Ch. 4 Development

Question 1

Brain Development

Answer 1

The brain develops connections that branch out as you grow

• Pruning
• Frontal Lobe rapid growth age 3-6
• Limbic System is evolutionary oldest, association areas last to develop

Question 2

Pruning

Answer 2

Stimulation is required as an infant, or pruning occurs (connections fade away if baby doesn’t use them; use it or lose it)

Question 3

Consequences of brain development for behavior

Answer 3

association areas are last to develop, so decision making and thinking is not present in younger brains

Question 4

How memory changes over development

Answer 4

recognition memory does not decrease, but recall does; meaningless information more difficult to remember

Question 5

Infantile Amnesia

Answer 5

inability to remember; avg earliest memory is 3.5 years

Question 6

Stages of Cognitive Development (Piaget)

Answer 6

1. Sensorimotor
2. Preoperational
3. Concrete Operational
4. Formal Operational

Question 7

Sensorimotor Stage

Answer 7

Birth- ~2yrs

• Object Permanence (6-8 months): awareness that things continue to exist even when they are not perceived
• Scale Errors: mistaking a small, play object for the real thing
• Mouthing: use senses to investigate the world

Question 8

Preoperational Stage

Answer 8

~2yrs- ~6/7yrs

• Egocentric: have difficulty taking another’s point of view
• Lack conservation because they can only focus on one dimension
• Thinking with words and images
• Pretend play: imaginative play with symbolic objects (is still abstract?)

Question 9

Concrete Operational Stage

Answer 9

~7yrs- ~11yrs

• Pass the egocentrism task (can take another’s point of view)
• Pass the Conservation Task: understanding that properties (mass, vol., #) remain the same despite changes in form
• Theory of Mind: understanding that others’ mental states (feelings, perceptions, thoughts) may be different from yours
• Mathematical transformations: easily reversing mathematical operations
• Conservation & mathematical transformations both on being able to “reverse” thinking

Question 10

Formal Operational Stage

Answer 10

~12 yrs onward
Abstract thought
Logic & hypothetical reasoning
Ethical and moral reasoning

Question 11

Kohlberg’s Moral Reasoning Theory

Answer 11

Preconventional Morality
Conventional Morality
Postconventional Morality

Question 12

Preconventional Morality

Answer 12

Self interest, judgements are based on fear of punishment or hope of concrete rewards

Question 13

Conventional Morality

Answer 13

judgements are based on social rules, laws, & norms; less self-interested (but only because of law/ rule)

Question 14

Postconventional Morality

Answer 14

judgements are based on individual rights and social circumstances or follow personally perceived ethical principles

Question 15

Attachment

Answer 15

Strong emotional tie between caregiver and child
Based on contact, familiarity, and trust
Function on both parents and children (ex: difficult vs. easy temperament)
Foundation of adult relationships

Question 16

Separation Anxiety

Answer 16

distress seen in infants when separated from attachment figure
“Can I count on my attachment figure to be available and responsive when needed?”

Question 17

Secure Attachment

Answer 17

“Yes” answer (65%); in their mother’s presence they play comfortably and explore new enviro, when she leaves they become distressed, when she returns they seek contact with her

Question 18

Insecure Attachment

Answer 18

No” answer; (anxiety or avoidance of trusting relationships) less likely to explore surroundings or cling to mother, when she leaves they either cry loudly and remain upset or seem indifferent to her departure and return

Question 19

Attachment styles in a strange situation

Answer 19

look at study guide

Question 20

Self Construal

Answer 20

understanding and assessment of who you are; cultural differences

Question 21

Interdependent Self Construal

Answer 21

• eastern, collectivistic cultures
• Focus on relationships, group solidarity, & group harmony
• Value obedience in children, emotional closeness, sense of family, self

Question 22

Independent Self Construal

Answer 22

• western, individualistic cultures
• Focus on personal traits, what makes you unique, individual achievement
• Value independence in children

Question 23

What are the 3 different parenting styles?

Answer 23

1. Authoritarian
2. Permissive
3. Authoritative

Question 24

Authoritarian Parenting

Answer 24

Parents are coercive; they impose rules and expect obedience

Outcome: children with less social skill and self-esteem

Question 25

Permissive Parenting

Answer 25

Parents are unrestraining; they make few demands and use little punishment. They may be indifferent, unresponsive, or unwilling to set limits
Outcome: children more aggressive and immature

Question 26

Authoritative Parenting

Answer 26

Parents are confrontive; they are both demanding and responsive. They exert control by setting rules, but, especially with other children, they encourage open discussion and allow exceptions
Outcome: children with highest self-esteem, self-reliance, and social competence

Question 27

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Answer 27

A disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

Question 28

How does the theory of mind play a role in ASD difficulties?

Answer 28

Impaired Theory of Mind- children with ASD are deficient social communication and difficulty grasping others’ states of mind

Question 29

Is ASD biological or environmental?

Answer 29

• Biological factors, including genetic influences and abnormal brain development contribute to ASD
• Prenatal environment matters

Question 30

How do our sensory abilities change as we age?

Answer 30

• visual sharpness, distance perception diminishes and adaptation to light-level changes
• sense of smell and hearing diminish

Question 31

How does our health change as we age?

Answer 31

Immune system weakens (but good news that people over 65 suffer fewer short-term ailments bc of accumulation of antibodies)

Question 32

How do our brains change as we age?

Answer 32

• Neural processing lag on complex tasks; slower neural processing + diminished sensory abilities = increased accident risks
• Brain regions important to memory atrophy (and blood-brain barrier also breaks down beginning in hippocampus, which furthers cognitive decline)
• Inhibition-controlling frontal lobes begin to atrophy

Question 33

How does our memory change as we age?

Answer 33

Recognition: number of words recognized is stable with age
Recall: number of words recalled declines with age

Question 34

How does our well-being change as we age?

Answer 34

With age, we become more stable and more accepting

Question 35

How does our self-esteem change as we age?

Answer 35

remains stable

Question 36

How do our emotional experiences change as we age?

Answer 36

Become more complex; positive feelings, supported by enhanced emotional control, tend to grow after midlife, and negative feelings subside

Question 37

Is there such a thing as a “mid-life crisis”?

Answer 37

for the 1 in 4 adults who report experiencing a life crisis, the trigger is not age but a major event, such as illness, divorce, or job loss

Question 38

John Gottman’s best indicator of marital success

Answer 38

at least a five-to-one ratio of positive to negative interactions