Short answer questions key. Note, that this key was compiled from answers some students
in the class actually wrote down during this exam. Therefore, these are examples of what
was deemed a really good answer for each question.
1. What is the strange situation (1 point)? How does a securely attached baby
typically react to the strange situation (1 point)? What evidence is there to suggest
that a secure attachment status in infancy is linked to later positive developmental
outcomes (1 point)?
a. Answer: The strange situation is an experimental paradigm designed to
measure infants (1-2 yrs) attachment to a caregiver by observing their
reactions in 8 episodes that feature the parent leaving, a stranger and
parent remains. Securely attached infants use the parent as a secure base
when they are present, are distressed when the parent leaves but are
calmed quickly when they return and immediately greet the parent and
seek contact. In a longitudinal study, securely attached infants had
positive developmental outcomes at multiple ages. For example, at age 11
years children that had been securely attached infants had better social
skills and more favorable relationships with their peers than did other
children.
2. How did Harlow’s monkey studies influence our understanding of the formation
of affectionate bonds between infants and mothers? Describe the method (1 point)
and results (1 point) of a study performed by Harlow to investigate factors that
influence the establishment of infant-mother attachment. Based on these findings,
what factor(s) did Harlow argue are important for the formation of attachment
(identify at least one factor; 1 point)
a. Answer: In Harlow’s study, he separated infant Rhesus monkeys from
their birth mothers and isolated them with a wire surrogate that provided
food and a cloth surrogate mother that provided no food. The monkeys
spent time on the wire surrogate only to feed, and the rest of the time
stayed on the cloth mother, indicating an attachment to the cloth
surrogate. Before Harlow’s studies, people believed the infant-mother
attachment was formed solely out of infant’s need of mother for food,
however, Harlow’s studies showed that the attachment between infant and
mother is actually for physical characteristics that the infant seeks from
the mother, such as softness.
3. How can studies of deaf signers inform our understanding of the brain and how the
brain processes language? Provide one piece of evidence indicating that the same
areas of the brain involved in producing or understanding spoken language are also
involved in sign language (1 point). Describe one piece of evidence suggesting that
the cognitive systems that support nonlinguistic spatial abilities differ from those that
support sign-language abilities (1 point). According to Hickok et al, why does the
neural organization of sign language have more in common with spoken language
than it does with visual-spatial processing (1 point)?
a. Answer: Studies of deaf people with left-hemisphere brain damage show
parallels between their sign language impairment and the spoken
impairment of hearing individuals with similar damage. For example,
when Broca’s area is damaged in hearing individuals they become unable
to produce speech normally, while deaf individual’s with Broca’s area
damage become unable to sign normally (it becomes very difficult for their
hands to produce the correct signs). Additionally, studies of deaf people
with right-hemisphere damage show that while their spatial abilities are
impaired (i.e. drawing), their signing abilities are basically unimpaired
(other than their struggle of the spatial location of characters in a story).
Hicock deduced that because signing impairments mirror left-hemisphere
language damage and because right-hemisphere spatial damage doesn’t
affect signing, that the neural organization of sign language has more in
common with spoken language than with visual-spatial processing.
4. Define temperament (1 point). What distinguished easy babies from difficult
babies in Thomas & Chess’ 1977 study (1 point)? Provide one piece of evidence
for stability in temperament over time (1 point).
a. Answer: Temperament refers to stable individual differences in quality and
intensity of emotional reaction, activity level and emotional regulation. In the
Thomas and Chess study, easy babies were found to be able to adjust to new
situations easily, were easy to calm and generally were happy and cheerful.
However, difficult babies didn’t adjust well to new situations, responded
negatively and intensely when uncomfortable and had irregular caretaking habits
from mothers. Stability is shown through difficult babies having a more difficult
time in adjusting at school and at home in later life, while easy babies had an
easier did not show this.
5.
What do infants understand about number? Identify and define at least one aspect
of basic numerical knowledge that infants possess (1 point). Describe the methods
(1 point) and results (1 point) of a study that suggests that infants may be sensitive
to the outcomes of simple addition and subtraction events.
a. Answer: One aspect of numerical knowledge that infants possess is cardinality,
which is the ability to distinguish between different numbers of objects. One study
had infants look at either one or two toys, which were then covered by a screen.
Then, in the eyesight of the infant, an experimenter would either add one toy
behind the screen (if there was one there to begin with) or subtract one toy from
behind the screen (if two to begin with). How long infants gazed at the scene
once the screen was lowered was a measure of whether what the infant saw was
expected or unexpected (longer gaze). It was found that infants were surprised
when the number of toys that should be there (either 1+1=2 or 2-1=1) wasn’t
what was actually there, which suggests that infants may be sensitive to the
outcomes of simple addition and subtraction, though some argue that this result
could be better explained by subitizing.
6.
What is analogical reasoning (1 point)? Describe the method (1 point) and results
(1 point) of one study that investigated analogical reasoning in infants or children.
a. Answer: Analogical reasoning is the understanding of a novel problem in terms
of a familiar problem and it requires the ability to ignore surface structure while
paying attention to parallels in deep structure. In one study, children were given
specific tools and were asked to move gumballs from one bowl to another out-of
–reach bowl. Before trying, children were told stories about a genie in a similar
situation (he had to move jewels from one bottle to an out of reach bottle) with
half the children hearing that the genie did this by rolling up his magic carpet and
passing the jewels through it, while the other half heard that he did this by using
his magic staff to bring the second bottle closer. It was found that the children
solved the problem similarly to the way they heard that the genie solved it (e.g.
they used a tube to transfer gumballs or they used a tool to bring the other bowl
closer). This study showed that children are able to engage in analogical transfer
and therefore in relational mapping.