SU4 Cognitive and Psycho-social development

Question 1

What is the sensorimotor stage

Answer 1

1st stage of cognitive development
infants who obtain info through sensory input and motor activities develop the ability to coordinate info

Question 2

what is a circular reaction

Answer 2

early cognitive development occurs through circular reactions infants learn to repeat pleasurable or interesting situations that they discovered by chance

Question 3

sensorimotor substages

Answer 3

1. reflexes- (birth-1 month) actions are mostly reflexive e.g. biting and sucking
2. primary circular reaction-(1-4 months) beginning of coordination between listening and looking and looking and reaching. -infants’ way of exploring the world is achieved through primary circular reactions which refer to the repetition of actions
3. secondary circular reactions-(4-8m) new interest of manipulation of objects. infants repeat actions intentionally to trigger a response. 1st connection between bodily and external actions is automatic (operant conditioning)
4. coordination of secondary reactions (8-12m) purposeful behaviour where there is a means to an end. modify and coordinate behavior to find what works
5. tertiary and circular reactions-(12-18m)
   infants now vary their circular reactions to discover new methods of meeting challenges. walking makes exploring easier. use trial and error to reach goals
6. Mental representation(18-24m) beginning of insight and real creativity ability to use mental symbols like words and numbers develops infant uses mental planning instead of trial and error

Question 4

Jean Piaget

Answer 4

greatest contribution to knowledge of infant cognition

Question 5

cognitive skills in the sensorimotor stage

Answer 5

1.object permanence-Understanding that objects continue to exist when they
cannot be seen anymore. acquired gradually before 8m(out of sight out of mind )

A-not-B error / Perseverating search(inherent effect of search response): if you hide the toy
under container A, the infant will find it, then before
infants’ eyes hide it under another different container (B),
the infant usually looks under container A
masters this between18-24m sustage 6

imitation- copy someone’s behavior. Enables infants to add significantly to their repertoire/range of behavior. they are known able to form mental images of something they perceive
deferred imitation during substage 6(18-24m)-imitating behavior sometime after being exposed to it Mental representations enhance pretend play where
children enact daily activities and hold important
implications for symbolic representations such as
language, categorizing and numbering skills

Question 6

Criticism against Piaget’s theory

Answer 6

• Underestimated the infants’ cognitive abilities
• Sample was too small and thus not representative-studied a small pool of children not representative of the majority thousands need to be studied before conclusion is reached
• Methods were too simplistic- he did not have innovative research methods just observed them object permanence is too simplistic
• Measurement of brain activity was not available underestimated how rapidly they learn a lot of the skills they develop appear long before he claimed they did
• Least studied from a cross-cultural perspective-underrated socio cultural factors

Question 7

Receptive language and productive language

Answer 7

understanding language precedes the ability to speak it

Question 8

who influences language development

Answer 8

fathers

Question 9

Babies use their own names to help learn language true or false?

Answer 9

true

Question 10

Children follow the same steps to learn vocabulary, regardless of the language spoken t\f?

Answer 10

true

Question 11

Babies use their own names to help learn language T\F?

Answer 11

TRUE

Question 12

PHASES OF LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT\prelinguistic speech

Answer 12

 Undifferentiated crying (0-1 month)- crying to signal needs listener cant tell what they need

 Differentiated crying (2 months)-listeners can distinguish between the cries and what the baby needs. different pitches and pattern to indicate their needs

 Cooing and babbling (2-5months)-squealing-gurgling sounds babies make when they are happy satisfied or excited repetition of vowel sounds dadada caused by a genetic mechanism

 Lallation (7-8 months) babies repeat sound or words they hear usually accidental or incorrect

 Echolalia (9-10 months)-repetition of sounds and words more accurate and deliberate

 Single-word sentences (12 months)-babies use intelligable wwords to communicate

 Full sentences (21 months) full sentences develops from 2-word utterances to proper sentences

Question 13

define personality

Answer 13

Personality is defined as a unique and relatively consistent way in which an individual
feels, thinks and behaves

Question 13

personality according to Bowlby

Answer 13

Bowlby: Infancy is a critical period of development of personality because it is important
foundations are laid during this period

Question 13

The big 5 personality traits

Answer 13

• Extraversion-the degree to which an individual engages in the world versus avoidance of social experiences (active and outgoing and enthusiastic)
• Agreeableness-the degree to which a person’s interpersonal interactions are characterized by warmth and compassion (affectionate, kind, and forgiving)
• Openness / Intellect- a reflection of the depth complexity and quality of a person’s intellectual and experiential life versus inflexibility (artistic, imaginative and original)
• Conscientiousness- the degree to which a person can control impulses versus irresponsibility (efficient organized and reliable)
• Neuroticism (emotional instability)-the degree to which a person views the world as distressful and threatening VS emotional stability(anxiety,stress, and overly sensitive

Question 13

what are the most Important aspects of personality development that emerge during infancy?

Answer 13

Emotions-a subjective state of mind. Reaction to internal stimuli or events that occur in one’s life( psychological and behavioral reactions)

• Temperament- unique and characteristic mood pattern of PERSON inherent and characteristic way a person reacts to stimuli
  (feelings and expression)
• The self-concept-unique sets of traits and characteristics individuals consider true about themselves

Question 14

what are the challenges of studying emotions in infancy

Answer 14

babies’ emotional responsiveness is not differentiated immediately after birth

emotional express not always an indication of emotional experiences but also an indication of physiological needs

babies don’t have language to express feelings

Question 15

Adaptational and protective functions of emotions

Answer 15

Communicate needs
* Mobilise action in emergencies
* Exploration of the environment which leads to learning

Question 16

When do emotions appear?

Answer 16

Basic emotions after birth (contentment,interest and distress)after 6 m things like joy sandness, fear and disgust appear

• Emotions involving the self- elf-conscious emotions (secondary emotions)e.g empathy, embarrassment, and jealousy only appear after children have developed self-awareness(15-24m)
• Self-evaluative emotions-empathy ability to put yourself in someone’s shoes and feel what the person feels emerges through 2nd year and increases with age. empathy depends on social cognition understanding people
• Emotions involving others-pride shame guilt emerge towards the end of 2nd year when children begin to evaluate behavior against what is socially appropriate

Question 17

Emotion regulation:

Answer 17

Children’s ability to control and regulate emotions behavior and cognition
Infants regulate emotions by self-soothing behavior(sucking or Turning their body away) Development in emotional regulation is influenced by the development of the cerebral cortex contributes to a child’s abilities to inhibit impulsivity and enable socially acceptable behavior. caregivers also play a role in regulating info

Question 17

Emotional expression in infancy

Answer 17

Emotional expression in infancy:
* Capable of producing facial expressions associated with emotions
* Smile: Non-selective social smile( sile when pleasent stimuli is introduced) & Selective social smile( reserved for interactions with people)
* Crying: Basic cry & Pain crydemand cryanhry cry

Question 18

Emotional communication between parent and child:

Answer 18

: babies cry or smile is the fist social action stimulating 2-way communication process
The ability to read other emotions is important in babies’ social and emotional development
* reading people’s emotions are important Establishment of attachment bonds
* Social referencing: actively seek approval or disapproval for their actions from people they trust Indication of their growing rationalization that others have mental states

Question 19

Thomas and chess temperamental patterns

Answer 19

EASY CHILD- *moods of mild to moderate intensity usually positive
*responds welt change
*quickly develops regular sleep and feeding *schedules and takes new food easily
*smiles at strangers adapts easily to new situations
*accepts most frustrations with little fuss
*adapts quickly to new routines and rules of new games

DIFFICULT CHILD-*dismays intense and frequently negative emotions cry a lot very loud
*responds poorly to change

*sleeps and eats irregularly and accepts new foods slowly
*suspicious of strangers adapts slowly to change
*reacts to frustrations with tantrums
*adjust slowly to routines

SLOW 2 WARM UP CHILD-mildly intense mentions both positive and negative
responds slowly to change
sleeps and eats more regularly than the easy child
mildly negative response to stimuli
gradually develops a liking for new stimuli after repeated exposure
adjust gradually to new routines

Question 19

Goodness-of-fit

Answer 19

Goodness-of-fit: nature of interaction between baby’s temperament and their
environment

Question 20

dimensions of temperament

Answer 20

effortful control -to focus and shift attention can plan future actions low-intensity pleasure Negative affectivity-interruption of ongoing tasks and goal blocking ,fear and discomfort Extraversion-great motor activity low shyness and impulsivity

Question 21

The self-concept consists of.

Answer 21

subjective self "I "inherent feeling that i exist. inner feelings objective self "me" individuals' qualities that are known objectively such as physical characteristics, temperament and social skills emotional self -children's abilities to understand and regulate their emotions

Question 22

factors that contribute to growing self-awareness and s sense of self

Answer 22

self-agency- babies are aware that their behavior can elicit predictable reactions from other people and objects. 1st step of subjective self object permanence-ability to distinguish between unfamiliar objects and people, babies realize they are permanent entities self-recognition- the ability to recognize oneself in a mirror or photo can distinguish oneself from others self-description- an indication of the development of objective self emotional self-awareness- arises as the baby begins to understand and control their emotions

Question 23

what is social development

Answer 23

individuals' relationship with others

Question 24

what is meant by attahment

Answer 24

close emotional bond between the baby and caregiver. helps them maintain proximity when they feel threatened. (monkey experiment by Harlow)

Question 24

Development of attachment Phases according to Bowbly

Answer 24

John Bowlby emphasized the importance of attachment, and the devastating effects separation has 1. pre-attachment- cannot distinguish between people 1st 2-3 m reaction to familiar or unfamiliar person is the same 2. attachment in the making- focuses on familiar people and lasts 3-6m. Baby reacts differently with familiar and unfamiliar people. Baby gets upset when separated from the caregiver 3. The phase of clear-cut attachment-active proximity search lasts 3-6m. Clear attachment to the caregiver Babies wants to be in the presence of the caregiver all the time and cry when the caregiver leaves. 4. reciprocal relationship-partnership behaviour. complex attachment. try to influence caregivers' behavior to adapt to their needs

Question 25

types of attachment

Answer 25

secure attachment-mothers are their security base. Happy when mom is present and upset when she leaves. babies are more welcoming to strangers when mom is present. welcome body contact with the mom 2. avoidant attachment upset when mom leaves and avoids her when she's back. Not disturbed by strangers but avoids them when they come back. 3. ambivalent attachment - upset when mom leaves happy when she comes back but also angry hitting and kicking. babies will not simply explore their surroundings and beware of strangers 4. disorganized attachment-can't handle stress. contradictory actions. Confused and scared. parents usually not involved abusive

Question 26

factors influencing attachment

Answer 26

1. attachment seeking behaviors- sucking smiling and cryng usually lead to response from mom 2. The mother's personality and relationship with her mother of babies who have positive attachment are nicer and happier 3. temperament of the infant - babies temper influences caregiver 4. working mother-working mothers do not necessarily have a negative effect on attachment if there's a good relationship between baby and mom 5. psychosocial factors marriage, trauma and social adversity cause problems with attachment 6. parents' mental health- children are at risk of attachment issues if parents struggle with their mental health 7. effects of covid 19- things like social distancing and masks affect the regulation of reactions of infants

Question 27

Socialization

Answer 27

the process by which the child learns to conform to the moral standards, role expectations and requirements for acceptable behaviour of their particular community and culture

Question 28

Theories:

Answer 28

Freud: attached to the person who provides oral satisfaction – food * Harlow –monkey experiment – surrogate mothers – chose warmth over food - monkeys also needed social interaction for normal social development * Erikson - Trust vs. Mistrust – sense of trust requires feelings of physical comfort and a minimal amount of fear and apprehension

Question 29

long term effects of attachment

Answer 29

academic and cognitive functioning- children who received secure attachment are more curious, self-directed and engaged at school emotional functioning-secure attachment leads to good regulation of emotions later in life social functioning-secure attachment leads to being more sociable and getting along with peers later in life Insecurely attached children show more negative emotions, show more hostility toward other children, have more dependency during school years and more likely to develop anxiety disorders Children who feel secure are more inclined to move away from their mother in order to explore the environment

Question 30

father attachment

Answer 30

Bonding and time with the father mostly consists of playing and with the mother more care- - * Father : powerful attachment figure * Influence social and emotional development * Benefit : intellectual functioning and emotional wellbeing and advance language skills * Father acknowledges a child: confer social value * Humiliated by father: loss and confusion * Father involvement empowers and assists the mother in her role * Men's personal growth -

Question 31

the role of the care givers

Answer 31

the role of other carers- Attachment to a few people indicates a healthy emotional development- Children form attachments with different people- Alloparenting = social system where members of the community help to support children.- Sibling interaction also results in bonding

Question 32

stranger anxiety

Answer 32

- The fear that babies show of a stranger- 8 – 12 months- Starts decreasing from 12 to 15 months- Babies who are cared for by many people show less strange anxiety- Most stranger anxiety is when the mother is not present- Least strange anxiety is when kid hold a baby

Question 33

separation anxiety

Answer 33

babies with secure attachment experience less anxiety. - Start 8 – 12 months- Disappears at 24 months- The fear and behavior that a baby shows when their caregiver leaves them for a short while- Babies' reactions differ based on the situation- Less separation anxiety if the baby is with someone he knows- Babies develop separation anxiety because they develop a concept of permanent objects- Separation anxiety occurs because the baby wants to be with the caregiver, probably because attachment has occurred