Question Bank

Chapter 2

1. (Read Bjorklund 28-30). What is the basic claim of the Developmental Systems Approach? Why is there a species-typical pattern given the relative plasticity of human development?

2. (Read Bjorklund 30-33). What is a critical period? What did Robert Licklitter find? What does Bjorklund have to say about timing in infants?3. Explain the Genotype --->Environment Theory. In particular, what are the claims of Scarr and McCartney's? What does Scarr have to say about "Good Enough" parents? What do you think?

4. What promotes development according to Bronfenbrenner? Give a real life example of what might promote development in children. What are the different contexts that influence development? How do you think the distal contexts of development influence children?

* Relate these theories/questions when possible to the issues of stages, continuity and discontinuity, empiricism, nativism, constructivism, domain general and domain specific, homogeneity, qualitiative changes vs. quantitiative changes, form and function.

Chapter 4

1. Explain Piaget’s theoretical approach to cognitive development. In your discussion, be sure to include the following constructs: cognitive structures, functional invariants, organization, adaptation, assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration. * Note: explain how organization and adaptation are interrelated.

2. According to Piaget, what energizes development or what promotes development? Also, what does it mean to be active or what is active according to Piaget? Finally, what is the relationship between learning and development?

3. Briefly describe the developmental progression through the sensorimotor stage. Explain how this progression is related to the notion of epigenesis. Is the relationship between organization and adaptation related to epigenesis?

4. Explain the concept of operation. What evidence does Bjorklund provide that suggests the notion of operation and the concept of stage may not be as useful as once thought?

Everyone answer the following:

5. What is the competence/performance issue? What have research studies addressing the competence/performance issue told us about Piaget’s work?

Chapter ??? Representation

1a. What is representation? (pp. 194) Why is it important? What are Piaget’s claims about infants’ abilities to represent the world? (pp. 194) Briefly explain the two ways in which symbolic (semiotic) function is expressed (pp.194-195) deferred imitation* mental imagery* languge*

1b. Neonatal imitation - Piaget says..... (pp. 195-196) What are the claims of Andrew Meltzoff & Keith Moore (1977)? (pp. 196) Was the finding consistent? What happens to imitation of facial gestures in infants? What were the three primary explanations for the perplexing findings about neonatal imitation? (learning, active intermodal mapping, fixed-action patterns) (pp.196-197)

Explain Jones (1996) pp.197, Bjorklund (1987) pp. 197, and Oppenheim (1981) pp.197; Meltzoff & Moore (1992) pp. 198 positions about the function of neonatal imitation. So, what does this research tell us?

2. Deferred Imitation

Piaget’s stance Meltzoff (1985) & others used what procedures to assess deferred imitation? (pp. 198) What were the findings? (Meltzoff, 1985; Hannah & Meltzoff, 1993, Meltzoff, 1988b); (pp. 198-199) So, what does this research tell us about representation in infants? (Nativism/constructivsm? Role of culture?)

3. Knowledge of Physical Objects (pp. 199-202) To discover infants knowledge of objects, what procedure was used? (199) Explain. Explain the Renee Baillargeon (1987) study. Detail the findings. Explain the interpretations a. Elizabeth Spelke (1991) - p. 202 (core knowledge, cohesion, continuity, contact) b. Gopnik & Meltzoff (1997)/Baillargeon (1994) - p. 202 (processing, architectual constraints) What do these findings mean ? (nativism vs. constructivism)

4. Early Number Concepts (Pp. 203-205) What’s the claim? Explain Karen Wynn’s (1992) study Are infants adding? Explain subitizing. So, what does this research tell us about the development of representation in children?

5. The Appearance/Reality Distinction a. Explain the appearance/reality distinction. 209-210 (identity; cognitive constancy) b. Explain DeVries study. pp. 210 c. What did this study tell us about young children--give an example. 210-211 d. What did Flavell et al. (1986) tell us about the validity of appearance/ reality distinction assessments? (p. 211) e. It this an all or nothing phenomena in children? f. What is the explanation for the appearance/reality distinction? (p.211)

6. Distinguishing Between Imagined And Real Events a. Can young children distinguish between imagined and real events? In all situations? Are there developmental changes? Use research studies to support your claims. (p. 212) b. What is source monitoring? What has studies of source monitoring told us? (p.212) c. Explain the Harris et al. (1991) research. (p.213) e. Explain Jacqueline Woolley’s (1997) perspective? (p.213)

7. Children’s Theory of Mind a. What does “theory of mind” refer to? Be sure to explain the notion of theory? (p.214) (You already know this one 8-) b. Wellman (1990) contends that adults use belief-desire reasoning . Explain this concept (have class refer to page 214 to help in your explanation). c. What are the two major subtopics of theory of mind research? Give a brief explanation of the subtopics. Why is this research topic significant? (p. 214)

8. False Belief Tasks I a. Explain the false belief tasks in detail. Use the Wimmer and Permer (1983) study with Maxi. Is their a methodological flaw in the research? (p.215) b. Why do 3-year-olds fail the false belief task? Use the Wimmer and Permer (1986) study to explain your answer. (p.216) “Smarties” c. How does Josef Perner (1991) explain these results? Wimemer and Permer (1983)? Frye, Zelazo, and Palfai (1995)? (give details about the Zelazo & Palfai study) (pp. 216-217)

9. False Belief Tasks II a. Is there a relationship between family size and false belief tasks? What is the relationship? Draw on the studies by Perner, Ruffman, & Leekam (1994), Jenkins & Astington (1996), Ted Ruffman, et al. (1998), Charlie Lewis et al. (1996). b. Explain the Clements & Perner (1994) study (p.217-218). [Refer to figure 7-8 to help students understand this study.]

10. Deception a. Why can the notion of “deception” be used to assess children’s theory of mind? (p. 218) b. What has observation of children’s behavior in everyday tasks told us? See Sullivan & Winner (1991) p. 219. c. Explain the Chandler et al. study. What were the five strategies employed by children? What made the fifth strategy so interesting. [Use table 7.1 to help the class understand the findings; p. 220] d. What is the contradictory evidence about children’s theory of mind (pp. 220)? e. Do three-year-olds have a theory of mind? (pp.220-221) (be sure to explain wishful thinking)

Study Questions Set 1

1. Define cognitive development. Include in your answer the nature of the relationship between structure, function and cognition. Explain what bidirectional means for structure and function.

2. One central issue in cognitive development is whether development is stagelike or not. Discuss what it means to be “stagelike.” Explain the identifying features of a stage.

3. Explain the important developmental issues around: a) qualitative vs. quantitative b) continuity vs. discontinuity c) homogeneity of cognitive function Why are each of these issues important to the study of knowledge/intellect?

4. Explain important issues involved in domain-general versus domain-specific abilities for cognitive development.

Study Questions Set 2

Chapter 2

1. Explain the Developmental Systems Approach to development. What do you think?

2. Explain what insights we have gained from the theoretical the notion of developmental timing. What do you think?

3. Explain the Genotype ---> Environment Theory. In particular, what are the claims of Scarr and McCartney’s? What does Scarr have to say about “Good Enough” parents? What do you think?

Chapter 4

4. Explain Piaget’s theoretical approach to cognitive development. In your discussion, be sure to include the following constructs: cognitive structures, functional invariants, organization, adaptation, assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration. * Note: explain how organization and adaptation are interrelated.

5. According to Piaget, what energizes development or what promotes development? Also, what does it means to be active or what is active according to Piaget? Finally, what is the relationship between learning and development?

Study Questions Set 3

1. Briefly describe the developmental progression through the sensorimotor stage. Explain how this progression is related to the notion of epigenesis.

2. Drawing from your own experiences, provide a detailed example of the process of equilibration. Be sure to include a discussion of the invariant processes assimilation and accommodation as part of your answer.

3. What is the competence/performance issue? What have research studies addressing the competence/performance issue told us about Piaget’s work?

4. Explain the concept of operation. What evidence does Bjorklund provide that suggests the notion of operation and the concept of stage may not be as useful as once thought?

Study Questions Set 4

1. What are the three theoretical approaches to learning and development according to Vygotsky? Be sure to explain the relationship between learning and development for each approach.

2. Vygotsky rejects each of the three earlier approaches to learning and development. Why? What does he offer as an alternative?

3. What are the American analogies of the Zo-ped? What are the problems with each analogy? What do Griffin & Cole offer as an alternative way of thinking about Zo-peds?

4. What is a leading activity? Explain microgenesis in a leading activity.

Study Questions Set 5

1. According to Rogoff, what are the three planes of a cultural practice (i.e., sociocultural activity)? Be sure to give examples! (Rogoff’s chapter) Are these planes related? Why in an understanding of these planes so important to Rogoff?

2. What is a cultural practice? (List the five characteristics.) Why is the notion of cultural practice important to the study of development? (Miller & Goodnow book chapter)--think of an example to help us understand this concept; you can use Rogoff’s work if that helps.

3. Summarize the similarities and differences of Piaget and Vygotsky (pages 17 to top of 26 in Tudge & Rogoff). Hint: there are 7 similarities. In the discussion of differences, address the following areas: mechanisms of social influence, age trends in the effects of social interaction, ideal role relations, direction of development, and underpinnings of the differences.

4. Summarize research findings on peers and the effects of social interaction (pages 26-36 in Tudge & Rogoff). In your discussion of the research, address the following issues: mechanisms of social influence, age trends in the effects of social interaction, ideal role relations, differences between peers, direction of development, and Tudge & Rogoff conclusions.

Study Questions Set 6

1. Briefly describe the components of the information processing system. Explain how each component changes with development.

3. Discuss the role of strategies in cognitive development. Describe the course of developmental change in the use of strategies.

Study Questions Set 8

1. Discuss the ways in which infants’ cognitive abilities are more sophisticated than Piaget’s observation suggested. Explain why recent research has found more advanced abilities.

2. Discuss the development of children’s theories of mind. In what ways are children’s theories similar to or different from adults’? What factors limit their theories?

3. Discuss the development of children’s semantic memory. How do their classification styles change over time? Do the changes reflect stages? Why or why not?

Study Questions Set 9

1. What is communicative competence? What do we know about children’s communicative competence?

2. What is the self-regulatory function of language?

3. Explain the development of inner speech according to Vygotsky.

4. What is socialization? Give a brief example.

5. What are the three dimensions of a narrative? Which of these dimensions is most significant to the co-production of knowledge? Why?

6. Explain how theories and stories are similar.

Study Questions Set 10

1. Discuss either a) the psychometric approach to intelligence (be sure to include a discussion of various psychometric approaches and how these views differ) or b) the information processing approach to intelligence. What factors are examined by the IP approach? What tasks are used in the IP approach?

2. Discuss the importance of context to intelligence. What role does context play in Piagetian, Information Processing, and Vygotskian theories?

3. To what extent is human intelligence plastic (i.e., can it be changed as a result of experience)? How does the plasticity of intelligence change with age?

4. Discuss the stability of intelligence over childhood. What does stability tell us about individual children’s intelligence?