Personal Psychology

Language Development

Q: What occurs during the Babbling Stage of language acquisition?
A: Infants produce non-imitative sounds like "ah-goo" (around 4 months).

Q: Define the One-Word Stage in language acquisition.
A: Single words represent entire thoughts, e.g., "Doggy" (around 1 year).

Q: What characterizes the Two-Word Stage of language acquisition?
A: Telegraphic speech with two-word phrases, e.g., "Go car" (around 2 years).

Q: What does the Critical Period Hypothesis suggest about language learning?
A: Language learning is most effective in early childhood, with a decline after puberty.

Q: What are the key ideas in the Nature vs. Nurture Debate about language?
A:

  • Skinner: Language develops through imitation and reinforcement.

  • Chomsky: Humans have an innate "Language Acquisition Device" (LAD).

Q: What is Lev Vygotsky's view on language learning?
A: Language learning is a social process.


Motor Development

Q: What are Gross Motor Skills and their milestones?
A: Involve large muscles; milestones include lifting the head (2 months), sitting unsupported (6 months), walking (12 months), and climbing stairs (17 months).

Q: Define Fine Motor Skills and list key milestones.
A: Precise hand and finger movements; milestones include grasping objects (0-3 months), passing toys between hands (3-6 months), and using the pincer grasp (9-12 months).

Q: How does the environment affect motor skill development?
A: Enriched environments speed skill acquisition; impoverished ones delay it.


Cognitive Development (Jean Piaget)

Q: What are schemes in Piaget's theory?
A: Mental structures used to understand the world.

Q: Name Piaget's stages of cognitive development and key features.
A:

  • Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years): Object permanence develops.

  • Preoperational Stage (2-7 years): Egocentrism; difficulty with conservation.

  • Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years): Logical thinking and reversibility.

  • Formal Operational Stage (11+ years): Abstract and hypothetical thinking.


Psychosocial Development (Erik Erikson)

Q: Describe the conflict in the Trust vs. Mistrust stage.
A: Trust develops with consistent care; neglect leads to mistrust (0-1.5 years).

Q: What is the main challenge in the Identity vs. Role Confusion stage?
A: Adolescents explore self-identity; confusion leads to uncertainty (12-18 years).

Q: What happens in the Integrity vs. Despair stage?
A: Reflection on life leads to either integrity or despair (65+ years).


Parenting Styles

Q: Describe the outcomes of Permissive Parenting.
A: Few rules, high warmth; results in impulsive, irresponsible children.

Q: What are the effects of Authoritarian Parenting?
A: Strict rules, low warmth; can cause anxiety and low self-esteem.

Q: Why is Authoritative Parenting considered ideal?
A: Balanced warmth and rules; fosters independence and confidence.


Research Methods in Psychology

Q: What are the steps of the Scientific Method?
A: Formulate a question, hypothesize, experiment, and analyze.

Q: List four common research techniques.
A: Experiments, surveys, naturalistic observation, and case studies.

Q: What is the difference between correlation and causation?
A: Correlation does not imply causation.

Q: What are the ethical considerations in psychological research?
A: Informed consent, confidentiality, and minimizing harm.