piaget described 4 stages in the development of logical thinking between birth and adolescence.

Psychology in Canada - Brief History

• First courses in mental and moral philosophy were taught at Dalhousie.
• William Blatz opened OISE in 1925.
• The Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) was founded in 1939.
• A developmental section was established in 1981.

Contemporary Human Development

• The term encompasses the entire human lifespan.
• Developmentalists now understand that inborn characteristics interact with environmental factors in complex ways.
• Early researchers focused on norms, but today's developmentalists also view norms as a representation of one kind of change.
• Important changes occur during every period of development; changes must be interpreted in light of the culture and context.
• Interdisciplinary research is important to fully understand human development.
• Capacity for positive change, plasticity, is possible throughout life.
• Adults commonly experience major life changes like divorce and career shifts, leading to stage models of development that include adult phases.

The Domains of Development

• Age-related changes across the lifespan can be classified in 3 broad categories:
  • Cognitive domain: includes changes in thinking, memory, problem-solving, and other intellectual skills.
  • Social domain: includes changes in variables associated with someone's interactions with others.
  • Physical domain: includes changes in size, shape, and characteristics of the body.

Development in the Real World; Toys

• Play is critical to children's development.
• Toy designers create many toys to promote various aspects of children's development, challenging and stimulating the child based on their age.

Continuity and Discontinuity in Development

• Continuity: an age-related change in amount or degree (quantitative change).
• Discontinuity: involves changes in characteristics, kind, or type (qualitative changes).

The Interactionist Model of Development (Nature-Nurture)

• Today, an interactionist model, respecting the complex reciprocal interactions of nature and nurture is most common.
• Understanding that the environment and biological processes interact to influence development is important.

Positive Psychology

• Umbrella term for the study of positive emotions, positive character traits, and positive actions that allow individuals and institutions to thrive.
• Positive psychology helps guide positive growth in people and workplaces.

Research Designs and Methods

• Research design is the structure/design/components of a research study.
• A methodology is used to understand the approach to research.
  • Qualitative focuses on positivistic approach.
  • Qualitative is a naturalistic approach.

Research Ethics

• Researchers must follow guidelines designed to protect the rights of animals and humans, like protecting from harm, and informed consent.

Chapter 2 - Theories of Development

• Biological and evolutionary theories focus on biological and physiological processes.
• Psychoanalytic theories focus on early experiences, including the interplay of conscious and unconscious processes.
• Humanistic theories emphasize inherent goodness and the idea that each individual has unique potential.
• Behavioral theories study how the environment shapes behavior.
• Cognitive theories explore mental processes like memory and thinking.
• Systems theory provides an interdisciplinary perspective focusing on the interactions among variables
• Both biological and evolutionary perspectives study how genetic factors interact with the environment to influence health and well-being across lifespan.

Chapter 3 - Method

• Developmental psychology utilizes descriptive methods and experiments.
• Case studies examine individual development in-depth.
• Naturalistic observation involves observing people in their everyday environments.
• Surveys involve interviews and/or questionnaires to gather data.
• Cross-sectional designs examine different age groups at one time.
• Longitudinal designs follow the same individuals or groups over time.
• Sequential designs combine cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches and follow at least two age groups over time.
• Cross-cultural research compares different cultures.
• Ethnography is a detailed description of a single culture or context based on extensive observation.
• (Rest of the chapters are added/updated below with the information from the text)*
• (Note: The provided text does not contain separate chapters for every topic. Adding chapters and sections may not match the original format fully.)*

Chapter 4 - Physical, Sensory, & Perceptual Development in Infancy

• Physical changes are most dramatic in the first two years of life.
• Growth occurs in both size and weight; head size is proportionally large. ~ Brain Growth/Development:
• Synapse development/formation
• Myelinization
• Neuroplasticity ~ adaptive brain changes in response to experience
• Reflexes (adaptive and primitive)
• Reflexes: rooting, sucking, Babinski, Moro – disappear over the first twelve months of life
• Sleep patterns – change from newborns to 2 and 6 months
• Typical cries (basic, anger, pain) & cries across cultures
• Colic
• Developing Body Systems (Bones, Muscles, Lungs, and Heart).

Chapter 5 - Cognitive Development in Infancy: Sensorimotor Stage

• Piaget's sensorimotor stage – infants use senses and motor activities to develop an understanding of the world, through: ~Assimilation-Applying existing schemes to new information. ~Accommodation-Modifying existing schemes to fit new information. ~Equilibration- Balancing assimilation and accommodation.
• Object Permanence – understanding objects continue to exist even when out of sight.
• Imitation– crucial for social development; infants observe and perform actions.
• Visual perception and the ability to distinguish colors and forms.
• Auditory perception.
• Other sensory and perceptual developments.

Chapter 6 - Social and Personality Development in Infancy: Attachment & Temperament

• Attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant) form. ~ Secure: comfortable exploring while parent is present ~ Anxious: unable to separate from parent ~ Avoidant: little distress when parent leaves
• Important role of attachment figures in terms of emotional security, social relations and self-efficacy.
• Temperament (activity level, emotional regulation, social responsiveness) and its implications for development
• Role of caregivers and their influence on attachment and temperament.

Chapter 7 - Physical & Cognitive Development in Early Childhood: Motor & Physical Development

• Continued growth in height and weight.
• Refinement of fine and gross motor skills.
• Development of both large and small muscles that are fundamental to many tasks of daily living. ~ Changes in body systems, like bones, muscles, and heart, continuously increase during early childhood.
• Health considerations, like nutrition and sleep, become increasingly vital.

Chapter 8 - Social and Personality Development in Early Childhood: Social-Emotional Development

• Children's understanding of themselves, others, and social relationships develops rapidly during early childhood. ~ Attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant) and the role of quality.
• Social behaviours, like playing with peers and learning social rules, becomes increasingly complex (sharing, cooperation, taking turns). ~Moral development – moral reasoning (Piaget) & emotional regulation. ~Emotional regulation and self-control - importance for social interactions and relationships ~Self-Concept– how a child views them self and peers. ~Understanding of others and empathy also grow.
• Cultural influences (e.g., different parenting styles).

Chapter 9 - Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood: General Changes in Development

• Continued physical growth, with a slowing of the rate compared to infancy.
• Gross and fine motor skills are refined (like writing, drawing etc.).
• Brain development continues with increased myelination and increased white matter.
• Early childhood experiences → foundation for future success in school.
• Cognitive development (e.g., memory, attention, language, problem-solving)
• More formal thought processes, capable of higher-level reasoning
• Understanding of perspective-taking and empathy develop
• Social development involving peer relationships, including understanding and negotiating social rules and cultural norms.

Chapter 10 - Social and Personality Development in Middle Childhood: Erikson's Theory; Social Relationships

• Erikson's stage theory – psychosocial stages (industry vs. inferiority; identity vs. role confusion)
• Development of social skills and self-esteem are important. ~ Peer relationships become more influential for school-age children, especially during the middle-late childhood years.
• Relationships with parents are still important; parents may see children as needing more independence ~Family Styles: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive & uninvolved.
• Gender differences in play and social groups may emerge.

- *(The rest of the chapters are added/updated with information from the original text, where applicable, and are presented similarly.)**

Test your knowledge on key concepts related to human development, particularly focusing on infancy and childhood. This quiz covers topics such as sleep patterns, attachment styles, and cognitive development theories. Explore how these elements contribute to our understanding of human growth.