Prenatal Infant Chapter 1 Review Questions

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TiaJiah Merricks Professor Jean Bailey Prenatal, Infant and EC Development 01/24/2023 1. What is meant by a stage of development? Provide your own example of stagewise change. What stand do stage theorists take on the issue of continuous versus discontinuous development? A stage of development refers to a period during which an individual exhibits characteristic patterns of behavior and experiences. An example of stagewise change is Piaget's cognitive development stages, where children progress through distinct stages like sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Stage theorists typically argue for discontinuous development, emphasizing qualitative shifts in behavior and thinking rather than continuous, gradual changes. 2. Provide an example of how one domain of development (physical, cognitive, or emotional/social) can affect development in another domain. Suppose a child is experiencing persistent bullying at school. The emotional and social challenges resulting from this negative interpersonal experience can have significant implications for the child's cognitive development. The constant stress, anxiety, and emotional turmoil caused by bullying can impede the child's ability to concentrate and focus on academic tasks. Cognitive resources that would typically be allocated to learning may be diverted to coping with the emotional distress. 3. What is Anna’s position on stability versus plasticity in development? Anna's integration of classroom learning with vocational training suggests a belief in plasticity. She sees potential for positive change and adaptation in adolescents at risk. 4. Describe an aspect of your development that differs from a parent’s or a grandparent’s when he or she was your age. How might contexts explain this difference? An example could be technology usage. Growing up in a digital age, my experience with technology likely differs from that of my parents or grandparents. They didn’t rely on cellular technology as much as I do. Contexts, such as technological advancements, contribute to this difference. 5. Imagine a debate between John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the nature– nurture controversy. Summarize the argument that each historical figure is likely to present. Locke might argue for the tabula rasa concept, emphasizing the role of nurture in shaping individuals. Rousseau, on the other hand, might emphasize nature, suggesting that individuals are born with inherent characteristics that unfold over time. 6. What do the ideas of Rousseau, Darwin, and Hall have in common? They share an emphasis on the role of innate factors in development. Rousseau and Darwin focus on nature, while Hall's recapitulation theory suggests an evolutionary perspective on development.
7. Find out whether your parents read any child-rearing advice books when you were growing up. What questions most concerned them? Do you think the concerns of today’s parents differ from those of your parents’ generation? Explain. My parents stated growing up books played a role in shaping their minds. In a conversation with my parents, I asked whether they actively applied the advice from these books and, if not, whether they regretted not doing so. This question prompted them to reflect deeply on their parenting choices, bringing to light the impact of external guidance on their decision-making. In the present day, parents find themselves grappling with the challenge of ensuring their children's safety in an environment marked by technological advancements and increased exposure to external influences. Moreover, contemporary parents seem to adopt less stern and punitive approaches compared to the parenting styles prevalent in my parents' generation. 8. What aspect of behaviorism made it attractive to critics of psychoanalytic theory? How did Piaget’s theory respond to a major limitation of behaviorism? Behaviorism's emphasis on observable behavior and environmental influences appealed to critics of psychoanalytic theory's subjective and unconscious elements. Piaget's theory addressed behaviorism's limitation by highlighting the importance of internal cognitive processes and qualitative stages of development. 9. Although social learning theory focuses on social development and Piaget’s theory on cognitive development, each has enhanced our understanding of other domains. Mention an additional domain addressed by each theory. Social learning theory contributes to understanding emotional development, while Piaget's theory extends insights into the interaction between cognitive and moral development. 10. A 4-year-old becomes frightened of the dark and refuses to go to sleep at night. How would a psychoanalyst and a behaviorist differ in their views of how this problem developed? Psychoanalyst Perspective: A psychoanalyst might attribute the 4-year-old's fear of the dark to unconscious conflicts or unresolved issues. Drawing on Freudian theory, they may suggest that the child's anxiety could be linked to unconscious fears or experiences, perhaps related to separation anxiety or symbolic representations in dreams. Exploring the child's past experiences and emotional development would be central to understanding and addressing the fear. Behaviorist Perspective: From a behaviorist perspective, the fear of the dark is seen as a learned response. The child may have associated darkness with negative experiences or fears through classical conditioning. It could also be influenced by operant conditioning, where the child's refusal to sleep in the dark results in attention or comfort from caregivers, reinforcing the avoidance behavior. Behaviorists would focus on modifying the child's behavior through positive reinforcement for sleeping in the dark or gradual desensitization techniques. 11. Illustrate Bandura’s ideas by describing a personal experience in which you observed and received feedback from another person that strengthened your self- efficacy—belief that your abilities and characteristics will help you succeed. After failing my first microbiology exam, I felt disheartened and doubted my academic
abilities. Seeking guidance, I spoke with my mentor, who provided valuable feedback. She reassured me that the failure was an opportunity to learn and encouraged me to channel that energy into developing more effective studying habits. By the end of the term, I not only implemented better studying habits but also achieved an A in microbiology. This experience vividly demonstrated how constructive feedback and self- belief, in line with Bandura's ideas, can foster resilience and success. 12. Explain how each recent theoretical perspective regards children as active contributors to their own development. Recent theoretical perspectives, such as Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and the ecological systems theory, emphasize the active role of children in shaping their development. They highlight the influence of social interactions and environmental contexts, acknowledging that children actively engage with and contribute to their own learning and growth.. 13. Return to the Biology and Environment box on pages 10–11. How does the story of John and Gary illustrate bidirectional influences within the microsystem, as described in ecological systems theory? 14. Mario wants to find out precisely how children of different ages recall stories. Anna is interested in how adult–child communication in different cultures influences children’s storytelling. Which theoretical perspective has Mario probably chosen? How about Anna? Explain. Mario likely adopts a cognitive development perspective, focusing on age-related changes in memory and cognition. Anna's interest aligns with a sociocultural perspective, emphasizing cultural influences on communication and storytelling. 15. To illustrate the chronosystem in ecological systems theory, select an important event from your childhood, such as a move to a new neighborhood or a class with an inspiring teacher. How did the event affect you? How might its impact have differed had you been five years younger? How about five years older? The move to a new neighborhood during my childhood had a profound impact on my development. As the oldest child and now in college, it shaped my social, emotional, and academic experiences. Initially, the transition was challenging as I had to adapt to a new school, make new friends, and navigate a different community. Had I been five years younger during the move, the impact might have been more pronounced on my early social development. Younger children are often more adaptable, and the transition might have been smoother. However, the academic challenges could have been more significant as younger children may struggle with changes in educational settings. If I had been five years older during the move, the impact might have been less pronounced on my immediate development. Older individuals often have more established social circles and coping mechanisms. The academic impact might still be relevant, influencing decisions about future educational paths or career aspirations. 16. Why might a researcher choose structured observation over naturalistic observation? How about the reverse? What might lead the researcher to opt for clinical interviewing over systematic observation? Structured observation allows for controlled conditions, facilitating specific data collection. Naturalistic observation captures behavior in real-world settings. Researchers may choose one over the other based on study goals and context. Clinical interviewing is chosen when in-depth, subjective information is needed, while systematic observation provides more objective, quantitative data.
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17. What strengths and limitations do the clinical, or case study, method and ethnography have in common? Both methods offer rich, detailed insights into individual or cultural experiences but may lack generalizability. They are time- consuming and may be influenced by researcher bias. 18. A researcher wants to study the thoughts and feelings of children who have a parent on active duty in the military. Which method should she use? Why? Qualitative methods like interviews or open-ended surveys would be suitable for exploring the subjective experiences of children, allowing them to express thoughts and feelings in their own words. 19. Explain how cohort effects can distort the findings of both longitudinal and cross- sectional studies. How does the sequential design reveal cohort effects? Cohort effects result from historical or cultural differences among groups. Longitudinal studies may show cohort effects if individuals from different time periods are compared. Cross- sectional studies may conflate age and cohort effects. Sequential design, combining both methods, helps distinguish between age and cohort effects by studying multiple cohorts over time. 20. Review the field experiment on the impact of the Family Check-Up on page 39. Why is it ethically important for researchers to offer the intervention to the no- intervention control group after completion of the study? (Hint: Refer to Table 1.6 on page 45) It is ethically important because children are more vulnerable than adults to physical and psychological harm.Children should know their research rights: protection from harm, informed consent/assent, privacy, knowledge of results, and beneficial treatments. 21. A researcher compares children who went to summer leadership camps with children who attended athletic camps. She finds that those who attended leadership camps are friendlier. Should the investigator tell parents that sending children to leadership camps will cause them to be more sociable? Why or why not? The researcher should communicate to parents that there is an observed correlation between attending leadership camps and increased friendliness in children. While the observation suggests a connection, it's crucial to avoid stating a direct causation. This information can provide parents with insights into potential influences on their children's social skills, offering them an additional factor to consider when making decisions about their children's activities. 22. Suppose a researcher asks you to enroll your baby in a 10-year longitudinal study. What factors would lead you to agree and to stay involved? Do your answers shed light on why longitudinal studies often have biased samples? Explain. Personal considerations, such as belief in the study's importance, trust in the researchers, and perceived benefits, might lead someone to enroll. Longitudinal studies often face bias due to selective participation, as those willing to commit may differ from non-participants, impacting the sample's representativeness.