practice questions Flashcards
(7 cards)
Some of the categories made by infants are not purely perceptual. Pauen (2002)
demonstrated this in an experiment with eleven-month-old infants. Describe an experiment
(method, results) that supports the conclusion that infants’ categories are not always based
on perceptual similarities. You can describe the experiment conducted by Pauen if you like;
you can also make up an appropriate experiment. Write 4 to 6 sentences in total (method:
max = 6 points; results: max = 4 points)
Method: Perform a habituation experiment with 2 categories, that propably are familiar to the
child. For example, furniture and animals, animals and vehicles, vehicles and music
instruments, etc. Test exemplars need to be of two types:
1) From the same category, but resembling the objects of the other category more
2) From the other category, but resembling the objects of the same category more
Ten-to-fourteen month old infants are especially interested in objects that are labelled by
others (Baldwin & Markman, 1989). Describe an experiment (method, results) that proves
this. You can describe the experiment of Baldwin and Markman if you like; you can also
make up an appropriate experiment. Write 4 to 6 sentences in total (method: max = 6 points;
results: max = 4 points)
Method: Arrange different new toys successively, each for 1 minute. For half of the toys you
present the name repeatedly while showing them; for the other half you don’t. You measure the
total time spent looking at the toys. Max = 6 points.
Result: If children look longer at named test stimuli than at unnamed test stimuli you have proof
for the children’s special interest in named objects. Max = 4 point
In lecture 8 and in chapter 10 of Goswami, reading and mathematical development was
discussed.
The influential Triple model by Dehaene (1992) poses that there are three numerical coding
systems which activate different parts of the brain. Describe these three numerical coding
systems and the brain areas each system activates. (Max 6 points)
One system is a visually based code for Arabic numerals (or more generally speaking visual
number forms) which primarily activates the fusiform gyrus.
The second system is a linguistic system for storing number facts: activates
the left angular gyrus
The third system is a number sense system. The parietal lobe and intraparietal sulcus are activated when comparing quantities of different magnitude.
a. What is the core problem that individuals with dyslexia face in terms of understanding
language? Explain. (4 points)
The core problem individuals with dyslexia face are issues with phonological awareness. Therefore,
despite having normal language acquisition, children with dyslexia have
not developed phonological
representations of the sound structure of words
. It isn’t that they see the letters backwards, but they
have difficulties in dividing words into different subcomponent sounds, or in other words decoding these
symbols.
They know all the words, but have difficulties in seeing those words and then making sounds
(phonemes) of them. (1 point for identifying the core problem and 3 points for explaining how issues
with phonological awareness arise in dyslexic individuals; 4 points total)
b) What is dyscalculia? (Max 4 points)
- Difficulty in transition intuitive (non-symbolic) and cultural system (symbolic). There may
also be a more general magnitude processing deficit: also difficulty comparing length of
lines, sizes of objects
b. Describe a test/task to measure convergent thinking. (3 points)
e.g. a Standardized multiple choice tests that are based on convergent thinking.
c. Describe a test/task to measure divergent thinking. (3 points)
e.g. “The alternative uses task” is a task that is often used to measure creative thinking, and mainly
divergent thinking. It is a task in which you ask people to come up with as many possible ways to use a
certain object. Scoring: fluency, how many ideas, originality: how original the answers are
