Question

Your answers to these kinds of questions demonstrate an ability to comprehend and apply ideas discussed in this chapter.  Please use the key terms from the chapter to help you answer the following questions.  I expect thorough, well-thought out answers for each question.  Make sure to number your answers to the questions accordingly and proofread before submitting.  

1. What is the relationship between each of the substages in Piaget’s theory of the sensorimotor period? How does the infant get from one stage to the next?

2. Define language, and explain the concept of infinite generativity.

3. Discuss evidence regarding the nature and nurture bases for language development.

4. Summarize the milestones in the development of language by infants.

5. Explain how developmentalists have studied emotions in infants.

6. Discuss what we learn about infant cognitive and social development by studying infant smiling and crying.

7. Explain Erikson’s concept of trust versus mistrust. Give a hypothetical situation of a parent–infant interaction that leads to the infant developing trust and a hypothetical situation in which the infant would develop mistrust

Answer 1

Piaget has defined four stages which are necessary for cognitive development of children. These stages are as following:-

1. Sensori-motor stage:- It starts from birth to 2 years of age. In this stage, a sense of object permanence gets developed. Children also learn to make a coordination between senses. Coordination between senses and motor responses is being maintained. A curiosity also gets developed about the outside world.

2. Pre-operational stage:- This stage starts from 2 to 7 years of age. In this stage a symbolic thinking gets developed. Children also starts imagining various things. A sense of intuition also gets developed in this stage. Habit of conservation also gets developed in this stage.

3. Concrete Operational Stage:- This stage starts from 7 to 11 years of age. In this stage, children develop an understanding about time and space. Understanding about quality of something also gets developed in this stage.

4 . Formal Operational stage:- This stage starts from 11 years and goes on in later years of life. An ability of theoretical thinking gets developed in this stage. Counterfactual thinking also gets developed in this stage. Ability to form various strategies gets developed. Ability to plan something comes in this stage. Children also develops an ability to apply learned concept to some other places.