UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
College of Human Sciences — Department of Psychology of Education
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
CAD1501: Child and Adolescent Development
Assignment 2 — Year Module, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
CAD1501
Module Code:
Child and Adolescent Development
Module Name:
Assignment 02
Assignment Number:
25 May 2026
Due Date:
50
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for CAD1501 — UNISA 2026
,UNISA | CAD1501 Assignment 2 — 2026
Question 1: True or False Statements
Child and adolescent development is a multifaceted field that draws on psychology, biology,
and education to explain how individuals grow across interconnected domains (Shonkoff and
Phillips, 2000). The statements below are evaluated against established developmental theory.
Table 1: Question 1 — True/False Responses
Item Statement Answer
1.1 Emotional self-regulation is unrelated to social development. FALSE
1.2 Holistic development means the five domains function in isolation. FALSE
1.3 The foetus can demonstrate reflexes and early sensory responses before birth. TRUE
1.4 All children progress through grief or developmental stages in the same way. FALSE
1.5 In Vygotsky’s theory, learning can lead to development via scaffolding. TRUE
1.6 Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause FAS features and cognitive deficits. TRUE
1.7 Nature = genetics, nurture = environment. TRUE
1.8 Social identity refers only to personal traits and excludes group membership. FALSE
Justifications
1.1 — FALSE. Emotional self-regulation and social development are deeply interrelated.
A child who cannot manage frustration or anger will struggle to maintain peer relationships
(Thompson, 1994). The two domains develop in tandem through daily social interactions.
1.2 — FALSE. Holistic development explicitly describes how physical, cognitive, social, emo-
tional, and moral domains operate together rather than in isolation. Progress in one domain
consistently enables progress in others (teachers.institute, 2025; Shonkoff and Phillips, 2000).
1.3 — TRUE. By the second trimester, the foetus demonstrates primitive reflexes such as
the Moro and sucking reflexes, and the auditory system is sufficiently developed to respond to
sound by approximately 18–20 weeks of gestation (Moore and Persaud, 2016).
1.4 — FALSE. Developmental and grief theorists such as Kubler-Ross acknowledge that
individuals move through stages at different rates and may skip or revisit stages; there is no
single fixed sequence applicable to all children (Papalia and Martorell, 2021).
1.5 — TRUE. Vygotsky (1978) argued that learning, when mediated by a More Knowledge-
able Other (MKO) within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), drives cognitive devel-
opment forward. Scaffolding is the mechanism through which this mediated learning occurs
(Vygotsky, 1978).
Page 2 of 13
,UNISA | CAD1501 Assignment 2 — 2026
1.6 — TRUE. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is a confirmed teratogen. Research con-
ducted in South Africa demonstrates that PAE produces Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
features including craniofacial anomalies, growth retardation, and lasting cognitive deficits
(Alabi and Jacob, 2025).
1.7 — TRUE. The nature–nurture distinction assigns genetic inheritance to “nature” and
environmental influences such as nutrition, caregiving, and culture to “nurture” (Papalia and
Martorell, 2021). Both forces interact continuously throughout development.
1.8 — FALSE. Social identity theory, as articulated by Tajfel and Turner (1979), defines so-
cial identity as the portion of self-concept derived from group membership, including national,
ethnic, and religious affiliations. It explicitly extends beyond individual personal traits.
Key Distinction
Nature vs. Nurture: Genetics and environment do not operate independently; epige-
netic research confirms that environmental experiences can activate or suppress genetic
expression, making the interaction between nature and nurture the most accurate
framing (Papalia and Martorell, 2021).
Page 3 of 13
, UNISA | CAD1501 Assignment 2 — 2026
Question 2: Column Matching
Each concept in Column A is matched to the most accurate definition in Column B, drawing
on Piagetian and Vygotskian developmental frameworks.
Table 2: Question 2 — Column A to Column B Matching
Item Column A Term Match Column B Definition
2.1 Assimilation I Fitting new information into an existing
schema without changing the schema
2.2 Accommodation B Schema modification to include new infor-
mation
2.3 Zone of Proximal Development C The range where a learner succeeds with
(ZPD) guidance
2.4 Scaffolding A Temporary support that is gradually with-
drawn
2.5 Foetal Alcohol Syndrome E Growth retardation and cognitive or cran-
iofacial profile
2.6 Collectivism F Group goals and interdependence priori-
tised
2.7 Sensorimotor stage G Learning through senses/actions
2.8 Teratogen timing H Organogenesis (weeks 3–8) is most vulner-
able
Note on item 2.1: The provided Column B options did not include a definition for assimila-
tion (Piaget’s process of incorporating new information into an existing schema unchanged).
The closest available option was used; the correct definition of assimilation is incorporating
new experience into a pre-existing schema without altering it (Piaget, 1952).
Key Distinction
Scaffolding (A) vs. Scaffolding as Described in Option D: Options A and D
both describe scaffolding. Option A (“temporary support that is gradually withdrawn”)
captures the structural definition; Option D (“adult help that fades as competence
increases”) describes the process. Wood, Bruner, and Ross (1976) established that
effective scaffolding involves both elements simultaneously.
Page 4 of 13
College of Human Sciences — Department of Psychology of Education
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
CAD1501: Child and Adolescent Development
Assignment 2 — Year Module, 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
CAD1501
Module Code:
Child and Adolescent Development
Module Name:
Assignment 02
Assignment Number:
25 May 2026
Due Date:
50
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for CAD1501 — UNISA 2026
,UNISA | CAD1501 Assignment 2 — 2026
Question 1: True or False Statements
Child and adolescent development is a multifaceted field that draws on psychology, biology,
and education to explain how individuals grow across interconnected domains (Shonkoff and
Phillips, 2000). The statements below are evaluated against established developmental theory.
Table 1: Question 1 — True/False Responses
Item Statement Answer
1.1 Emotional self-regulation is unrelated to social development. FALSE
1.2 Holistic development means the five domains function in isolation. FALSE
1.3 The foetus can demonstrate reflexes and early sensory responses before birth. TRUE
1.4 All children progress through grief or developmental stages in the same way. FALSE
1.5 In Vygotsky’s theory, learning can lead to development via scaffolding. TRUE
1.6 Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause FAS features and cognitive deficits. TRUE
1.7 Nature = genetics, nurture = environment. TRUE
1.8 Social identity refers only to personal traits and excludes group membership. FALSE
Justifications
1.1 — FALSE. Emotional self-regulation and social development are deeply interrelated.
A child who cannot manage frustration or anger will struggle to maintain peer relationships
(Thompson, 1994). The two domains develop in tandem through daily social interactions.
1.2 — FALSE. Holistic development explicitly describes how physical, cognitive, social, emo-
tional, and moral domains operate together rather than in isolation. Progress in one domain
consistently enables progress in others (teachers.institute, 2025; Shonkoff and Phillips, 2000).
1.3 — TRUE. By the second trimester, the foetus demonstrates primitive reflexes such as
the Moro and sucking reflexes, and the auditory system is sufficiently developed to respond to
sound by approximately 18–20 weeks of gestation (Moore and Persaud, 2016).
1.4 — FALSE. Developmental and grief theorists such as Kubler-Ross acknowledge that
individuals move through stages at different rates and may skip or revisit stages; there is no
single fixed sequence applicable to all children (Papalia and Martorell, 2021).
1.5 — TRUE. Vygotsky (1978) argued that learning, when mediated by a More Knowledge-
able Other (MKO) within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), drives cognitive devel-
opment forward. Scaffolding is the mechanism through which this mediated learning occurs
(Vygotsky, 1978).
Page 2 of 13
,UNISA | CAD1501 Assignment 2 — 2026
1.6 — TRUE. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is a confirmed teratogen. Research con-
ducted in South Africa demonstrates that PAE produces Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
features including craniofacial anomalies, growth retardation, and lasting cognitive deficits
(Alabi and Jacob, 2025).
1.7 — TRUE. The nature–nurture distinction assigns genetic inheritance to “nature” and
environmental influences such as nutrition, caregiving, and culture to “nurture” (Papalia and
Martorell, 2021). Both forces interact continuously throughout development.
1.8 — FALSE. Social identity theory, as articulated by Tajfel and Turner (1979), defines so-
cial identity as the portion of self-concept derived from group membership, including national,
ethnic, and religious affiliations. It explicitly extends beyond individual personal traits.
Key Distinction
Nature vs. Nurture: Genetics and environment do not operate independently; epige-
netic research confirms that environmental experiences can activate or suppress genetic
expression, making the interaction between nature and nurture the most accurate
framing (Papalia and Martorell, 2021).
Page 3 of 13
, UNISA | CAD1501 Assignment 2 — 2026
Question 2: Column Matching
Each concept in Column A is matched to the most accurate definition in Column B, drawing
on Piagetian and Vygotskian developmental frameworks.
Table 2: Question 2 — Column A to Column B Matching
Item Column A Term Match Column B Definition
2.1 Assimilation I Fitting new information into an existing
schema without changing the schema
2.2 Accommodation B Schema modification to include new infor-
mation
2.3 Zone of Proximal Development C The range where a learner succeeds with
(ZPD) guidance
2.4 Scaffolding A Temporary support that is gradually with-
drawn
2.5 Foetal Alcohol Syndrome E Growth retardation and cognitive or cran-
iofacial profile
2.6 Collectivism F Group goals and interdependence priori-
tised
2.7 Sensorimotor stage G Learning through senses/actions
2.8 Teratogen timing H Organogenesis (weeks 3–8) is most vulner-
able
Note on item 2.1: The provided Column B options did not include a definition for assimila-
tion (Piaget’s process of incorporating new information into an existing schema unchanged).
The closest available option was used; the correct definition of assimilation is incorporating
new experience into a pre-existing schema without altering it (Piaget, 1952).
Key Distinction
Scaffolding (A) vs. Scaffolding as Described in Option D: Options A and D
both describe scaffolding. Option A (“temporary support that is gradually withdrawn”)
captures the structural definition; Option D (“adult help that fades as competence
increases”) describes the process. Wood, Bruner, and Ross (1976) established that
effective scaffolding involves both elements simultaneously.
Page 4 of 13
