Unit 1 Revision

Question 1

What are phonemes?

Answer 1

The smallest units of sound in a language that help to distinguish one word from another.

Question 2

What are the 3 processes/stages involved in memory?

Answer 2

Encoding
Storage
Retrieval

Question 3

What is the biggest criticism of Piaget’s work/theory?

Answer 3

That the ages he gave for children’s thinking are inaccurate.
That he underestimated children’s level of thinking.
That he did not use tasks that made sense to children and linked to their experiences

Question 4

give an example of a task that could be used to help children learn through discovery?

Answer 4

using containers and water to find out about the properties of water
using containers and sand to find out about the properties of sand

Question 5

What is egocentrism?

Answer 5

When children see things from their own perspective so their logic is different to that of an adult.

Question 6

What is the definition of growth?

Answer 6

An increase in physical size, starting with muscular control and development of co-ordination of balance

Question 7

What are the 5 areas of development?

Answer 7

Physical
Language
Social
Emotional
Cognitive

Question 8

What are Piget’s 4 universal stages of cognitive development? (and the ages the relate to)

Answer 8

1) sensorimotor (0-2 years)
2) pre-operational (2-7 years)
3) concrete operational (7-11 years)
4) formal operational (11-15 years)

Question 9

What are neurons?

Answer 9

Brain cells

Question 10

What is a key person?

Answer 10

Someone with a strong relationship with a child.

Every child in early years settings are required to have a key person.

Question 11

What are the 6 parts of Brofenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems theory?

Answer 11

1) individualised child
2) microsystem
3) mesosystem
4) exosystem
5) macrosystem
6) chronosystem

Question 12

What is myelin?

Answer 12

The substance that covers axons/nerve cells to help the signal transmit faster

Question 13

What is a limitation of Ainsworth’s theory?

Answer 13

1) The results cannot be applied to father-child as the study was done on the mother-child bond.
2) It lacks validity as the study was done with American women so other countries might have different attachments.

Question 14

What are the 5 main features of Bowlby’s theory of attachment?

Answer 14

1) Monotropy - 1 main attachment.
2) Critical period - Before 1 year-first 4 years. Prolonged separation - psychological damage.
3) Children need parenting - consistent support.
4) Show distress when separated
5) Internal working models

Question 15

What fine motor skills can a child be able to achieve at 2 years?

Answer 15

• Can draw circles and dots
• Can use a spoon effectively
• Can put on straight forward items of clothing such as shoes but may be on wrong feet.

Question 16

What is the potential impact of a delay in language development of a child?

Answer 16

Not being able to communicate can affect a child’s emotional development as they cannot express feelings and relate to others.
This can lead to low self esteem and lack of involvement in activities therefore affecting holistic development.

Question 17

According to Schaffer and Emerson, what are the ages/stages ofattachment?

Answer 17

0-6 weeks - Asocial
6weeks - 7 months - specific attachment
10+ months - multiple attachment

Question 18

What are the similarities and differences between Schaffer and Emerson and Bowlby’s theories?

Answer 18

Similarities: Both categorised behaviour. Both identified attention seeking behaviour.
Differences: The setting - S&E visited babies at home.
Bowlby was influenced by Lorenz.
S&E repeated their study.
S&E relied on parents diaries,

Question 19

What is Skinner’s theory of opperant conditioning

Answer 19

That the environment operates and influences a child’s learning.
Learning occurs through behaviour, after being given 2 types of reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement encourages the child to repeat the wanted behaviours.

Question 20

What were Bronfenbrenner’s 5 different stages of the ecological system theory?
Explain each stage/system.

Answer 20

Microsystem: settings a child has a strong connection to.
Mesosystem: 2 microsystems come together.
Exosystem: 1 step beyond immediate experiences but have influences.
Macrosystem: influences other systems but is out of control.
Chronosystem: provides a history of society and a childs life.

Question 21

How did Piaget show that children think differently from adults?

Answer 21

He believed children develop schemas based on direct experiences.

Question 22

Whose theory includes a microsystem?

Give 4 examples of a microsystem setting?

Answer 22

1) Bronfenbrenner

2) home, early years setting, a club, relatives home

Question 23

What are the features of a neuron?

Answer 23

Soma (cell body)
Dendrites
Nucleus
Myelin sheath
Axon
Axon terminals
Synapse
Dendrites of another neuron

Question 24

What is Piaget’s schema theory?

Answer 24

Assimilation - child constructs a theory
Equilibrium - child experiences fits the schema
Disequilibrium - an experience that doesn’t add up with the child’s experience
Accommodation - the child changes the original schema to fit the new experience

Question 25

What are the features of the formal operations stage of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development?

Answer 25

11-15 years approx.
Ability to think and manipulate ideas abstractly (calculate mentally)
Start of deductive logic