Developmental Psychology Midterm - Flashcards

Q: marasmus

a wasting away of body tissues in the infant\'s first year caused by severe protein-calorie deficiency

Q: reflexes

built-in reactions to stimuli that govern the newborn\'s movements, which are automatic and beyond the newborn\'s control

Q: rooting reflex

a newborn\'s built in reaction that occurs when the infant\'s cheek is stroked or the side of the mouth is touched. In response, the infant turns its head toward the side that was touched, in an apparent effort to find something to suck

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cephalocaudal pattern

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developmental sequence in which the earliest growth always occurs at the top (head) with physical growth in size, weight, and feature differentiation gradually working from top to bottom

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proximodistal pattern

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developmental sequence in which growth starts at the center of the body and moves toward the extremities

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lateralization

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specialization of function in one hemisphere of the cerebral cortex or the other

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neuroconstructivist view

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perspective holding that biological processes and environmental conditions influence the brain's development; the brain has plasticity and is context dependent; and development of the brain and cognitive development are closely linked

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sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

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a condition that occurs when an infant stops breathing, usually during the night, and suddenly dies without an apparent cause

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marasmus

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a wasting away of body tissues in the infant's first year caused by severe protein-calorie deficiency

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kwashiorkor

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a condition caused by severe protein deficiency in which the child's abdomen and feet become swollen with water; usually appears between 1 and 3 years of age

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dynamic systems theory

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the perspective on motor development that seeks to explain how motor behaviors are assembled for perceiving and acting

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reflexes

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built-in reactions to stimuli that govern the newborn's movements, which are automatic and beyond the newborn's control

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rooting reflex

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a newborn's built in reaction that occurs when the infant's cheek is stroked or the side of the mouth is touched. In response, the infant turns its head toward the side that was touched, in an apparent effort to find something to suck

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sucking reflex

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a newborn's built in reaction to automatically suck an object placed in its mouth. Reflex enables the infant to get nourishment before he or she has associated a nipple with food and also serves as a self-soothing or self-regulating mechanism

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moro reflex

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neonatal startle response that occurs in reaction to a sudden, intense noise or movement; when startled the newborn arches its back, throws its head back and flings out its arms and legs; then the newborn rapidly pulls its arms and legs closer to the center of the body

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grasping reflex

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a neonatal reflex that occurs when something touches the infant's palms; the infant responds by grasping tightly

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gross motor skills

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motor skills that involve large-muscle activities such as walking

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fine motor skills

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motor skills that involve more finely tuned movements, such as finger dexterity

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sensation

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the product of the interaction between information and the sensory receptors--eyes, ears, tongue, nostrils, and skin

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perception

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interpretation of what is sensed

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ecological view

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view that perception functions to bring organisms in contact with the environment and to increase adaptation

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affordances

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opportunities for interaction offered by objects that fit within our capabilities to perform functional activities

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visual preference method

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method used to determine whether infants can distinguish one stimulus from another by measuring length of time they attend to different stimuli

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habituation

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decreased responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated presentations of the stimulus

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dishabituation

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recovery of a habituated response after a change in stimulation

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size constancy

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recognition that an object remains the same even though the retinal image of the object changes as you move toward or away from the object

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shape constancy

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recognition that an object's shape remains the same even though its orientation to us changes

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intermodal perception

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the ability to relate and integrate information from two or more sensory modalities, such as vision and hearing

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schemes

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in Piaget's theory, actions or mental representations that organize knowledge

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assimilation

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Piagetian concept of using existing schemes to deal with new information or experiences

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accommodation

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Piagetian concept of adjusting schemes to fit new information and experiences

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organization

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Piaget's concept of grouping isolated behaviors and thought's into a higher-order, more smoothly functioning cognitive system

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equilibration

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a mechanism that Piaget proposed to explain how children shift from one stage of thought to the next

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sensorimotor stage

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Piaget's first stage; birth-2; infants construct an understanding of the world by coordinating sensory experiences with motor actions

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primary circular reaction

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a scheme based on the attempt to reproduce an event that initially occurred by chance

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object permanence

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the Piagetian term for understanding that objects and events continue to exist even when they cannot directly be seen, heard, or touched

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A-not-B error

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error that occurs when infants make the mistake of selecting the familiar hiding place (A) rather than the new hiding place (B) of an object as they progress into substage 4 in Piaget's sensorimotor stage

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core knowledge approach

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states that infants are born with domain-specific innate knowledge systems

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attention

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the focusing of mental resources on select information

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joint attention

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process that occurs when individuals focus on the same object and are able to track another's behavior, one individual directs another's attention, and reciprocal interaction takes place

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memory

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a central feature of cognitive development, pertaining to all situations in which an individual retains information over time

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implicit memory

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memory without conscious recollection; involves skills and routine procedures that are automatically performed

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explicit memory

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memory if facts and experiences that individuals consciously know and can state

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deferred imitation

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imitation that occurs after a delay of hours or days

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concepts

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cognitive groupings of similar objects, events, people, or ideas

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developmental quotient (DQ)

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an overall score that combines subscores in motor, language, adaptive, and personal-social domains in the Gesell assessment of infants

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Bayley scales of infant development

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scales developed by Nancy Bayley that are widely used to assess infant development; the current version has 3 components: a mental scale, a motor scale, and an infant behavior profile

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language

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a form of communication, whether spoken, written, or signed, that is based on a system of symbols. Language consists of the words used by a community and the rules fore varying and combining them

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infinite generativity

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the ability to produce an endless number of meaningful sentences using a finite set of words and rules

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phonology

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the sound system of the language, including the sounds that are used and how they may be combined

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morphology

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units of meaning involved in word formation

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syntax

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the ways words are combined to form acceptable phrases and sentences

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semantics

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the meaning of words and sentences

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pragmatics

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the appropriate use of language in different contexts

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telegraphic speech

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the use of short and precise words without grammatical markers such as articles, auxiliary verbs, and other connectives

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Broca's area

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an area in the brain's left frontal lobe that is involved in speech production

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Wernicke's area

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an area in the brain's left hemisphere that is involved in language comprehension

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aphasia

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a loss or impairment of language ability caused by brain damage

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language acquisition device (LAD)

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Chomsky's term that describes a biological endowment enabling the child to detect the features and rules of language, including phonology, syntax and semantics

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child-directed speech

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language spoken in a higher pitch than normal, with simple words and sentences

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emotion

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feeling, or affect, that occurs when a person is in a state or interaction that is important to him or her; characterized by behavior that reflects the pleasantness or unpleasantness of the state a person is in or the transactions being experienced

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primary emotions

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emotions that are present in humans and other animals and emerge early in life; examples are joy, anger, sadness, fear and disgust

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self-conscious emotions

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emotions that require self-awareness, especially consciousness and a sense of "me"; examples include jealousy, empathy, and embarrassment

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basic cry

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a rhythmic pattern usually consisting of a cry, a briefer silence, a shorter inspiratory whistle that is higher pitched than the main cry, and then a brief rest before the next cry

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anger cry

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variation of the basic cry, with more excess air forced through the vocal cords

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pain cry

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sudden appearance of long, initial loud cry without preliminary moaning, following by breath holding

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reflexive smile

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smile that doesn't occur in response to external stimuli; happens during the first month after birth, usually during sleep

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social smile

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smile in response to an external stimulus, which in early development is typically a face

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stranger anxiety

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an infant's fear and wariness of strangers; tends to appear during the second half of the first year of life

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separation protest

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infant's distressed crying when the caregiver leaves

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temperament

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involves individual differences in behavioral styles, emotions, and characteristic ways of responding

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easy child

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child who us generally in a positive mood, quickly establishes regular routines in infancy, and adapts easily to new experiences

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difficult child

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child who tends to react negatively and cry frequently, engages in irregular daily routines and is slow to accept change

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slow-to-warm-up child

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child who has a low activity level, is somewhat negative, and displays a low intensity of mood

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social referencing

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"reading" emotional cues in others to help determine how to act in a particular situation

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attachment

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close emotional bond between two people

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strange situation

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observational measure of infant attachment that requires the infant to more through a series of introductions, separations, and reunions with the caregiver and an adult stranger in a prescribed order

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securely attached babies

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babies who use the caregiver as a secure base from which to explore the environment

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insecure avoidant babies

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babies who show insecurity by avoiding the caregiver

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insecure resistant babies

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babies who often cling to the caregiver, then resist the caregiver by fighting against the closeness, perhaps by kicking or pushing away

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insecure disorganized babies

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babies who show insecurity by being disorganized and disoriented

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developmental cascade model

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involves connections across domains over time that influence developmental pathways and outcomes

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reciprocal socialization

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socialization that is bidirectional; children socialize parents just as parents socialize children

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scaffolding

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practice in which parents time interactions so that infants experience turn taking with the parents

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growth hormone deficiency

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absence or deficiency of growth hormone produced by the pituitary gland to stimulate the body to grow

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myelination

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process by which the nerve cells are covered and insulated by a layer of fat cells which increases the speed at which information travels through the nervous system

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preoperational stage

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Piaget's second stage; ages 2-7; children begin to represent the world with words, images and drawings;

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operations

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in Piaget's theory, these are reversible mental actions that allow children to do mentally what they formerly did physically

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egocentrism

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inability to distinguish between one's own perspective and someone else's

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animism

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the belief that inanimate objects have lifelike qualities and are capable of action

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centration

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focusing attention on one characteristic to the exclusion of all others

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conservation

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in Piaget's theory, awareness that altering an object's or substance's appearance does not change its basic properties

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zone of proximal development (ZPD)

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Vygotsky's term for tasks that are too difficult for children to master alone but can be mastered with the assistance of adults ore more skilled children

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social construct approach

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approach that emphasizes the social contexts of learning and asserts that knowledge is mutually built and constructed; Vygotky's theory reflects this approach

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executive attention

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involves action planning, allocating attention to goals, error detection and compensation, monitoring progress on tasks and dealing with novel or difficult circumstances

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sustained attention

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focused and extended engagement with an object, task, event, or other aspect of the environment

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short-term memory

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memory component in which individuals retain information for up to 30 seconds, assuming there is no rehearsal of the information

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executive function

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umbrella-like concept that consists of a number of higher level cognitive processes linked to the development of the brain's prefrontal cortex; involves managing one's thoughts to engage in goal-directed behavior and self control

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theory of mind

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awareness of one's own mental processes and the mental processes of others

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fast mapping

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process that helps to explain how young children learn the connection between a word and its referent so quickly

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child-centered kindergarten

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education that involves the whole child by considering both the child's physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development and the child's needs, interests and learning styles

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montessori approach

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educational philosophy in which children are given considerable freedom and spontaneity in choosing activities and are allowed to move from one activity to another as they desire

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developmentally appropriate practice

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education that focuses on the typical development patterns of children and the uniqueness of each child

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project head start

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government funded program that is designed to provide children from low income families with the opportunity to acquire the skills and experiences important for school success

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self-understanding

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child's cognitive representation of self, the substance and content of the child's self conceptions

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moral development

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involves thoughts, feelings and behaviors regarding rules and conventions about what people should do in their interactions with other people

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social role theory

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theory that gender differences result from the contrasting roles of men and women

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infants control the muscles of their trunk and arms before they control their hands and fingers, and they use their whole hands before they can control several fingers. This indicates a _____ pattern of growth

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proximodistal

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infants can see objects before they can control their torso, and they can use their hands long before they can crawl or walk. This would indicate they have a ______ pattern of growth

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cephalocaudal

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Being starts calling his father "dad," but he also calls all men that he sees "dad." According to Piaget, this error is due to _____.

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assimilation

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which of the following statements is true about brain development? A. The brain grows exponentially from conception to birth causing the brain to be completely developed at birth B. Extensive brain development continues after birth, through infancy, and later C. The process of brain development continues though the first year after birth and then stops D. Brain development continues after birth only among premature babies

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B. Extensive brain development continues after brith, through infancy, and later.

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According to Piaget, solving a puzzle is an example of a:

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mental scheme

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Two month old Trey is crying loudly. It is a sudden long initial cry followed by breath holding. This type of cry indicates that Trey is:

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experiencing pain

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The infant's inability to regulate emotions is tied to

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the gradual maturation of the frontal regions of the cerebral cortex

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According to Piaget, physical activities such as sucking, grasping, and walking are examples of

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behavioral schemes

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Shoko responds positively to being picked up by others and when put back down freely moves away to play. She would most likely be classifies as being:

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securely attached

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Which of the following BEST describes scaffolding? A. Parents time interactions in such a way that the infant experiences turn taking with the parents B. The child is presented with a series of introductions, separations, and reunions with the caregiver. C. The caregiver and infant focus on the same object or event

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A. Parents time interactions in such a way that the infant experiences turn taking with the parents

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3 year old Jesse used to call all moving vehicles "car"; he now accurately categorizes moving vehicles into trucks, cars, motorcycles and buses; Jesse has _____ to fit new info into his existing scheme

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accommodated

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Blanca rarely holds her baby and tends to respond to his needs in an angry, irritable fashion; it is most likely the baby will develop a(n) ___ with his mother

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insecure avoidant attachment

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which of the following is a key criticism of Jean Piaget;s theory of cognitive development? A. Jean Piaget failed to conduct observations in a controlled setting B. infants are more competent than Piaget thought C. Piaget failed to conduct observations in an infant's everyday environment D. infants are less competent than Piaget thought

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B

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in the cerebral cortex, the _______ lobe is involved in voluntary movement, thinking, personality, and intentionality or purpose

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frontal

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Which of the following is a criticism related to the Montessori approach? A. It doesn't employ self-corrective materials B. It lays too much emphasis on imaginative play C. It lays too much emphasis on social interaction D. It neglects children's socioemotional development

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D. It neglects children's socioemotional development

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Five year old Donna speaks in shorter, simpler sentences to her baby brother, informal with her friends, and formal with her father's friends. She is demonstrating her grasp of:

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pragmatics

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Cynthia shows a number of behaviors different from children her age, including deficits in social interaction and communication as well as repetitive behaviors or interests. She is indifferent toward others and prefers to be alone. She is more interested in objects than people. It is most likely that she suffers from ____

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autism

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Six year old Shirley, a witness to a robbery, was asked to testify at the trial. The defense argued that her testimony would be invalid because:

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her memories are highly susceptible to suggestion

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Which of the following educational strategies would Vygotsky say should be incorporated in classrooms? A. Making each child responsible for his or her work without relying on peers or teachers for support B. Formal, standardized tests to assess children's learning C. Offering just enough assistance to a child to accomplish a task D. Discouraging distractions like self-talk or private talk

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C. Offering just enough assistance to a child to accomplish a task

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3 year old Sharon can solve 4 piece puzzles alone but needs her parents help to solve 6 piece puzzles. Which of the following represents the upper limit of her zone of proximal development for solving such puzzles A. Sharon mastering 4 piece puzzles B. Sharon helping her 2 year old brother with 4 piece puzzles C. Sharon solving a 6 piece puzzle on her own D. Sharon moving on to 10 piece puzzles

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C. Sharon solving a 6 piece puzzle on her own

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In general conservation involves the ability to understand that changes in physical arrangement:

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Do not change an object's basic properties

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When her mother asks Selena why she feels so sad, Selena says it is because her best friend just lost her puppy. Selena is exhibiting:

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empathy

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Twice each month, Gini helps to serve dinner at an assisted homeless program. She brings her two children and talks to them about the need to share time, food, and kindness with others who are less fortunate. Social cognitive theorists would say that Gini's children:

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are likely to develop moral behavior that includes helping others

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Social role theory suggests that:

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the social hierarchy and division of labor are important causes of gender differences in power, assertiveness, and nurturing

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3 year old Suzie has to eat everything on her plate at dinner. If she doesn't, her dad punishes her by sending her to bed without dinner the next day. She also has strict rules for playing, tv watching, and studying, and any disobedience leads to spanking and punishment. Suzie's dad is most likely a(n):

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authoritarian parent

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One of the explanations for the gender difference in the identification of learning disabilities is that:

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boys have a greater biological vulnerability for learning disabilities

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Damon's teachers frequently complain that he disrupts his kindergarten class by fidgeting and moving about all the time. He doesn't pay attention and behaves impulsively. Considering the presence of tell-tale characteristics of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, Damon's pediatrician diagnosed him with ____ and put him on a combo of Ritalin and behavior therapy

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ADHD

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Third grader Jacob has a disability that has caused him to be separated from his peers during the school day. Recently Jacob has been moved to the regular third grade classroom. This is an instance of ____

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inclusion

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Which of the following is NOT an effective memory strategy? A. Encourage elaboration, or more extensive processing B. Encourage the use of mental imagery C. Repeat with the variation and link information early and often D. Encourage memorization rather than understanding of information

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D. Encourage memorization rather than understanding of information

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Ethan is a gifted 14 year old who excels academically and has an IQ of 140. In the light of the findings from Lewis Terman's study of high IQ children, it is likely that Ethan is:

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more mature than others his own age

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________ refers to domain-specific evaluations of the self, while ____ refers to global evaluations of the self

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self-concept; self-esteem

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Many of today's children grow up receiving praise for mediocre or even poor performance. What could be a possible consequence of this practice?

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they may have difficulty handling competition and criticism

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Megan bases her moral decisions on fear of punishment. According to Kohlberg, Megan is currently in which of the following levels of moral development?

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preconventional reasoning

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Which of the following statements about gender stereotyping is NOT true? A. Until about 7 to 8 years of age, gender stereotyping is extensive B. Across the elementary school years, children become more flexible in their gender attitudes C. Girls' gender stereotypes are more rigid than boys' gender stereotypes D. Gender stereotypes still exist for both children and adults

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D. Girls' gender stereotypes are more rigid than boys' gender stereotypes

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According to Sandra Bem, which of the following is correct? A. In close relationships, androgynous orientations are not desirable B. Gender-role classification is context-neutral C. Androgynous individuals are less flexible than their masculine or feminine counterparts D. Androgynous individuals are more mentally healthy than their masculine or feminine counterparts

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D. Androgynous individuals are more mentally healthy than their masculine or feminine counterparts

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According to a recent study, which of the following is NOT true regarding observations on bullying? A. Overweight and obese children are often bullied B. Those who did the bullying were more likely to have low grades C. Anxious, socially withdrawn, and aggressive children are often the victims of bullying D. Girls and younger high school students were most likely to be affected by bullying

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D. Girls and younger high school students were most likely to be affected by bullying

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According to Erik Erikson, during the _______ stage, adolescents are faced with deciding who they are, what they are all about, and where they are going in life.

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Identity versus identity confusion

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Which of the following is the most frequently cited factor associated with adolescent suicide? A. depression B. drug use C. suicidal behavior in friends D. use of alcohol

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A. depression

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The ______, where fibers connect the brain's left and right hemispheres, thickens in adolescence, and this improves adolescents' ability to process information.

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corpus callosum

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Though controversial, studies indicate that self-esteem:

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declines in adolescent girls

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Irene, age 16, is a first generation immigrant whose parents came to the US from Ukraine when she was a baby. She enjoys many of the same things that her American friends do, but respects her culture's traditions and speaks to her parents in their native language. Irene seems to have formed a ______ identity.

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bicultural

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Which of the following statements about religion and adolescents has research shown to be true? A. Adolescent girls are more religious than are adolescent boys B. Generally, 18 year olds are more religious than 14 year olds in the US C. A majority of American college freshmen reported that they had never attended religious services during their senior year of high school D. There has been a resurgence of religious interest among adolescents

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A. Adolescent girls are more religious than are adolescent boys

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Juanita, a Latino girl, is entering adolescence and her mother wants to keep her from risky sexual behavior. According to research, her mother should:

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regularly talk to Juanita about sex and the risk factors associated with it

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A number of leading experts of adolescent sexuality conclude that abstinence-only programs:

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are less effective at reducing the risk of adolescent pregnancy than sex-education programs

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Mary Carskadon and her colleagues concluded from their research of the sleep patterns of US adolescents that:

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early school starting times may be linked to negative outcomes for adolescents

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