Untitled Notes

Development – How did you develop?

Specification requirements

The study of development is a compulsory topic and will be examined in Paper 1 of the GCSE Psychology curriculum. Candidates must demonstrate and apply the knowledge, understanding, and skills detailed in the content of the topic. The demonstrable knowledge components involve a range of activities requiring candidates to recall, describe, and define relevant concepts. Understanding is showcased through the ability to explain ideas and apply, analyze, interpret, and evaluate various aspects of psychological development.

Candidates are expected to understand the interrelationship of core areas of psychology, including relevant issues and debates. Key issues for consideration when evaluating studies pertain to:

Validity
Reliability
Generalisability
Ethics
Objectivity
Subjectivity

Additionally, candidates are encouraged to apply their understanding through practical scenarios drawn from the development topic and associated research. Practical activities, including ethical investigative activities, are suggested to enhance understanding and improve examination performance.

Guidance

1.1 Content

1.1.1 Understand early brain development

Candidates must be familiar with early brain development, particularly the developmental stages of:
- a. Forebrain
- b. Midbrain
- c. Hindbrain
- d. Cerebellum
- e. Medulla

Candidates should utilize a diagram for labeling and comparing brain regions to their respective functions, connecting neuropsychology to developmental skills.

Forebrain (1.1.1a): Situated at the front of the brain, responsible for higher-order functions, including reasoning and complex thinking processes.
Midbrain (1.1.1b): Associated with sensory processing, sleep regulation, and basic motor control, alongside functional overlaps with the forebrain.
Hindbrain (1.1.1c): Located at the rear of the brain, connected to the spinal cord, and referred to as the 'reptilian brain,' governing vital functions such as heart rate and facial expressions.
Cerebellum (1.1.1d): Key for managing motor commands, balance, and coordination skills vital for the learning of movement-based skills like crawling and walking.
Medulla (1.1.1e): Controls autonomic functions tied to the autonomic nervous system, such as breathing and heart rate regulation.

For example, early brain development could be illustrated through scenarios like Bethany’s pregnancy stage and discussing early brain development stages that occur within the first month.

Visual aids such as brain scan images can be integral in evaluating the standing explanations of brain development and their practical implications in society.

1.1.2 Role of education and intelligence

Candidates are to understand Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development along with its four stages:
- a. Sensorimotor
- b. Pre-operational
- c. Concrete operational
- d. Formal operational
- e. Schemas
- f. Assimilation
- g. Accommodation
- h. Equilibrium

Each stage represents a phase in the development of intelligence, and candidates should relate these stages to educational applications.

Sensorimotor Stage (1.1.2a): Age 0-2 years, focuses on learning through sensory and motor activities, where object permanence is a critical development indicator.
Pre-operational Stage (1.1.2b): Ages 2-7 years; characterized by egocentrism, centration, and limited conservation skills, supported by practical studies such as Piaget and Inhelder’s (1956) Three Mountains Task (1.2.1).
Concrete Operational Stage (1.1.2c): Ages 7-11 years, where logical thinking and decentration develop; understanding begins regarding physical objects.
Formal Operational Stage (1.1.2d): Age 11+ years; the emergence of hypothetico-deductive reasoning allows manipulation of hypothetical concepts.

Candidates are encouraged to understand and differentiate terms such as schema (1.1.2e), the processes of assimilation (1.1.2f) — fitting new experiences into existing schemas, and accommodation (1.1.2g) — altering schemas to include new experiences.

Additionally, it is vital to connect cognitive development with moral development stages as defined in Kohlberg's theories (discussed in 1.3.1), enriching the overall understanding of education and intelligence development interlinks.

1.1.3 Effects of learning on development using Carol Dweck’s Mindset Theory

Candidates must evaluate the strengths and weaknesses surrounding Dweck's Mindset Theory, focusing on:
- a. Fixed mindset
- b. Growth mindset
- c. Ability and effort

Definitions must be provided, such as:

Fixed Mindset (1.1.3a): Belief that abilities are immutable.
Growth Mindset (1.1.3b): Belief that abilities can be developed through effort.
Ability and Effort (1.1.3c): Acknowledgment of the distinction between inherent abilities and the application of effort leading to skill development.

Practical experiences, such as using praise for effort versus ability, can be introduced to enrich candidate understanding of their application in educational frameworks. Connections should also be drawn to neural pathways and learning in the context of Mia’s story in providing direct models for merit-based education.

1.1.4 Effects of learning on development via Daniel Willingham’s Learning Theory

Understanding and evaluating relevant theories is essential through a focus on:
- a. Factual knowledge precedes skill
- b. Importance of practice and effort
- c. Strategies supporting cognitive, physical, and social development

Candidates should grasp the essence that factual knowledge serves as a foundation for skills (1.1.4a) and acknowledge the significance of practice (1.1.4b) along with educational strategies (1.1.4c) targeting various developmental spheres.

Strategies suggested by Willingham may include practical applications in real-life contexts, thereby bridging theory with effective pedagogical practices.

1.2 Studies

1.2.1 Piaget and Inhelder (1956) Three Mountains Task

Aim: Study children's perspectives and explore the relationship between child viewpoints and perceptions of others.
Procedure: Involved a sample of 100 children between 4-12 years old, conducting observational tasks using a model representing three mountains with specific viewpoints (A, B, C, D).
Results: Findings indicated that egocentrism was a dominant characteristic in younger children, failing to visualize alternative viewpoints, with the capacity to empathize and understand external perspectives developing by the concrete operational stage.

1.2.2 Gunderson et al. (2013) Parent Praise to 1- to 3-Year-Olds Predicts Children's Motivational Frameworks 5 Years Later

Aim: To investigate the nature of parental praise and its predictive impact on children’s motivational frameworks.
Procedure: A cohort of 53 children from diverse backgrounds underwent interactions recorded from ages 14-38 months. Praise patterns were categorized as process, person, or other types, with children reassessed for motivational frameworks at ages 7-8 years old.
Results: Significant correlations emerged showing that a tendency for process praise was predictive of incremental motivational frameworks in children, affecting their worldview on effort and ability.

1.3 Issues and debates

1.3.1 Morality issues in psychology

Candidates must explore key concepts such as:
- a. Definitions of morality and morals
- b. Stages of morality (pre-conventional, conventional, post-conventional)
- c. Cognitive development impacts on morality

Candidates should understand that morality is an integral aspect correlated to cognitive development and influenced by socialization factors. Kohlberg’s extension of Piaget’s work on moral stages requires emphasis on cognitive reasoning as it relates to moral decisions and how these rationales evolve as children mature.

Resources and references

Studies

Piaget and Inhelder (1956): The Child's Conception of Space.
Gunderson et al. (2013): Parent Praise to 1- to 3-Year-Olds Predicts Children's Motivational Frameworks 5 Years Later.