Chapter 4: Developing Through The Life Span

This famous experiment involving raising monkeys with two artificial mothers was conducted by:

Harry and Margaret Harlow

Yun Hee lives in New York and is concerned about her daughter, who will be a year old next week. Her baby is not walking yet, and Yun Hee's family is starting to comment on this. Should she be worried?

No, she should not worry. Only 50 percent of all babies in the United States are walking within a week after their first birthday.

Asperger syndrome is now called _____ disorder.

autism spectrum

Clay is hiding under his blanket so that he is invisible. He believes that if he cannot see his parents they cannot see him. Clay is demonstrating:

egocentrism

What is the result by puberty?

massive loss of unemployed connections.

"Nature" is to "nurture" as ____ is to ____

maturation; experience

How does childhood neglect or abuse affect children's attachments?

most are resilient, but those who were abused or neglected, may be at risk for attachment problems. Extreme trauma in childhood may alter the brain, affecting our stress responses or leaving epigentic marks

Young infants lack _____________.

object permanence

what does pretend play do?

symbolic thinking

Sam is a 12-month-old infant who just began crawling. He has not attempted to walk yet. This may be a result of Sam sleeping on his:

back

Why can't we consciously recall learning to walk?

infantile amensia

Hussein is concerned because he cannot remember events before he was about 4 years old. What is the MOST likely cause for this infantile amnesia?

His hippocampus was not developed enough.

before about age 6, children lack the concept of what? and what does it mean?

conservation; the principle that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape

what does mental operations mean?

examples are imagining an action and mentall reversing it.

What guides motor development?

genes

What does egocentric mean?

in piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view

what does assimilate mean, in respect to schemas?

interpret them in terms of our current understanding

why is contact a key to attachment?

provides another with a secure bases from which to explore and a safe haven when distressed; affection shown by touching

Use Piaget's first three stages of cognitive development to explain why young children are not just miniature adults in the way they think.

sensorimotor - object permanence, egocentric preoperational stage - egocentric, pretend play concrete operational stage - mathematical concepts, conservation

stranger anxiety

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

Beginning at around _____ months, children may greet strangers by crying and reaching for their familiar caregivers.

8

by what age do infants begin exhibiting memory for things no longer seen?

8 months

Anatoli and Andrei are 11-month-old identical twins. Anatoli took his first steps yesterday. How soon will Andrei take his first steps?

Probably within a day; identical twins generally begin walking on nearly the same day.

What is the concrete operational stage? what are the key milestones?

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events; (conservation and mathematical transformations)

What is the formal operational stage? what is the key milestones?

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts; (abstract logic and potential for mature moral reasoning)

Where does the most rapid brain growth occur from ages 3 to 6?

in the frontal lobe, which enables rational planning. Frontal lobe development continues into adolescence and beyond.

what accommodate mean, in respect to schemas?

incorporate information provided by new experiences

Rebecca takes her 1-year-old son, Adam, to visit an infants and toddlers program in which she hopes to enroll him. Adam appears very anxious and is unwilling to explore and play with the toys, even though Rebecca is close by. When Rebecca leaves the room to fill out some forms, Adam becomes extremely upset and remains inconsolable. When Rebecca returns, Adam stays close to her, holding onto her pant leg. However, Adam makes it very clear he does not want her to touch him or pick him up. Which term BEST describes Adam's attachment style?

insecure

how many genes account for ASD?

more than 400 identified so far appear to contribute

Mary's inability to toilet train her 10-month-old infant is MOST likely due to:

the lack of necessary maturation.

In the United States, ____ percent of all babies walk by 11 months of age, ____ percent within a week after their first birthday, and ____ percent by age 15 months.

25; 50; 90

During infancy and childhood, how do the brain and motor skills develop?

As a child's brain develops, neural connections grow more numerous and complex. Experience trigger a pruning process. Complex motor skills (sitting and standing) develop in a predictable sequence, though the timing depends on the individual maturation and culture. Infantile amnesia occurs in part because major brain areas have not yet matured, so we have few or no conscious memories of events occurring before the age of 4.

How do parent-infant attachment bonds form?

At about 8 months, soon after object permanence develops, children separated from their caregivers display stranger anxiety. Infants form attachments not simply because parents gratify biological needs but, more important, because they are comfortable, familiar, and responsive. Ducks and other animals have a more rigid attachment process, called imprinting, that occurs during a critical period.

In a series of experiments, the Harlows found that monkeys raised with artificial mothers tended, when afraid, to cling to their cloth mother, rather than to a wire mother holding the feeding bottle. Why was this finding important?

Before these studies, many psychologists believed that infants simply became attached to those who nourished them.

Leanne is 5 months old. Chastity is 8 months old. Dominique is 25 months old. Which infant should show the MOST evidence of stranger anxiety?

Chastity

Recently, there was a horrible story about a 14-year-old girl who was kept in isolation by her parents and was not exposed to any type of language. Now that she is out of isolation, what is the MOST likely outcome for her language development?

It is unlikely she will be able to master any language.

At 12 months of age, James is classified as securely attached. Which behaviors in the strange situation would be consistent with his classification? James is moderately distressed when his mother leaves him alone and pleased when she returns. James is unconcerned when his mother leaves and uninterested when she returns. James is very upset when his mother leaves and seems both relieved and angry when she returns. James is very upset when his mother leaves and he ignores her when she returns.

James is moderately distressed when his mother leaves him alone and pleased when she returns.

Psychologists often mention B. F. Skinner when asked to name the most influential psychologist of the twentieth century. Based on a survey of British psychologists, _____ is another worthy contender for the title.

Jean Piaget

what causes the readiness to learn to walk at about age 1?

Maturation - including the rapid development of the cerebellum at the back of the brain. This is true for other physical skills, including bowel and bladder control

Which statement BEST captures the relationship between development and maturation?

Maturation is one type of development

object permanence, pretend play, conservation, and abstract logic are developmental milestones for which of Piaget's stages, respectively.

Sensorimotor; preoperational; concrete operation; formal operational

Karen is a research assistant at the psychology lab and is surprised to find that the mice cortices she is studying are thinner and lighter than normal. What might have happened?

They were raised in deprived environments.

Kendra is a 20-month-old baby who is still crawling. She has not started to walk yet. What would her pediatrician likely say to her mother?

This is actually rare as most babies are walking by the time they are 15 months of age.

Lee is an 8-month-old infant who is already walking and even running around his house. What would his pediatrician likely say to Lee's parents?

This is actually rare as most babies do not start walking until around their first birthday

In the rat experiment by Mark Rosenwing, David Krech, and more, placing young rats in solitary confinement and communal playgrounds, what were the results?

Those living in the enriched environment developed a heavier and thicker brain cortex. After 60 days in the enriched environment, the brains weight increased 7 to 10 percent and the number of synapses mushroomed by about 20 percent.

Three-year-old Sam is talking to his grandmother on the phone. He says, "Look what I got today." Sam's mom explains that his grandmother cannot see him. Is Sam's mom wasting her time explaining?

Yes, Sam has not developed a theory of mind yet.

What is autism spectrum disorder?

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

Angela is a 7-month-old baby who rolled over for the first time at 4 months of age and can now sit without support. These milestones reflect:

a maturing nervous system

What is secure attachment?

a relationship in which an infant obtains both comfort and confidence from the presence of his or her caregiver

After Nadia learned that penguins cannot fly, she had to modify her existing concept of birds. This BEST illustrates the process of:

accomodation

What is basic trust?

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers

what are some dual parenting positives?

active dads are caregiving more; couples that share housework and child care are happier in their relationships and less divorce prone; dual parenting supports children; Parents' gender and sexual orientation do no affect children's well-being.

What is cognition?

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

what is attachment?

an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation

what are the outcomes associated with each parenting style?

authoritarian - less social skill and self-esteem, and a brain that overreacts when they make mistakes; permissive - more aggressive and immature negligent - poor academic and social outcomes authoritative - highest self-esteem, self-reliance, self-regulation, and social competence.

Luca's parents set firm rules but are responsive to his needs. They give him a chance to explain himself, and also explain their position on why they cannot allow him to stay out past midnight. Luca's parents have a(n) _____ parenting style.

authoritative

what are the four parenting styles?

authoritative (both demanding and responsive) , authoritarian (impose rules and expect obedience), permissive (unrestraining; little punishment), negligent (uninvolved)

The Markowitz family has a son, Noah, who has exceptionally high intelligence and excels in math. However, he lacks social and communicative skills, which limit his ability to sustain normal peer relationships. Noah will MOST likely be diagnosed with:

autism spectrum disorder

what does object permanence mean?

awareness that objects continue to exist when not perceived.

Marquis is the son of a teenage mother. She could not handle taking care of him and put him up for adoption when he was 4 weeks old. Marquis was placed in a foster home where he was abused. He was never adopted. It is MOST likely that Marquis will:

become an abusive parent with aggressive tendencies.

The topic of maturation is MOST likely to arise in a conversation concerning _____ development.

biological

Because of cataracts, a neighbor was deprived of visual experiences during early childhood. Last year, her vision was restored by surgery but she is having difficulty in dealing with the visual world. This is probably because:

brain cells normally devoted to vision died or were diverted to other uses.

What did Piaget's studies led him to believe?

child's mind develops through stages, from newborn's simple reflexes to adult's abstract reasoning power

What does excess connections mean for childhood learning? What does critical period mean?

children can easily master skills. For some skills, there is an optimal period early in life when exposure to certain stimuli or experience produces normal development.

what does schemas mean?

concepts or mental molds into which we pour our experiences

This week Andrea is babysitting twins, Cassy and Nikki. She bakes the girls brownies and Cassy complains that her sister has more brownies than her. Andrea divides one of Cassy's brownies in half and asks her if it is now fair. Cassy replies, "No, all you did was cut it in half." Cassy is now in which stage of cognitive development according to Piaget's theory?

concrete operational

Five-year-old twins Keith and Kevin each have 4 ounces of juice in their glasses. Keith's glass is tall and narrow, whereas Kevin's is shorter and wider. Kevin complains that Keith has more juice, revealing his lack of:

conservation

Two sealed, pyramid-shaped containers contain what are clearly identical amounts of a liquid. However, a child suddenly judges them as holding different amounts of liquid after one container is inverted. The child apparently lacks a concept of _____.

conservation

Deirdre is a fussy baby. She does not seem to eat or sleep on a fixed schedule. She is extremely active, and she gets upset easily. Deirdre likely has a(n) _____ temperament.

difficult

Boris was raised in a Russian orphanage where he was given minimal care. At age 6, he was adopted by a loving American family. As he matures, it is MOST likely that Boris will:

display anxiety

Mike is watching a Disney movie with his son, Jason. Jason likes the movie so much that he becomes excited and stands in front of the television. Mike asks Jason to move so that Mike can see the television. Jason does not move, he is demonstrating:

egocentrism

what do we have in excess of in early childhood?

excess connections

What is avoidant attachment?

experience discomfort getting close to others and use avoidant strategies to maintain distance from others

what does family self mean?

feeling that what shames the child shames the family, and what brings honor to the family brings honor to the self

Leslie is in the tenth grade and is currently taking calculus. She is doing very well and has even earned an A in the class. Leslie is MOST likely in which of Piaget's stages of cognitive development?

formal operational

Between ages 3 and 6, the human brain experiences the greatest growth in the __________ lobes, which enable rational planning and aid memory.

frontal

Five-year-old Lilah is beginning to show signs of being able to plan ahead in a somewhat rational manner. At her age, this development is likely due to neural networks sprouting in her _____ lobe.

frontal

between the ages of 3 and 6 years, the number of neural connections increases MOST dramatically in the _________ lobe.

frontal

Julia was born in France. For the first three years of her life, she spoke both French and English. Then she moved to the United States. From age 3 on, she only spoke English. Now, as a high school student, Julia will study French. It is MOST likely that she will:

have less difficulty with the french accent

what did russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky think about how children learn and think?

he emphasized that the child's mind grows through interaction with the social environment.

what brain areas underlying memory continue to mature during and after adolescence?

hippocampus; frontal lobes

connection of forgotten childhood languages and conscious memory

if they heard it while they were young, adults could relearn subtle sound contrasts. Also process sounds as native speakers do. An example of dual processing (what the conscious mind doesn't know and cannot express in words, the nervous system and unconscious mind somehow remember.

Ten-year-old Janelle is sad. She is crying. Her older brother looks at her and then continues watching television. He may be showing signs of: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button.

impaired theory of mind

Lanae is 3 years old and her favorite book is Are You My Mother?, a children's book about a baby bird that hatches while its mother is away. The baby bird then leaves the nest in search of its mother. The baby bird approaches the first animal it sees. When it is told that the animal is not its mother, it then approaches the second animal it sees, and so on. _____ is an attachment concept that is an aspect of this story.

imprinting

what distinguishes imprinting from attachment?

imprinting only occurs in certain animals that have a critical period very early in their development during which they form their attachments, and do so in an inflexible manner.

What is the preoperational stage? what are the key milestones

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to about 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic; pretend play and egocentrism

What is the sensorimotor stage? what are the key stones?

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities; object permanence and stranger anxiety

Tom rarely acts nervous in strange situations and pays little attention to whether his mother is present or absent. Tom would MOST likely be classified as having a(n) _____ attachment style.

insecure

Marissa resents the burden and constraints of caring for her infant daughter. She frequently ignores her daughter's cries for attention. As a consequence, her daughter is MOST likely to display signs of:

insecure attachment

From the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today's researchers, how does a child's mind develop?

it occurs through the four stages: sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational stage. Vgotsky studies focused on ways a child mind grows by interacting with the social environment. In his view, parents and caretakers provide temporary scaffolds enabling children to step to higher levels of thinking. Research supports the sequence of Piaget but it shows young children are more capable and their development is more continuous

What is insecure attachment?

marked either by anxiety or avoidance of trusting relationships. less likely to explore their surroundings

As is typical of infants and young children everywhere, Janae first produced one-word sentences, then two-word sentences, and, finally, sentences of several words. This orderly sequence of language acquisition reflects:

maturation

Biological growth processes that explains why most children begin walking by about 12 to 15 months is called ?

maturation

Like infants all over the world, Jonah could sit before he could stand, and stand before he could walk. This orderly sequence of motor milestones reflects:

maturation

Five-year-old Ling is beginning to show signs of being able to plan ahead in a somewhat rational manner. At her age, this development is likely due to:

neural networks sprouting in her frontal lobes

The rate of nerve cells being formed in the developing brain in the womb?

one-quarter million per minute

what was piaget's core idea?

our intellectual progression reflects an unceasing struggle to make sense of our experiences.

What is anxious attachment?

people constantly crave acceptance but remain alert to signs of possible rejection

What is theory of mind?

people's ideas about their own and others' mental states—about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict.

Although Piaget's stage theory continues to inform our understanding of children's thinking, many researchers believe that Piaget's stages begin earlier and development is more continuous than he realized. children do not progress as rapidly as Piaget predicted. few children progress to the concrete operational stage. there is no way of testing much of Piaget's theoretical work.

piaget's stages begin earlier and development is more continusous than he realized

what is the underlying source of ASD's symptoms?

poor communication among brain regions that normally work together to let us take another's viewpoint

Stroke a newborn's cheek and the infant will root for a nipple. This illustrates a reflex. nurture. a preference. continuity.

reflex

Alice takes her 1-year-old son, Derek, to visit an infant-toddler program in which she hopes to enroll him. Derek eagerly explores the room as long as Alice is present. When Alice leaves the room to fill out some forms, Derek becomes somewhat upset. When she returns, though, Derek quickly calms down. Which term BEST describes Derek's attachment style?

secure

Three-year-old Adam happily explores the attractive toys located in the dentist's waiting room while his mother is in the room. However, if she briefly leaves and then returns, he will return periodically to her side for brief moments. Adam MOST clearly displays signs of:

secure attachment

in piaget's view, cognitive development consists of four major stages. What are they?

sensorimotor, preoperation, concrete operational, and formal operational

An 8-month-old infant who reacts to a new babysitter by crying and clinging to his father's shoulder is showing .______________________

stranger anxiety

Harry Harlow and Margaret Harlow completed a number of studies in which baby macaque monkeys were raised with two artificial surrogate mothers. One of the mothers was made of wire, and the other was made of soft cloth. Either mother could provide food. Harlow was interested in which of the mothers the infant monkeys would seek out when they were startled or frightened. In these studies, the dependent variable was the:

surrogate that the infant monkey preferred when it was startled.

Which list contains an item that does not belong with the others? Ainsworth, attachment, anxious temperament, difficult, Baumrind parenting style, permissive, Baumrind insecure, Ainsworth, attachment

temperament, difficult, Baumrind

what do children with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty understanding?

that another's state of mind differs from their own

what is plasticity?

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience. Neural tissue is changing and reorganizing in response to ne experiences. New neurons are also born.

What were the last cortical areas to develop?

the brain's association areas (linked with thinking, memory, and language). As they develop, your mental abilities surged.

Imagine that 10-year-old children were shown photographs of 3-year-old preschoolers and asked to spot former classmates. What were the MOST likely results?

the forgot all their classmates

What is infantile amnesia?

the inability to retrieve memories from much before age 3 because rapid neuron growth disrupts circuits that stored old memories

Maturation

the orderly sequence of biological growth

What does imprinting mean?

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

Which of the following is true of motor-skill development? It is determined solely by genetic factors. The sequence, but not the timing, is universal. The timing, but not the sequence, is universal. It is determined solely by environmental factors.

the sequence, but not the timing, is universal

Shelly's brother hid her favorite stuffed bear in another cabinet after Shelly had originally put the bear in her own toy chest. When she returns she is able to find the bear in the other cabinet where her brother had put it. This illustrates Shelly's development of:

theory of mind

what does theory of mind have to do with autism spectrum disorder?

theory of mind focuses on our ability to understand our own and others' mental states. Those with autism spectrum disorder struggle with this ability

do identical twins begin walking near the same time?

they typically begin walking on nearly the same day

what were the results of Carolyn Rovee-Collier experiments with attaching a cloth ribbon from mobile to a babies foot?

they would purposely kick to move the mobile. When they switch the mobile, they showed no learning because the remembered the old mobile and recognized the difference. When she did it a month later with original mobile, they remember the association and began kicking. BABIES CAN LEARN

Based on Harlow's research with monkeys, what is the MOST helpful thing a person can do for a frightened infant or child?

touch or hold the child

What does the brain do with unused links?

under the influence of adrenal hormones, tens of billions of synapses formed and organized, while a use-it-or-lose-it pruning process shut down unused links.