Developmental Psychology Flashcards

Harlow's research with rhesus monkeys demonstrated that attachment is primarily driven by:

Answer: Contact comfort and warmth

Infant monkeys preferred the cloth surrogate mother, showing that contact comfort is more important than feeding in attachment formation.

During Piaget's concrete operational stage, children develop the concept of conservation, meaning they understand that:

Answer: Quantity remains the same despite changes in appearance

Conservation is the understanding that properties like volume and number are unchanged by superficial transformations.

Authoritative parenting is characterized by:

Answer: High warmth and high control with explanation of rules

Authoritative parents balance responsiveness and demandingness, explaining reasons behind rules, which is associated with the best child outcomes.

Adolescent egocentrism, as described by Elkind, includes the concept of the 'imaginary audience,' which refers to:

Answer: The belief that others are constantly observing and judging oneself

The imaginary audience reflects adolescents' belief that others are as focused on them as they are on themselves.

Which statement BEST describes the concept of epigenetics in developmental psychology?

Answer: Environmental factors can alter gene expression without changing DNA sequence

Epigenetics refers to changes in gene expression caused by environmental factors, without altering the underlying DNA sequence.

In information-processing theory, which memory system has the largest capacity and longest duration?

Answer: Long-term memory

Long-term memory has essentially unlimited capacity and can store information indefinitely, unlike sensory or working memory.

The concept of 'goodness of fit' in temperament research refers to:

Answer: The match between a child's temperamental style and the demands of the environment

Goodness of fit describes how well a child's temperament aligns with parental expectations and environmental demands, influencing adjustment.