Psychology development paper 1

• Piaget's stages are sensorimotor (birth-2), preoperational (2-7), concrete operational (7-11), formal operational (11+)
• Theory of mind is the ability to understand that other people have their own thoughts, feelings, beliefs, desires, etc.
• Concrete operational stage is where children start to think logically about real objects and events
• Preoperational stage is where children have symbolic thought but still struggle with logic and reasoning
• Sensorimotor stage is when babies use their senses to explore the world, they can’t understand cause and effect
• What is Dwecks theory?

  That there is a difference between those who succeed in life and those who dont, due to mindset. (Fixed vs growth)
• What are the features of a fixed mindset?

  •ability / intelligence is innate •Takes feedback personally •Giving up easily •Failure is permanent
• How do you encourage a growth mindset?

  Praise effort and persistence, not the person. "You must have worked hard to finish that!"
• What is brain development in nature?

  The idea that our characteristics and behaviour are inherited / genetic. Therefore, an example would be that identical twins have a similar IQ
• What is brain development in nurture?

  The idea that our characteristics and behaviour are influenced by the environment. Therefore, a mother smoking whilst pregnant can damage brain development
• What are identical twins?

  Also known as MZ, identical twins are the result from the fertilisation of a single egg that splits in two. This means they have shared genes and will be the same sex.
• What are fraternal twins?

  Also known as DZ, they result from the fertilisation of two seperate eggs from the same pregnancy. Meaning they share half of their genes, like other siblings, and can be different sexes.
• Whats the problem with using twin studies?

  They will usually live in the same house and environment, meaning it is hard to distinguish between nature and nurture. And, it is unrepresentative of the general population.
• Whats the problem with using animal studies?

  Can be considered unethical because animals cannot give any form of consent, meaning it goes against the ethics of psychology, making it an unfair test.
• What is the brain development stage at 3-4 weeks of pregnancy?

  •Oval shape-disk neural plate, running from head to tail •Edges will rise forming the tube tail that will become the spine + brain
• What is the brain development like at 6-7 weeks of pregnancy?

  •Neutral tube completely shut •Forebrain splits, eventually forming cortex and thalamus •Midbrain and Hindbrain
• What is the process of the midbrain at 6-7 weeks of pregnancy?


  Involved in visual and auditory information
• What is the process of the hindbrain at 6-7 weeks of pregnancy?

  Forms into cerebellum, manages coordination
• What is brain development like at 15 weeks of pregnancy?

  •Nerves connecting eyes, ears and brain stem •Simple signals for reflex, cerebellum seperates from hindbrain.
• What is brain development like at 6 months of pregnancy until birth?

  • Nerves fully connect with organs •5 senses develop •brain fully formed •Some nerve cells form myelin-speeding up signaling
• What is autonomic?


  Involuntary functions in the body
• What are hemispheres in the brain?

  2 halves of the brain- left and right
• What is the cortex?

  Majority of the brain, outer layer, split into 4 parts, where thinking and processing happens
• What is the cerebellum?


  Coordination and movement (motor info), one of the last areas to fully develop
• What is the brainstem?

  Sends sensory and motor information from body to brain
• What is the thalamus?


  Located deep, recieves signals from other parts of the brain, coordinates motor signals
• What is conservation?


  The ability to have better reasoning abilities, but cannot apply this to physical objects.
• Piaget believed that we are born with a small number of very basic schemas as babies which gradually get more complex and detailed.
• Mental framework of beliefs about the world that develop in response to experience
• What is assimilation?

  Adding new information to an existing schema
• What is accommodation?


  Info that doesnt fit in an existing schema so a new one is formed
• Whats a weakness of Piagets theory of cognitive development?

  Culteral bias, only tested on middle class European children in Switzerland
• Whats a strength of Piagets theory of cognitive development?


  Enormous amount of research on children (primary school years)
• What is readiness?


  Preparedness
• What are the statistics of the police doll study?

  A test to see if egocentrism makes sense socially. 30 children aged 3 and half to 5 from Edinburgh. 90% can position the doll correctly the first time.
• What were the findings of the police doll study?

  Better than Piagets, in that children are not egocentric as late as 7 years. However, Piaget was both right and wrong, because this study could cause researcher bias.
• Why do students need to learn learning styles based on what they're learning?


  Because its the best method for learning, and it is proven that a chosen learning style for everything does not improve grades.
• Whats a positive to Willinghams theory?


  It can be applied to real-life and has scientific evidence to back it up. (Dyslexia brains)
• Whats a negative to willinghams theory?


  They dont value modern day teaching
• What were the statistics of the naughty teddy study?

  To see if children develop conservation earlier. •Lab study- 80ps Edinburgh •41% correct if deliberately •68% if accidental •Primary better than nursery