Question 1

How does Gibson's work help to explain the progress of reading skills in young children?

Accepted Answer

Gibson's work helps to explain the progress of reading skills in young children by emphasizing the importance of environmental and experiential factors in the development of perceptual and cognitive abilities. According to Gibson's theory of ecological perception, children learn to read by actively engaging with their surroundings and gaining experience with written language in meaningful contexts. This means that the more opportunities children have to interact with books, signs, and other written materials in their environment, the more they will develop their reading skills.

Gibson's work also highlights the role of perception-action coupling in learning to read. This means that as children interact with written language, they are simultaneously developing their perceptual abilities and motor skills, which are essential for reading. For example, as children practice tracking words on a page with their eyes and making connections between letters and sounds, they are also refining their visual and motor coordination.

Furthermore, Gibson's emphasis on the affordances of the environment suggests that the design and layout of reading materials can significantly impact children's reading progress. For instance, books with clear and visually engaging illustrations, as well as age-appropriate fonts and spacing, can enhance children's reading experiences and facilitate their skill development.

In summary, Gibson's work helps to explain the progress of reading skills in young children by highlighting the importance of environmental experiences, perception-action coupling, and the affordances of reading materials in shaping children's reading development. By understanding these factors, educators and parents can create rich and stimulating environments that support children's literacy growth.

Question 2

Jai is a developmentalist who believes in tenets of the differentiation theory of perceptual development.According to this perspective, which statement would Jai most likely support?

Accepted Answer

A)  Perception involves transforming a subjective reality into a personally relevant experience.
B)  We need to use our available schemes to interpret reality.
C)  The most important task of the young child is to learn to detect distinctive features.
D)  Sensory stimulation is often fragmented or confusing and the purpose of perception is to organize this stimulation and create meaning. C

Question 3

Describe the development of face perception from birth to 1 year of age.

Accepted Answer

At birth, infants are able to perceive faces and show a preference for looking at them. However, their ability to discriminate between different faces is limited. Over the first few months of life, infants begin to develop the ability to distinguish between different facial features, such as eyes, nose, and mouth. By around 3 months of age, infants can recognize and prefer familiar faces, such as their parents or caregivers.

As infants approach 6 months of age, they become more adept at processing and interpreting facial expressions. They can differentiate between different emotional expressions, such as happiness, sadness, and anger. This ability continues to develop over the next few months, with infants becoming more sensitive to subtle changes in facial expressions.

By the time infants reach 1 year of age, they have developed a more sophisticated understanding of faces and facial expressions. They are able to use this information to interpret and respond to social cues, such as understanding when someone is happy or upset. This development of face perception is crucial for infants' social and emotional development, as it allows them to engage in meaningful interactions with others and form secure attachments.

Question 4

How do researchers collect information about infant perception using the preference method?

Accepted Answer

A)  They observe which toy an infant plays with the most from a large group of toys.
B)  They ask parents which of several toys they think their infant would like best.
C)  They allow infants to choose which of two or three toys they want to play with.
D)  They simultaneously present two or more stimuli and then observe which stimulus the infant attends to more.

Question 5

Outline the basics of enrichment theory and differentiation theory.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Outline the basics of enrichment theory and...

Question 6

Every time three-year-old Erwin cried, his father would immediately pick him up, and he would stop crying.Now Erwin is a real crybaby.In this case, what has his father's behaviour acted as with respect to Erwin's crying behaviour?

Accepted Answer

A)  a positive reinforcer
B)  a conditioned stimulus
C)  a negative reinforcer
D)  an unconditioned stimulus

Question 7

Which of the following would be the most likely response of a newborn infant to his or her mother singing?

Accepted Answer

A)  orientation and attention
B)  orientation and decreased attention
C)  turning away and decreased motor behaviours
D)  turning away and soft, rhythmic crying

Question 8

Based on the results of research studies that have used the preference method, which of the following stimuli are infants most likely to prefer?

Accepted Answer

A)  familiar rather than novel
B)  novel rather than familiar
C)  stimuli presented to their right visual field
D)  stimuli presented to their left visual field

Question 9

Which type of learning best accounts for an infant's understanding that the changing table brings a clean diaper, that dad is a source of comfort, or that Aunt Sue is not a source of warmth?

Accepted Answer

A)  habituation
B)  classical conditioning
C)  operant conditioning
D)  observational learning

Question 10

Suppose that a child is frightened of dogs because of an experience with a dog that barked loudly and jumped on the child.Which of the following techniques involves replacing the negative association with a pleasant one?

Accepted Answer

A)  shaping
B)  extinction
C)  habituation
D)  counterconditioning

Question 11

As an infant, Shreya habituated very rapidly to changes in her environment.Now that it is time to enter school, the teacher tells Shreya's parents that he thinks Shreya should be tested for placement in a special class.Based on research on infant habituation, what type of child would be included in this class?

Accepted Answer

A)  children with advanced intellectual skills
B)  children with visual impairments
C)  children with general cognitive delay
D)  children with attention deficit disorder

Question 12

Describe the development of form perception from birth to 1 year of age.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the development of form perception from...

Question 13

In this example, what is the low battery power?

Accepted Answer

A)  a conditioned response
B)  an unconditioned stimulus
C)  a conditioned stimulus
D)  an unconditioned response

Question 14

At approximately what month of age is the visual acuity of an infant almost as well developed as that of an adult?

Accepted Answer

A)  2
B)  4
C)  6
D)  12

Question 15

Verbal rationales have been found to increase the effectiveness of punishment.What explanation has been offered for this effect?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Verbal rationales have been found to increase...

Question 16

Bandura maintained that observational learning has two advantages over other forms of learning.One is that a new response may be added through imitation of a model.What is a second advantage?

Accepted Answer

A)  Observational learning is possible at any age, while other forms of learning are not.
B)  Direct reinforcement is not needed to learn the behaviour.
C)  Only positive behaviours are acquired through observational learning.
D)  It eliminates the need for punishment.

Question 17

Suppose that you were a counsellor dealing with a family with a highly aggressive male child.In your view, frequent use of aversive punishment by the parents is contributing to the boy's aggression.What might you say to the parents to make them aware of the potential negative side effects of the use of punishment? What alternative discipline strategies might you suggest?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose that you were a counsellor dealing...

Question 18

Based upon the research of Kellman and Arteberry (2007), under what circumstances do 4-month-old infants infer "wholeness" of a partially hidden object?

Accepted Answer

A)  when it can be touched by the infant
B)  when it is moving
C)  when it is stationary
D)  when it is brightly coloured and very salient

Question 19

Nathaniel is an infant who has been exclusively breast-fed from birth.At what age would you expect that Nathaniel will first show a preference for the scent of a T-shirt or a brassiere worn by his mother?

Accepted Answer

A)  less than 24 hours after birth
B)  between 1 and 2 weeks of age
C)  about 1 month of age
D)  3 to 4 months of age

Question 20

Discuss how the four central developmental themes of the textbook relate to the issue of infant development, perception, and learning.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss how the four central developmental themes...

Exam 7: Early Cognitive Foundations: Sensation, Perception, and Learning