Early Childhood Development: Physical, Cognitive, and Psychosocial Milestones

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering physical growth, Piagetian cognitive stages, Theory of Mind, language acquisition, psychosocial development, parenting styles, operant conditioning, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

What is infantile amnesia, and why does it occur according to the lecture?

It is the common difficulty in remembering events from ages $3$ to $5$, caused by the ongoing accumulation of memories and the fact that language skills have not fully developed yet to encode those experiences.

What are the average annual growth expectations for height and weight in early childhood stated in the lecture?

Children grow an average of about $3$ inches in height and gain about $45$ pounds per year in early childhood.

Why is dietary nutrition critical for brain myelination in early childhood?

Healthy dietary fats provide the molecular components needed to build the fatty insulating coating around nerve cell axons, allowing them to communicate efficiently and quickly.

What is synaptic pruning, and what principle governs it?

It is the process of snipping away unused neural pathways while strengthening frequently practiced pathways, operating on a 'use it or lose it' principle.

Which motor skill milestones are expected at age $3$?

Fine motor skills like stringing items together (such as macaroni necklaces or large beads) and using a fork, as well as gross/fine motor combinations like helping to put clothes on.

Which motor skill milestones are typically reached by age $4$?

Catching a large ball (gross motor), serving food or pouring water with supervision (gross/fine), unbuttoning buttons (fine motor), and holding a pencil properly (fine motor).

Which motor skill milestones are typically achieved by age $5$?

Buttoning buttons (fine motor) and hopping on one foot (gross motor).

According to Jean Piaget, what cognitive stage characterizes early childhood, and what major ability emerges?

The preoperational stage, where children gain the capacity for symbolic thought and mental representation (such as engaging in symbolic play using objects to represent something else).

How does Piaget define egocentrism in preoperational children?

The tendency to view the world exclusively from one's own perspective and the inability to perceive a situation or physical vantage point from someone else's point of view.

What is conservation, and why do preoperational children fail conservation tasks?

Conservation is the understanding that properties like volume or mass do not change when superficial appearance changes; children fail due to centration (focusing on only one dimension, like height) and irreversibility.

What is irreversibility in Piagetian cognitive development?

The inability to mentally reverse or undo an action or retrace procedural steps backwards.

What are animism and artificialism?

Animism is the belief that inanimate objects are alive or possess lifelike feelings; artificialism is the belief that everything in nature (such as trees or the sunset sky) is man-made.

What is syncretism in early childhood reasoning?

The cognitive error of assuming that because two events occur simultaneously in time, one must have caused the other.

What did Judy DeLoache's lab discover about scale errors in $2.5$-year-old children?

Children (like $2.5$-year-old Madeline) attempted to interact with miniature replica toys as if they were full-sized because their desire to play temporarily overrode their perception of their own physical scale.

What is Theory of Mind?

The developmental realization that other people possess minds with thoughts, knowledge, feelings, and beliefs distinct from one's own, which do not always match objective reality.

How does the Smarties false-belief task assess Theory of Mind?

A child is shown a Smarties box that secretly contains raisins; once the true content is revealed, passing Theory of Mind means predicting that an uninformed peer will falsely believe the box contains Smarties.

What is fast mapping in early childhood language development?

The process where children rapidly expand vocabulary by connecting newly encountered words and concepts to categories they already understand.

What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and scaffolding in Vygotsky's theory?

ZPD is the range between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance; scaffolding is the temporary structural support provided by skilled mentors without giving away the direct answers.

What neural mechanism explains individual variation in the classic Marshmallow Test?

Differences in the reward response within the ventral striatum (specifically the nucleus accumbens)—acting like an accelerator—rather than purely differences in prefrontal cortex willpower (the brakes).

What did the $2018$ replication study with over $900$ participants reveal about the Marshmallow Test?

The apparent correlation between delaying gratification and later academic success largely disappeared after controlling for family income, socioeconomic status, and home environment.

How does interactive 'serve and return' play impact early brain development?

Alternating comments, questions, and gestures between children and adults build neural connections in the prefrontal cortex, which manages emotions, planning, and problem-solving.

What are Parten's stages of play as social interaction increases?

Unoccupied play, solitary play, onlooker play, parallel play, associative play, and cooperative play.

Which psychosocial crisis occurs during early childhood according to Erik Erikson?

Initiative versus Guilt, which builds upon the previously resolved stage of autonomy versus shame and doubt.

What historical shift occurred regarding the gender socialization of the colors pink and blue?

Prior to the $1940\text{s}$ and World War II, pink was regarded as a masculine color for boys, showing that gendered color preferences are socially constructed rather than biologically inherent.

What are Diana Baumrind's primary parenting styles?

Authoritarian (strict rules, low negotiation, 'my way or the highway'), Permissive (few rules, lenient, lacks discipline), Authoritative (clear expectations balanced with dialogue and warmth), and Uninvolved (neglectful, emotionally or physically absent).

In operant conditioning, how are 'positive' and 'negative' defined?

'Positive' refers to adding or presenting a stimulus, whereas 'negative' refers to subtracting or removing a stimulus; neither term denotes good or bad.

What is negative reinforcement, and what are two real-world examples from the lecture?

Increasing the frequency of a target behavior by removing an aversive stimulus; examples include turning off a buzzing alarm clock by getting up, or buckling a seat belt to stop car beeping.

What is the difference between positive punishment and negative punishment?

Positive punishment decreases behavior by adding an unpleasant stimulus (e.g., extra chores or physical reprimand); negative punishment decreases behavior by removing a desired stimulus (e.g., confiscating a phone or tablet).

What are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and what did the Kaiser study discover?

A list of $10$ traumatic childhood events (abuse, neglect, household dysfunction); having an ACE score of $4$ or more dramatically increases adult risk for severe physical conditions like heart disease, hepatitis, and substance abuse.

What evidence demonstrated the epigenetic transmission of trauma in the $2013$ laboratory mouse study?

Mice conditioned to fear a cherry and almond odor via electric shocks passed behavioral sensitivity down two generations, causing descendant mice to shudder at the odor despite never receiving shocks themselves.

How does the fulcrum model describe psychological resilience?

Resilience is envisioned as a scale balanced on a fulcrum; genetic predispositions position the fulcrum, while accumulated positive experiences, coping skills, and supportive relationships slide the fulcrum toward positive outcomes.

What single environmental protective factor is most critical for a child overcoming lasting trauma?

Having a reliable, warm connection with at least one trusted adult.