DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
PLAY AND PEERS
In connection to Vygotsky - developmental is social, and play is asocial so play may help
with cognitive development. 2 types of play:
- Practice play - repetition of skills that have already been mastered
- Symbolic play - pretend play
Effect of peers may be positive or negative
Studies
Russ
- Aimed to see how ability to perform in pretend/symbolic play predicted divergent
thinking (creative thinking and problem solving)
- Longitudinal study, measured level of pretend play, and then took a test of divergent
thinking, and then repeated it 4 years later (difficulty of test was adjusted)
- Found that early pretend play predicted divergent thinking later
Dodge
- Observed sociometric status - how well a child was accepted by peers
- To select the children to be observed, the researchers had each boy nominate three
classmates whom they like most and three whom they liked least, and nominate
classmates who best fit descriptors such as starts fights, is disruptive, etc
- Observations were conducted in the classrooms and lunchtime - 60 minutes per
child. Observations were conducted in five-minute blocks of time. After observation
was completed, the observer would randomly choose another boy from the list to
observe for five minutes. When all of the boys on the list had been observed, the
observer would either start back at the top of the list, or she would discontinue
observations for that day. ONLY MENTION IF ASKED ABOUT RESEARCH
METHOD, OTHERWISE UNIMPORTANT
- Results showed that, a child who was:
- accepted - good skills, better academic performance
- rejected aggressive - poor school performance, problems in future relationships
- rejected withdrawn - social anxiety/depression, low self-esteem, poor performance
- neglected - depression, may make some friends
Evaluation
Future behaviour can be predicted using idea of play, showing how it affects cognitive
development. But its is not clearly observable, hence clear cause and effect is not
established. Testable, evidence present, applicable in the sense play may help develop
cognitive skills, clear relationship not defined, predictable
TRAUMA AND RESILIENCE
Trauma - emotionally painful, shocking stressful, sometimes life-threatening situation
- may affect future relationships, IQ and cause dissociation - negative impact on
cognitive development.
- may be in the form of abuse or neglect
, Studies:
Curtiss
- Researched girl who was cruelly neglected and abused, strapped to a chair, beaten
for making sounds
- Found at the age of 13, could barely speak
- Started gathering info about her regular life, noting her comments, IQ and language
tests
- Found that she performed far worse cognitive tasks involving use of left hemisphere -
left hemisphere - severely underdeveloped
- Never recovered from her trauma, severely affected development
Koluchova
- Study on twins locked in basement by step mother- abused and neglected
- Found at the age of 7, could not walk, talk properly, afraid of a lot of objects
- Over the years, IQ was tested - showed increase
- By 14, performed well in school, motivated, went on to uni, developed good
relationship with others
These studies show that maybe up until a certain age, it is possible to be resilient, but if
crucial part of life for development - puberty - is under trauma, it can cause irreversible
effects.
Resilience - avoid adverse outcomes, do better than expected after facing trauma, bounce
back
Studies -
Koluchova
Rutter
- Studied Romanian adoptees who were institutionalized in adverse conditions - faced
deprivation and neglect
- Studied children who were adopted by 6 months, between 6 months and 2 years,
and after 2
- Studied thrice - at 4yrs, 6yrs and 11yrs.
- Parents were interviewed about attachment style
- At the beginning, during time of adoption, children were shorter than normal, showed
cognitive impairment, had attention difficulties
- However, later on, found out that children adopted before 2 years had no attachment
disorders, developing normally.
- If longer was spent in institution, more persistent cognitive deficiencies present
- Control group was used
The idea of age playing a role is strengthened by this study as well.
FACTORS AFFECTING DEVELOPMENT (SES/POVERTY)
Poverty/Low SES
- may cause high levels of stress which may affect cognitive functioning
- Worse academic performance
- Teen pregnancy
- Unemployment
- Causes parents to work long hours and neglect child
PLAY AND PEERS
In connection to Vygotsky - developmental is social, and play is asocial so play may help
with cognitive development. 2 types of play:
- Practice play - repetition of skills that have already been mastered
- Symbolic play - pretend play
Effect of peers may be positive or negative
Studies
Russ
- Aimed to see how ability to perform in pretend/symbolic play predicted divergent
thinking (creative thinking and problem solving)
- Longitudinal study, measured level of pretend play, and then took a test of divergent
thinking, and then repeated it 4 years later (difficulty of test was adjusted)
- Found that early pretend play predicted divergent thinking later
Dodge
- Observed sociometric status - how well a child was accepted by peers
- To select the children to be observed, the researchers had each boy nominate three
classmates whom they like most and three whom they liked least, and nominate
classmates who best fit descriptors such as starts fights, is disruptive, etc
- Observations were conducted in the classrooms and lunchtime - 60 minutes per
child. Observations were conducted in five-minute blocks of time. After observation
was completed, the observer would randomly choose another boy from the list to
observe for five minutes. When all of the boys on the list had been observed, the
observer would either start back at the top of the list, or she would discontinue
observations for that day. ONLY MENTION IF ASKED ABOUT RESEARCH
METHOD, OTHERWISE UNIMPORTANT
- Results showed that, a child who was:
- accepted - good skills, better academic performance
- rejected aggressive - poor school performance, problems in future relationships
- rejected withdrawn - social anxiety/depression, low self-esteem, poor performance
- neglected - depression, may make some friends
Evaluation
Future behaviour can be predicted using idea of play, showing how it affects cognitive
development. But its is not clearly observable, hence clear cause and effect is not
established. Testable, evidence present, applicable in the sense play may help develop
cognitive skills, clear relationship not defined, predictable
TRAUMA AND RESILIENCE
Trauma - emotionally painful, shocking stressful, sometimes life-threatening situation
- may affect future relationships, IQ and cause dissociation - negative impact on
cognitive development.
- may be in the form of abuse or neglect
, Studies:
Curtiss
- Researched girl who was cruelly neglected and abused, strapped to a chair, beaten
for making sounds
- Found at the age of 13, could barely speak
- Started gathering info about her regular life, noting her comments, IQ and language
tests
- Found that she performed far worse cognitive tasks involving use of left hemisphere -
left hemisphere - severely underdeveloped
- Never recovered from her trauma, severely affected development
Koluchova
- Study on twins locked in basement by step mother- abused and neglected
- Found at the age of 7, could not walk, talk properly, afraid of a lot of objects
- Over the years, IQ was tested - showed increase
- By 14, performed well in school, motivated, went on to uni, developed good
relationship with others
These studies show that maybe up until a certain age, it is possible to be resilient, but if
crucial part of life for development - puberty - is under trauma, it can cause irreversible
effects.
Resilience - avoid adverse outcomes, do better than expected after facing trauma, bounce
back
Studies -
Koluchova
Rutter
- Studied Romanian adoptees who were institutionalized in adverse conditions - faced
deprivation and neglect
- Studied children who were adopted by 6 months, between 6 months and 2 years,
and after 2
- Studied thrice - at 4yrs, 6yrs and 11yrs.
- Parents were interviewed about attachment style
- At the beginning, during time of adoption, children were shorter than normal, showed
cognitive impairment, had attention difficulties
- However, later on, found out that children adopted before 2 years had no attachment
disorders, developing normally.
- If longer was spent in institution, more persistent cognitive deficiencies present
- Control group was used
The idea of age playing a role is strengthened by this study as well.
FACTORS AFFECTING DEVELOPMENT (SES/POVERTY)
Poverty/Low SES
- may cause high levels of stress which may affect cognitive functioning
- Worse academic performance
- Teen pregnancy
- Unemployment
- Causes parents to work long hours and neglect child
