Cognitive Emotional Development: Infancy and Childhood

Question 1

Cognitive Development

Answer 1

study of changes in memory, thought, and reasoning processes that occur throughout the lifespan

Question 2

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory:

Answer 2

Knowledge accumulates and is modified by 2 processes- assimilation and accommodation

-4 distinct stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational)

Question 3

Assimilation

Answer 3

people fit new information into the belief system they already posses
i.e. think all girls have long hair, seeing girls with long hair supports this belief

Question 4

Accommodation

Answer 4

people modify belief structures based on experience

i.e. see girl with short hair, changes categorization of boys and girls

Question 5

Sensorimotor Stage

Answer 5

-birth to 2 years
-thinking and exploration of world based on immediate senses and motor experience
-infants are completely immersed in present moment
Object Permanence- ability to understand that objects exist even when they cannot be directly perceived

Question 6

Pre operational Stage

Answer 6

• 2 to 7 years
• language development using symbols, pretend play, mastering concept of conservation
• can count and use numbers
• can think about physical objects

Works on mastering conservation, scale errors, symbolic relationships

Question 7

Conservation

Answer 7

knowledge that quantity or amount of object is not the same as the physical arrangement and appearance of that object
i.e. 2 rows of pennies with same amount of pennies in each row, one really spread out, one close together. “Which one has more?”. Child points to spread out row

Question 8

Scale Errors

Answer 8

interact with miniature objects as if they were life size

i.e. trying to climb in a toy car

Question 9

Symbolic Relationships

Answer 9

Understanding that miniature objects can represent real objects
i.e. miniature room and represent real room

Question 10

Concrete Operational Stage

Answer 10

-7 to 11 years
-develop skills in logical thinking and manipulating numbers
-able to classify objects according to properties such as size, value, shape…etc
Transitivity- increase in logical and organized thought
i.e. X is more than Y, Y is more than Z, then X is more than Z

Question 11

Formal Operational Stage

Answer 11

• 11 years to adulthood
• development of advanced cognitive processes such as abstract reasoning and hypothetical thinking
  i. e. gathering evidence, testing possibilities

Question 12

Zone of Proximal Development:

Answer 12

-suggested that development is ideal when children attempt skills that are just beyond what they can do alone, but have guidance from adults who are attentive to their progress
Scaffolding- highly attentive approach to teaching in which teacher matches guidance to learner’s needs

Question 13

Attachment

Answer 13

-enduring emotional bond formed between individuals
i.e. Harlow’s monkeys- 2 metal “mothers”, one wrapped in cloth, one without cloth
sometimes cloth monkey had food, sometimes metal monkey had food. Baby monkeys always go to cloth money. When scared, babies would go to cloth monkey
Therefore, attachment and bonding very important

Question 14

Stranger Anxiety

Answer 14

• signs of distress that infants begin to show towards stranger at about 8 months

Question 15

Strange Situation

Answer 15

way of measuring infant attachment by observing how infants behave when exposed to different experiences that involved anxiety and comfort.

• involves scripted experiences that expose children to mild anxiety (i.e. being left alone with stranger) and potential to receive comfort from caregiver (i.e. caregiver returns)

Question 16

Types of Attachment

Answer 16

Secure Attachent, Insecure Attachment Disorganized Attachment

Question 17

Secure Attachment

Answer 17

caregiver is a secure base that child turns to occasionally

- shows some distress when caregiver leaves, seeks comfort upon caregiver’s return and stress is relived

Question 18

Anxious/ Resistant Insecure Attachment

Answer 18

caregiver is base of security, but child is too dependent on caregiver rather than being comfortable exploring surrounding

• very upset when caregiver leaves, fearful towards stranger
• upon caregiver’s return, child seeks comfort, but also resists it and pushes caregiver away

Question 19

Avoidant Insecure Attachment

Answer 19

child behaves as though they don’t need caregiver and plays in room as if they are oblivious to caregiver

• isn’t upset when caregiver leaves, unconcerned about stranger
• doesn’t seek contact after caregiver returns

Question 20

Disorganized Attachment

Answer 20

instability, child has learned that caregivers are both sources of fear and comfort, often seeks closeness and then pulling away

Question 21

Self Awareness

Answer 21

• Ability to recognize one’s individuality

- Develops between 18-24 months

Question 22

Egocentric

Answer 22

only considers own perspective (lack cognitive ability to understand perspective of others)
i.e. covers eyes to hide

Question 23

Theory of Mind

Answer 23

ability to recognize thoughts, beliefs, and expectations of others, and understanding that these can be different from one’s own thought…etc

Question 24

False Belief Task

Answer 24

offer child box of chocolates, open it to find pencils. See other child offered the same box, “what does the other child expect to find inside?”

• If answer is pencils, child believes that other child knows same thing they know. If answer is chocolates, child is demonstrating that they understand that he does not posses her knowledge (theory of mind)

Question 25

Prosocial Behaviour

Answer 25

-Infants tend to prefer “good” people (i.e. those who help others)

Question 26

Instrumental Helping

Answer 26

providing practical assistance such as helping to retrieve an object

Question 27

Empathetic Helping

Answer 27

providing help in order to make someone feel better

Question 28

Attachment Behaviour System

Answer 28

focused on meeting own needs for security

-primary system

Question 29

Caregiving Behaviour System

Answer 29

focused on meeting needs of others

-secondary system

Question 30

Introjection

Answer 30

internalization of conditioned regard for significant others (children who feel as if their parent’s love for them is conditional (rewarded for good behaviour, punished for bad behaviour) are more negative towards their parents, and feel greater internal pressure to do well

Question 31

Inductive Discipline

Answer 31

explaining consequences of a child’s actions on others, activating empathy for others
-promotes emotional and behaviour self control, moral values

Question 32

Core Knowledge Hypothesis

Answer 32

infants have inborn abilities for understanding some key aspects of their environment

Question 33

Habituation

Answer 33

refers to a decrease in responding with repeated exposure to an event

Question 34

Dishabituation

Answer 34

an increase in responsiveness with the presentation of a new stimulus.