Psychology- development

• What is the most wonderful organ in our body?

  The brain
• What are the four key parts of the brain that will be focused on?

  • Brain stem
  • Cerebellum
  • Thalamus
  • Other parts discussed in Chapter 7
• What does the brain stem connect to?


  The spinal cord
• What functions does the brain stem carry out?


  Motor and sensory functions
• What basic life functions does the brain stem control?


  Heartbeat, breathing, sleeping, and eating
• Why is the brain stem important for survival?


  It directs basic autonomic behaviors
• What does the term "cerebellum" mean?


  "Little brain"
• What role does the cerebellum play in the body?


  Coordination of movement and balance
• What additional functions does the cerebellum have?


  Input into language and emotions
• Where is the thalamus located?


  Deep inside the brain
• How many thalami are there in the brain?


  Two, one in each hemisphere
• What is the function of the thalamus?


  Acts as a hub for information, receiving and sending signals
• What does cognitive development refer to?


  The changes in knowledge, thinking, and intelligence as a person ages
• What was the view before Jean Piaget's theory regarding children's knowledge?


  Children were seen as smaller adults who just knew less
• How did Piaget change the understanding of cognitive development?


  He showed that children think differently than adults
• What did Piaget suggest about young children's logical thinking?


  They are not able to think logically due to immature brains
• What happens to a child's thinking as they grow older?


  Their brain develops, allowing for more abstract thinking
• What are schemas according to Piaget?


  • Mental structures containing information about aspects of the world
  • Gradually become more complex as children develop
  • Include representations for people, objects, actions, and abstract ideas
• What processes do children use to develop their schemas?


  Assimilation and accommodation
• What is assimilation in the context of schema development?


  Understanding a new experience and adding it to existing schemas
• What is accommodation in the context of schema development?


  Changing an existing schema or forming a new one to incorporate new information
• How does Maggie's experience with identifying a wasp illustrate assimilation?


  Maggie adds the new information about wasps to her existing schema for flying insects
• How does Maggie's experience with the yellow plane illustrate accommodation?


  Maggie must change her existing schema for flying insects to include the new information about planes
• What are the key points of Piaget's theory of cognitive development?


  • Cognitive development involves changes in thinking and knowledge
  • Children think differently than adults
  • Development occurs in stages
  • Schemas are used to represent knowledge
  • Assimilation and accommodation are key processes
• What is the significance of Piaget's conservation studies?


  They demonstrate how children understand the concept of conservation
• What does egocentrism mean in Piaget's theory?


  Seeing the world only from one's own point of view
• What did Piaget's three mountains task demonstrate?


  That children under the age of 7 can only think from their own perspective
• What was the aim of Hughes' policeman doll study?


  To see if younger children could understand a more relatable task
• What was the method used in Hughes' policeman doll study?


  30 children aged 4 to 5 were shown a model with a policeman doll
• What was the conclusion of Hughes' policeman doll study?


  Younger children may have less difficulty with tasks that are more relatable
• What ability do children develop as they grow older according to Piaget?


  They develop the ability to decentre or see the world from multiple viewpoints.
• How did Piaget's ideas about egocentrism get challenged?


  Hughes' 'policeman doll study' suggested younger children might understand tasks better if they are relatable.
• What was the aim of Marion Hughes' study in 1975?


  • To see if younger children could perform better on tasks that made sense to them.
  • To test if a more complex social task would be more accessible.
• How many children participated in Hughes' study?


  30 children aged 4 to 5 years old.
• What was the setup of the policeman doll task in Hughes' study?


  The policeman doll was placed in a position to see a boy and the child had to hide the boy from the policeman.
• What were the results of Hughes' study regarding children's ability to hide the boy from the policemen?


  90% of the children were able to position the boy where two policemen could not see him.
• What conclusion can be drawn from Hughes' study in relation to Piaget's theory?


  Hughes' study suggests that Piaget underestimated young children's ability to see the world from another person's perspective.
• What does egocentricity mean in the context of child development?


  Egocentricity means seeing the world only from one's own point of view.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Hughes' study compared to Piaget's original tasks?


  Strengths:

  • Task made more sense to children.
  • Better assessment of children's real capabilities.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Researcher may have unconsciously hinted at the correct answer.
  • Results may lack validity due to subtle clues.
• How did Hughes ensure that children understood the task they were given?


  Hughes made sure that the children really understood what they had to do, unlike in Piaget's tasks.