PSYCH 310: Exam 2

What is Piaget's view of children in cognitive development?

Children are seen as mini scientists who actively explore and build knowledge using schemas.

What is assimilation in Piaget's theory?

The process of fitting new information into existing schemas.

What is accommodation in Piaget's theory?

The process of changing schemas to fit new information.

What is object permanence?

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.

What is the A-not-B error?

A phenomenon where a baby searches for an object in its original location even after seeing it moved.

What is the main focus of the sensorimotor stage?

Learning through senses and actions, including the development of object permanence.

What is egocentrism in the preoperational stage?

The inability to see a situation from another person's perspective.

What is the mountain task used to test?

It tests egocentrism by asking children to describe a landscape from another person's viewpoint.

What does centration refer to in cognitive development?

The tendency to focus on one aspect of an object while ignoring others.

What is a conservation error?

The misunderstanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in appearance.

What is reversibility in the concrete operational stage?

The understanding that actions can be undone, such as in arithmetic.

What characterizes the formal operational stage?

The ability to think abstractly and engage in hypothetical reasoning.

What is Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD)?

The difference between what a child can do alone and what they can do with help.

What is scaffolding in Vygotsky's theory?

Support provided by a skilled helper that gradually decreases as the child becomes more competent.

What is private speech according to Vygotsky?

Self-directed speech that children use to guide their thinking and problem-solving.

What are the steps in Information Processing Theory?

Attention, Encoding, Storage, Retrieval.

What is the difference between short-term and long-term memory?

Short-term memory is temporary storage, while long-term memory has unlimited storage capacity.

What is working memory?

A form of short-term memory that actively manipulates information.

What is explicit memory?

Conscious, intentional recall of information, such as episodic or semantic memories.

What is implicit memory?

Unconscious recall of skills and habits, such as riding a bike.

What is infantile amnesia?

The inability to recall memories from before the age of 2-3 due to various developmental factors.

What is executive attention?

Goal-directed focus that involves planning and monitoring behavior.

What is joint attention?

A shared focus between a child and an adult, important for language learning.

What is sustained attention?

The ability to maintain focus over time, such as while studying for an exam.

What is the Scarr-McCartney Model?

A model suggesting that children seek environments that match their temperament.

What does the term 'natural born worriers' refer to?

Children who react strongly to novelty and may grow up to be anxious.

What is the significance of Kagan's longitudinal study?

It tracked temperament through exposure to new experiences, showing consistency over time.

What is temperament?

Biologically based individual differences in emotional reactivity, motor activity, and self-regulation that are stable across time and situations.

What are the three categories of children identified by Thomas and Chess?

Easy children, difficult children, and slow-to-warm-up children.

What percentage of children are classified as easy children?

40%.

What are the characteristics of difficult children?

Negative mood, irregular routines, intense reactions, slow to adapt.

What is behavioral inhibition according to Kagan?

A temperament trait where some children are biologically shy and fearful, withdrawing from new people and showing high reactivity.

What does the term 'goodness of fit' refer to in child temperament?

The match between a child's temperament and their environment, influencing developmental outcomes.

What are the facets of executive function?

Working memory, inhibitory control, and mental flexibility.

How do environments and relationships influence executive capacities?

They help develop skills necessary for attention control, impulse regulation, and planning.

What are basic emotions displayed by infants from birth to 6 months?

Happiness, anger, sadness, fear, surprise, and disgust.

At what age do social smiles typically begin to appear?

4-6 weeks.

What complex emotions do children start to display around 1.5-2 years?

Guilt, shame, embarrassment, pride, and jealousy.

Define emotion.

Emotion is a combination of feeling, physiological arousal, expression, and behavior.

What are the four branches of emotional intelligence?

Perceiving emotions, using emotions, understanding emotions, and managing emotions.

What emotion regulation strategies do toddlers typically use?

Distraction strategies.

What are display rules?

Social rules about showing emotions, such as pretending to like a gift.

What positive nurture factors influence emotion regulation?

Warm parenting, modeling calm behavior, coaching emotions, and predictable routines.

What negative factors can influence emotion regulation?

Harsh parenting, inconsistent discipline, stress, and chaotic home environments.

What is the role of the amygdala in measuring temperament?

The amygdala's reactivity can be inferred from physical measurements like heartbeat and breathing.

What is the significance of the Scarr-McCartney model in temperament studies?

It explains how children shape their environments based on their temperament.

What is the relationship between early school achievement and emotional development?

There is a link between early school achievement and social, emotional, and moral development.

What is inhibitory control in the context of executive function?

The capacity to feel emotions and regulate them, acting with forethought.

What is mental flexibility in children?

The ability to understand social conventions and adapt to different situations.

What is the significance of physical measurements in temperament research?

They provide objective data on emotional reactivity and regulation.

What are the characteristics of slow-to-warm-up children?

Low activity, mild reactions, cautiousness, and slow adaptation to new situations.

How does temperament relate to emotion regulation?

Temperament traits like effortful control and reactivity influence a child's ability to regulate emotions.

What role does self-awareness play in the development of complex emotions?

Self-awareness is necessary for understanding and expressing complex emotions like guilt and pride.

What factors influence a child's emotional regulation?

Culture, school, socioeconomic status, peers, community stress, and family conflict.

What biological factors are connected to emotion regulation?

Temperament, brain development, amygdala reactivity, prefrontal cortex function, cortisol levels, and vagal tone.

How does a child's reactivity affect their emotion regulation?

Highly reactive children with intense emotions find it harder to regulate their emotions.

What brain systems are involved in emotion regulation?

The amygdala (emotional reactivity) and the prefrontal cortex (control).

What is Bowlby's attachment theory?

It emphasizes the importance of attachment in the first year and the responsiveness of caregivers for emotional security.

What are the stages of attachment according to Bowlby?

1. Indiscriminate social responsiveness (0-2 months), 2. Discrimination (2-7 months), 3. Specific attachments (7-24 months), 4. Reciprocal relationships (24+ months).

What is the 'Strange Situation' paradigm?

A method to assess infant attachment by observing their reactions to a caregiver's departure and return.

What are Ainsworth's attachment classifications?

1. Secure, 2. Insecure Avoidant, 3. Insecure Ambivalent/Resistant, 4. Disorganized.

What is the 'goodness of fit' concept in parenting?

The match between a child's temperament and the environment, influencing their ability to cope.

What are Baumrind's parenting styles?

1. Authoritative, 2. Authoritarian, 3. Permissive, 4. Neglectful.

What characterizes authoritative parenting?

High warmth and high control, with clear rules and explanations.

What is the negative reinforcement trap in parenting?

When a parent gives in to a child's complaints to avoid conflict, reinforcing argumentative behavior.

What is the significance of executive functioning in child development?

It is crucial for self-regulation, decision-making, and managing emotions, impacting overall development.

What are the stages of the parenting timeline?

1. Image making, 2. Nurturing, 3. Authority, 4. Interpretive, 5. Interdependent, 6. Departure.

What is the role of attachment in early development?

It sets the foundation for future expectations about relationships and emotional security.

How does temperament relate to the dynamic systems model?

It emphasizes the interaction of nature and nurture in child development.

What does the Scarr-McCartney model explain?

It describes how children's environments can be influenced by their own characteristics (passive, evocative, niche).

What is the importance of bidirectionality in parenting?

It highlights how child behavior and parental responses influence each other.

What is the 'serve and return' concept in child development?

The interaction between a child's signals and a caregiver's response, crucial for healthy development.

How does community support relate to early healthy beginnings?

Communities and policies should support early experiences that promote healthy development.

What is the role of caregiver responsiveness in attachment?

It provides emotional security and influences the child's ability to form secure attachments.

What is the impact of neglectful parenting?

It leads to low warmth and low control, resulting in a lack of guidance in a child's life.

What are the characteristics of insecure avoidant attachment?

Children avoid the caregiver and show little concern for their absence.

What does the interpretive stage of parenting involve?

Parents help children understand their experiences with the social world beyond the family.

What is the significance of separation anxiety in child development?

It indicates a child's awareness of attachment and the need for reassurance from caregivers.

What are Piaget's stages of development

1. sensorimotor (0-2 yrs)

2. preoperational (2-7 yrs)

3. concrete operational (7-12 yrs)

4. formal operational (12+ yrs)