Answer to Question 1
ANSWER:
Piaget proposed that cognitive capacity develops in an unvarying sequence of stages. The stage of concrete operations takes place from ages seven to eleven. Children have developed the capacity to understand logical principles that apply to concrete external objects. Bernadette may be able to appreciate that some properties of an object remain the same, despite changes in appearance. She may be able to sort objects into categories and to appreciate the perspective of another viewer. She may also be able to think about two concepts at the same time. According to Piaget's theory, Bernadette may not be able to think logically about abstractions. Erikson's theory proposes that psychosocial development occurs in eight stages, each of which focuses on one issue or crisis that is especially important at that particular time of life. The industry versus inferiority stage occurs from age six through puberty. Children focus on acquiring basic social and intellectual skills during this period. Bernadette will either develop a sense of industry and curiosity and be eager to learn, or she will feel inferior and lose interest in the tasks before her.
Kohlberg's theory is concerned with the development of moral reasoning. He proposed that there are six stages of development in people's capacity to consider morals and ethics, but he did not suggest any particular ages at which each stage occurs. Many children and adolescents function at Stage 3, in which moral decisions are based on how others will feel about the action in question. Bernadette may base her moral judgments on pleasing others and getting their approval.
Answer to Question 2
ANSWER:
Newborn infants can see, although their vision seems to be much blurrier than that of adults. Their visual attention is typically focused on objects that exhibit movements, high contrast, large elements, and sharp contours. They seem to pay particular attention to human faces, and they exhibit size constancy but not depth perception. Newborns hear poorly but prefer the sound of human voices, particularly the type of speech we call baby talk. Newborns' senses of smell and taste are less acute than adults', but they do seem to prefer sweets and the smell of their mothers if breast-fed.
Infants' motor skills are also limited, but they do possess certain reflexes that enhance their chances of surviving. These reflexes include the grasping reflex, the rooting reflex, and the sucking reflex. Infants' learned motor skills develop quickly, and this development occurs as a result of both maturation and experimentation that allows them to roll over, sit, crawl, stand, and eventually walk.
