Module 15: Infancy and Childhood

Studied how we become conscious, studied children’s developing cognition, believed a child’s mind develops through stages

Jean Piaget

Cognition

All the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Schemas

A concept or framework that organizes and interprets information, built by the maturing brain

Assimilate

Interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

Accommodate

Adapting out current schemas/understandings to incorporate new information

Sensorimotor Stage

In Piaget’s theory, the stage (from birth to nearly 2 years of age) at which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

Object permanence

The awareness that things continue to exist when they are not perceived, young infants lack this

Preoperational Stage

In Piaget’s theory, the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years old) at which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

The Preoperational Stage

Which stage of cognitive development includes symbolic thinking and pretend play?

Egocentric

In Piaget’s theory, the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view

Concrete Operational Stage

In Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 7 to 11 years old) at which children gain the mental operations that allow them to think logically about concrete events and gain concept of conservation

Conservation

The principle (which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that proportions such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects

Formal Operational Stagee

In Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (usually beginning at about age 12) where people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

Scaffold

In Vygotsky’s theory, a framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking

social environment

While Piaget believed a child’s mind grows through physical environment, Vygotsky emphasized how the child’s mind grows through interpretation of the…

Theory of Mind

People’s ideas about their own and other’s mental states about their feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

Stranger Anxiety

The fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age

Attachment

An emotional tie with others; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to caregivers and showing distress on separation

Contact and familiarity

What is attachment formed through?

Critical period

An optimal (best) period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces typical development

Imprinting

The process by which certain animals form strong attachments during early life

Insecure attachment

Attachment marked by anxiety or avoidance of trusting relationships

Dual parenting

Important, but children gradually able to separate from parents at 13 months without anxiety

Basic trust

According to Eric Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy

During infancy by appropriate experience with responsible caregivers

How is basic trust formed?

Anxious attachment

A form of insecure attachment, overly dependent on parents, show extreme distress when separated, but still resist comfort from parents

Avoidant attachment

A form of insecure attachment, avoiding or ignoring caregivers, showing little emotion when parent leaves or returns

Resilience, withstand the trauma, become well-adjusted adults

What comes as a result of hardship in children?

Self-Concept

All our thoughts and feelings about ourselves (“Who am I?”)

As we age and change based on our environment

How does our self concept develop?

Responsive

Nurturing, caring

Demanding

Strict, cautious

Authoritarian

The parenting style that is coercive (threatening), expects obedience

Permissive

The parenting style that is understanding, laid-back

Neglectful

The parenting style that is uninvolved, no close relationship with children

Authorative

The parenting style that is confrontative (direct/assertive), has set rules, but encourages open discussion and allows exeptions

Just because parenting style seems to relate to child’s outcome, does not mean the parent caused the outcome. Children’s traits may influence parenting, work may interfere with parenting style

Why is it important to remember that with parenting styles correlation does not equal causation?

Sensitive Period

A time during which the brain is able to more quickly learn certain skills

Sensitive vs Critical Period

Skills can be learned after a sensitive period but not after a critical period

Secure Attachment

Happy in mother’s presence, distressed when she leaves

Disorganized Attachment

Occurs in children who have experienced inconsistent or frightening caregiving, causes them to show confusing or contradictory behaviors

Ecological System Theory

Theory that explains how different environmental forces shape an individual

Microsystem

Other people and groups that an individual has direct interactions with

Mesosystem

Relationships between different microsystems in an individual’s life

Exosystem

Indirect influences in an individual’s life (government, parents' personal issues)

Macrosystem

Society, laws, customs, and cultural beliefs that influence all of the other ecological systems

Chronosystem

The changes that occur throughout an individual’s life, and the time period in which an individual lives in