unit 4, 5 6

Question 1

What sensory system is most developed at birth?

Answer 1

Hearing — already quite acute at birth; develops in the last trimester.

Question 2

What is the visual acuity of a newborn?

Answer 2

About 20/600 — meaning they can see at 20 feet what adults see at 600 feet.

Question 3

When do infants typically reach adult vision (20/20)?

Answer 3

Around 9 months of age

Question 4

What is binocular vision and when does it develop?

Answer 4

The ability to use both eyes together — develops around 2–4 months.

Question 5

What is depth perception and how is it tested in infants?

Answer 5

Depth perception is the ability to judge distance.
Tested using the Visual Cliff (Gibson & Walk, 1960).

Question 6

What did the Visual Cliff study show?

Answer 6

Crawling infants avoid the “deep” side — suggesting they perceive depth.

Question 7

What is the preference technique in infant research?

Answer 7

Presenting two stimuli and measuring which one the infant looks at longer — indicates preference.

Question 8

What is the “externality effect”?

Answer 8

Young infants focus on the outer edges of a figure rather than internal features — fades after ~1 month.

Question 9

When can infants recognize facial expressions?

Answer 9

Around 5–6 months, they react differently to happy vs. angry faces.

Question 10

What is gross motor development?

Answer 10

Large body movements (rolling, sitting, crawling, walking, jumping).

Question 11

What is the cephalocaudal trend?

Answer 11

Development proceeds from head to toe (e.g., head control before leg control).

Question 12

What is the proximodistal trend?

Answer 12

Development proceeds from center to extremities (e.g., shoulders before fingers).

Question 13

When do most babies start walking alone?

Answer 13

Between 10–17 months of age.

Question 14

What is fine motor development?

Answer 14

Small movements — especially hand and finger control.

Question 15

What are the palmar and pincer grips?

Answer 15

🖐 Palmar grip: full hand (present early)
✌️ Pincer grip: thumb + forefinger (around 9–10 months)

Question 16

What is myelination and why is it important?

Answer 16

Myelin insulates neurons → faster communication.
Essential for motor skill development.

Question 17

What does Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage describe?

Answer 17

Birth–2 years: infants build knowledge through sensory experiences and motor actions.

Question 18

What is a schema according to Piaget?

Answer 18

An organized pattern of thought or behavior used to interpret experiences.

Question 19

What is a circular reaction?

Answer 19

A behavior that is repeated because it produces a pleasurable result.

Question 20

Primary vs. Secondary Circular Reactions?

Answer 20

Primary: focused on baby’s own body
🎯 Secondary: focused on external objects

Question 21

What is object permanence?

Answer 21

Knowing that objects still exist even when out of sight.

Question 22

When is object permanence fully developed?

Answer 22

Around 18–24 months.

Question 23

What is the A-not-B error?

Answer 23

anfants search for an object where it was previously found (A), not where they saw it last (B).

Question 24

What are tertiary circular reactions?

Answer 24

Trial-and-error experiments to explore new outcomes — 12 to 18 months.

Question 25

What is mental representation?

Answer 25

The ability to form mental images and solve problems internally — around 18–24 months.

Question 26

What is Bowlby’s Attachment Theory?

Answer 26

Attachment is biologically programmed and necessary for survival.

Question 27

What is the critical/sensitive period for attachment?

Answer 27

Between 6 months and 3 years.

Question 28

What are Bowlby’s 4 attachment phases?

Answer 28

Pre-attachment (0–2 months) Early attachment (2–7 months) Attachment (7–24 months) Partnership (2+ years)

Question 29

What is the “Strange Situation” test?

Answer 29

Ainsworth’s 7-stage study observing how babies respond to separation and reunion with caregiver.

Question 30

What are the 4 attachment types in the Strange Situation?

Answer 30

A. Avoidant B. Secure C. Resistant (Ambivalent) D. Disorganized

Question 31

Describe secure attachment (Type B).

Answer 31

Uses caregiver as a safe base, shows distress when separated, comforted upon return.

Question 32

Describe avoidant attachment (Type A).

Answer 32

Little interaction, ignores caregiver on return.

Question 33

Describe resistant/ambivalent attachment (Type C).

Answer 33

Clingy, distressed, but not easily comforted — may show anger.

Question 34

Describe disorganized attachment (Type D).

Answer 34

Confused, contradictory behaviors — often linked to abuse or trauma.

Question 35

What is the maternal deprivation hypothesis?

Answer 35

Bowlby’s theory that early separation or poor attachment can lead to emotional and cognitive problems.

Question 36

What did Harlow’s monkey study show?

Answer 36

Comfort (contact) is more important than food in forming attachment.

Question 37

What is the holophrase stage?

Answer 37

Around 12–18 months — single words stand for full ideas (“milk!”).

Question 38

When does the vocabulary explosion typically happen?

Answer 38

Around 18 months — rapid word learning begins.

Question 39

What is the nativist theory of language (Chomsky)?

Answer 39

Language is innate; humans are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD).

Question 40

What is the interactionist theory of language?

Answer 40

Language development is a result of both biological capacity and social interaction.

Question 41

What brain areas are involved in language?

Answer 41

Broca’s area: language production Wernicke’s area: language comprehension