Development | OCR GCSE Psychology (J203)
Development
- 83 questions
- 5 subtopics
- Component 01
- Component 01
Development is examined in Component 01, Studies and applications in psychology 1.
It covers stages of development, the brain and IQ tests, Piaget's theory of cognitive development, Piaget's conservation of number study and education and Dweck's mindsets, Willingham and Blackwell's study.
Sample questions from Development
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Stages of development, the brain and IQ tests
What is adulthood?
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Adulthood is the stage from about 18 onwards, when physical growth is complete. The brain is usually fully mature by the mid-twenties. -
Stages of development, the brain and IQ tests
How do neurons and experience interact in the development of the brain?
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Connections between neurons that are used often are strengthened, while unused ones are pruned away. A child's experiences therefore shape the wiring of the developing brain. -
Structure of the brain
Where is the frontal lobe, and what are its functions?
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The frontal lobe is at the front of the cerebrum, behind the forehead. The frontal lobe controls planning, decision-making, self-control and voluntary movement, and Broca's area, usually in the left frontal lobe, produces speech. -
Structure of the brain
How might damage to the cerebellum affect a person's behaviour?
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A person with a damaged cerebellum may have clumsy, poorly co-ordinated movements and poor balance. Everyday actions such as walking steadily or picking up a cup can become difficult. -
Piaget's theory of cognitive development
What is object permanence?
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Object permanence is understanding that an object still exists when it is out of sight. A baby who searches for a toy hidden under a blanket has object permanence. -
Piaget's theory of cognitive development
What is reversibility?
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Reversibility is understanding that an action can be undone to restore the original state. A child who knows a spread-out row could be pushed back together shows reversibility. -
Piaget's conservation of number study and education
What did Piaget find at the second stage of number conservation?
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Children at the second stage could match objects one to one while the rows were lined up. When a row was spread out, the children believed the longer row held more. -
Piaget's conservation of number study and education
What is readiness in education?
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Readiness is the idea that a concept should only be taught once a child is cognitively able to understand it. Abstract algebra, for example, suits pupils in the formal operational stage.
The 5 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Stages of development, the brain and IQ tests | The pre-natal, childhood, adolescent and adult stages, neurons and synapses, synaptic pruning and myelination, and IQ tests, how their scores are worked out, and their criticisms. | 16 |
| Structure of the brain | The cerebrum, cerebral cortex and two hemispheres, the four lobes and their functions, the limbic system and hypothalamus, the cerebellum, and the brainstem and reticular activating system. | 17 |
| Piaget's theory of cognitive development | Invariant stages, schemas, assimilation and accommodation, object permanence, animism and egocentrism, decentration, reversibility and conservation, and reductionist and holistic views. | 16 |
| Piaget's conservation of number study and education | Piaget's counters task and its three stages of number conservation, McGarrigle and Donaldson's challenge, and key stages, readiness and active learning in schools. | 16 |
| Dweck's mindsets, Willingham and Blackwell's study | Fixed and growth mindsets, praise for effort, Willingham on learning styles and meaning, and Blackwell's study of mindsets and maths grades with its intervention. | 18 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
OCR GCSE Psychology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 577 questions with their answers.