Developmental Psychology Flashcards
Define nature and nurture.
Nature: sets out their course via gender, genetics, temperament + maturational stages
Nurture: shapes this predetermined course via the environment, parenting, stimulation + nutrition
Define temperament.
Innate aspects of an individual’s personality, such as introversion/extroversion
What is reciprocal socialisation?
Socialisation is bidirectional, children socialise parents as much as parents socialise children
Output/ response cycle encourages development
Outline the stages of the development of attachment.
0-3 months = infants prefer people to inanimate objects, indiscriminate proximity seeking e.g. clinging
3-8 months = smile discriminantly at main caregivers
8-12 months = selectively approaches main caregivers, use social referencing/familiar faces as a secure base to explore new situations, shows fear of strangers + separation anxiety
12+ months = attachment behaviour is measured reliably
Describe the behaviour of securely attached children in the Ainsworth experiment
Baby freely explores room with mum, distressed at mum leaving + explores less. Happy when she returns
How is attachment assessed?
Ainsworth’s strange situation test: tests how babies respond to the temporary absence of their mother
Describe Piaget’s model of cognitive development.
Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years): understand world primarily through sensory experiences + physical (motor) interactions with objects
Preoperational stage (2-7 years): World is represented symbolically through words + mental images, with no understanding of basic mental operations or rules
Concrete operational stage (7-12 years): perform basic mental operations concerning problems that involve tangible objects + situations
Formal operational stage: Ability to think about abstract concepts + test hypotheses
What is the babies’ contribution to reciprocal socialisation at birth?
Recognise mother as a memory built in, via hearing, smell + taste
Describe the still face experiment
When mother responds: smiling, laughing, talking- baby is happy, continues to behave in that way
When mother doesn’t respond to baby: baby realizes quickly- Tries to get mother to respond- smiles, points, reaches arms out, screams, turn away, loses control of posture, cries
How can development be influenced if a mother is depressed or agitated?
D: Baby adjusts to low stimulation, accustom to lack of positive feeling
A: Over-aroused, have explosive/ lack of feelings
What 3 features provided by parents give babies the resources to thrive and develop?
Scaffolding
Reciprocal socialisation
Provision of a stimulating + enriching environment
What is attachment? What does the sense of safety experienced by the child provide?
Biological instinct that seeks proximity to a caregiver when threat is perceived or discomfort is experienced
Provides secure base from which they can explore, thus promoting development through learning whilst being protected
Describe Ainsworth’s strange situation test. What 2 aspects were focussed on?
Mother + child play in unfamiliar room Stranger enters room Mother leaves room Mother returns How much child explores room + How child responds to mothers' return
Describe the 3 types of insecure attachment
Avoidant: little exploration + little emotional response to mums return
Resistant: little exploration, great separation anxiety + ambivalent to mums return
Disorganised: little exploration + confused at mums return
What does secure attachment promote?
Independence
Emotional availability
Better moods + emotional coping
