Introduction to Psychology - Human Development

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Questions and Answers

What does maturation refer to in developmental psychology?

Biologically determined changes following an orderly sequence. (correct)

Changes that only occur during childhood.

Changes that can be influenced by environmental factors.

Random changes that occur without any orderly patterns.

What is a critical period?

A period where learning occurs continuously.

An ongoing developmental stage with no specific time frame.

A limited time during which a function must be acquired. (correct)

A time when any learning is not possible.

Which method is best for assessing age changes over time?

Longitudinal method. (correct)

Descriptive method.

Sequential studies.

Cross-sectional method.

What is the principal risk of teratogens during pregnancy?

They harm the developing fetus. Signup and view all the answers

Which infant reflex helps guide feeding?

Rooting reflex. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following disruptions can occur if measles are contracted during pregnancy?

Mental retardation and cognitive issues. Signup and view all the answers

The fetal period lasts from which weeks to birth?

9 weeks to birth. Signup and view all the answers

Which method is NOT useful for examining age differences?

Longitudinal method. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of Piaget’s research on cognitive development?

The acquisition of knowledge Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best illustrates the process of assimilation?

Identifying all 4-legged animals as dogs Signup and view all the answers

Which cognitive skill is primarily developed in the sensorimotor period?

Object permanence Signup and view all the answers

At what stage do children begin to struggle with egocentrism?

Preoperational period Signup and view all the answers

What stage of personality development occurs during adolescence?

Identity vs. Confusion Signup and view all the answers

What defines the conservation task in cognitive development?

Understanding that an object remains the same even when its appearance changes Signup and view all the answers

During which developmental stage do children begin to learn independence and face shame and doubt?

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt Signup and view all the answers

What does 'centration' refer to in Piaget’s cognitive development theory?

Focusing on one aspect of a situation while ignoring others Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Introduction to Psychology - Human Development

Developmental Psychology focuses on how humans develop and change throughout their lifespan.
Developmental psychology views change as inevitable, occurring across the entire lifespan.
Change can be continuous (gradual) or discontinuous (in distinct stages).

Core Developmental Issues

Understanding the interplay of nature (biology) and nurture (environment).
Maturation refers to biologically determined changes following a predictable sequence.
Assessing the significance of early experiences, including the concept of critical periods.
Investigating if development occurs in continuous or qualitative stages.

Critical Periods

The concept of critical periods suggests a limited time frame for specific brain functions to develop.
If crucial experiences are absent during a critical period, the development might be impaired or incomplete.
Examples include the case of Genie, a girl isolated until the age of 13. While she showed some language acquisition, her syntax never reached typical levels. This supports the critical period theory for language acquisition.
Other examples include diseases such as measles contracted during specific fetal stages, which can cause intellectual impairment.

Developmental Methodology

Cross-sectional method: compares groups of different ages at the same time. It is helpful for assessing age differences, but not for examining age changes. Different life experiences among cohorts make comparisons unsuitable.
Longitudinal method: follows the same group across multiple time points. This method, while revealing patterns over time, presents challenges with participant attrition and the influence of cohort effects.
Sequential studies: involve comparing different age groups at several time points in order to reduce cohort effects. This approach combines cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches.

Prenatal Development

Prenatal period has 3 phases:
- Germinal Period: First 2 weeks after conception.
- Embryonic Period: 3rd to 8th weeks of gestation.
- Fetal Period: 9 weeks to birth.

Teratogens

Teratogens are environmental factors (viruses, chemicals, drugs) that can harm a developing fetus during the embryonic stage.
Examples include:
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, caused by the mother consuming alcohol during pregnancy, leading to physical abnormalities and learning disabilities.
- Fetal exposure to crack cocaine affects motor and emotional development.

Infant Reflexes

Reflexes are innate motor responses triggered by stimuli and are adaptive.
Examples include rooting (turning towards a touch on the cheek) and sucking reflexes.

Motor Development

Motor skills develop in a predictable sequence.
Stages are presented in an image of infants demonstrating increasingly complex movements.

Emotional Development

Temperament: An individual's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.
Attachment: Refers to the emotional bond between an infant and a caregiver. There are several types of attachment: Secure, Anxious-Ambivalent, and Avoidant.

Cognitive Development

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development focuses on how children's thinking evolves.
Schemas: organized patterns of thought or behavior that children use to understand the world.
Assimilation: interpreting new information within existing schemas.
Accommodation: modifying existing schemas to fit new information.
Piaget's theory outlined stages of cognitive development from birth to adulthood: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational.

Issues in Cognitive Development

Object Permanence: Understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight.
Egocentrism: Difficulty seeing things from another's perspective.
Conservation: Understanding that certain properties of an object remain the same despite changes in appearance.

Conservation Tasks

Visual examples are given depicting liquid amount, number, and mass conservation tasks showing different stages of children's cognitive development.

Personality Development

Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development are presented as a list, emphasizing conflicts at different life stages.

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Description

Explore the fascinating field of developmental psychology, focusing on how individuals grow and change throughout their lives. This quiz covers key concepts such as the nature vs. nurture debate, maturation, and critical periods in development. Test your knowledge on the stages and processes involved in human development.