Developmental Psychology Flashcards

An 8-year-old child understands that when water is poured from a short, wide glass into a tall, narrow glass, the amount of water remains the same. According to Jean Piaget, this child is demonstrating an understanding of conservation, which is a hallmark of which stage of cognitive development?

Answer: Concrete Operational

The ability to understand the principle of conservation—that the quantity of something remains the same despite changes in its appearance—is a key characteristic of the Concrete Operational stage, which typically occurs from ages 7 to 11. Children in the earlier Preoperational stage are unable to grasp this concept because their thinking is dominated by perception and centration (focusing on only one aspect of a problem, like the height of the glass).

In Mary Ainsworth's "Strange Situation" procedure, an infant shows very little distress when the caregiver leaves the room. When the caregiver returns, the infant actively avoids contact and shows no preference for the caregiver over a stranger. This behavior is characteristic of which attachment style?

Answer: Anxious-Avoidant Attachment

Anxious-Avoidant attachment is characterized by an infant who shows little to no distress during separation from the caregiver and actively ignores or avoids the caregiver upon reunion. This pattern is thought to develop when caregivers are consistently unresponsive or rejecting of the infant's needs for comfort.

According to Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, the 'zone of proximal development' (ZPD) refers to:

Answer: The range of tasks that a child can perform with guidance from a more knowledgeable person but cannot yet perform alone.

Lev Vygotsky defined the zone of proximal development (ZPD) as the gap between what a learner can accomplish independently and what they can achieve with the guidance and support of a skilled partner, such as a teacher or peer. It represents the area where learning is most effective.

A 50-year-old woman feels a deep-seated need to contribute to society by mentoring younger employees at her job and volunteering for a local youth organization. She is focused on leaving a positive impact that will outlast her. According to Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, she is navigating which central conflict?

Answer: Generativity vs. Stagnation

The psychosocial conflict of middle adulthood (typically ages 40-65) is Generativity vs. Stagnation. Generativity involves finding a way to contribute to the next generation and the broader society, often through work, community involvement, or raising children. Successfully navigating this stage leads to a sense of purpose and care, while failure can result in feelings of unproductiveness and stagnation.

An individual states that stealing is always wrong because it is against the law, and laws must be obeyed to maintain social order and prevent chaos. This reasoning aligns with which level of Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development?

Answer: Conventional Morality

This reasoning is characteristic of the Conventional level of morality, specifically Stage 4: 'Maintaining the Social Order'. At this level, moral judgments are based on upholding laws, rules, and social conventions to ensure societal order and function. The focus is on duty and respecting authority, rather than personal consequences (Preconventional) or abstract ethical principles (Postconventional).

Which of the following research designs is most powerful for disentangling the relative influences of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) on human traits and behaviors?

Answer: A study comparing the trait similarity of monozygotic (identical) twins to dizygotic (fraternal) twins.

Twin studies are a cornerstone of behavioral genetics. By comparing the concordance rates of a trait between monozygotic twins (who share 100% of their genes) and dizygotic twins (who share about 50%), researchers can estimate the heritability of that trait. If identical twins are significantly more similar for a trait than fraternal twins, it suggests a strong genetic influence.