Psychologyof Parent Assignment #2

Please follow the questions and information, and answer ALL the questions (Q1-34).

Answer ALL the questions.

General guidelines: a good answer will address every part of the question and will describe the
child’s behavior and provide 1 or 2 supporting examples. In addition, wherever possible, you should
relate your descriptions and explanations of the child’s behavior to the concepts, theories and
research covered in class or in the readings. Please avoid expressing an unfounded opinion – try to
base your arguments on research studies and conclusions, or a theory that seems well supported by
the research in the field. The questions are printed below along with a scoring rubric.

Infants and Toddlers

Set 1: 9 months

1. How does your baby’s eating, sleeping and motor development compare to the typical
developmental patterns in the first 9 months?

–1 point for describing VC’s behavior in each of two domains and referring to what might be
expected at these ages. (2 points)

2. At 8 months of age was your child an “easy”, “slow to warm up”, or “difficult” baby in terms
of Thomas and Chess’s classic temperamental categories? On what do you base this
judgment?

—1 point for explaining the category, and one point for a supporting observation on VC’s behavior
(2 points)

3. How is your child’s attachment relationship to you or your partner (whoever is the mother)
developing? What is happening at the 3-month and 8-month periods that might affect
attachment security according to Bowlby and Ainsworth, and various research studies?

—1 point each for describing two aspects of the child’s behavior that indicate attachment is
developing at 3 or 8 months, and 1 point for describing one aspect of parental behavior that may
affect attachment security. (3 points)

Set 2: 19 months

4. Describe and give examples of changes in your child’s exploratory or problem-solving
behavior from 8 through 18 months and categorize them according to Piagetian and
information processing theories.

— 1 point for describing an improvement or a qualitatively new behavior and one point for
explaining it using a specific Piagetian or information processing concept to classify the child’s
behavior (2 points)

5. Analyze your baby’s temperament in more detail at 19 months than you did at 8 months.
How would you describe your baby in terms of the five aspects of temperament utilized by the
Virtual Child program (activity, sociability, emotionality, aggressiveness vs. cooperativeness,
and self-control)? Has your child’s temperament been stable over the first 18 months? A blurb
defining and providing examples of the five aspects of temperament is provided at 12 months
in the program. Explain how the concept of goodness of fit (also discussed in the blurb on
infant temperament) applies to your interactions with your child.

—-1/2 point for giving a supporting example of each of the five aspects of temperament, 1⁄2 point
for addressing the issue of stability and 1 point for discussing and giving an example of goodness of
fit (4 points)

6. Is your child delayed or advanced in any area of development according to the 19-month
developmental examiner’s report? Based on what you have studied, do you think this is most
likely a result of specific biological or environmental factors?

–1 point for describing an area of delay or advancement, 1 point for a hypothesis and 1 point for
evidence regarding biological or environmental factors from the lecture or readings (3 points)

Set 3: 30 months

7. Describe your child’s communication and language development in the first 30 months. Is
your child developing at a typical or atypical rate?
—1 point for a general description of his/her language development and 1 point for
discussing specific evidence of either normal or atypical development (2 points)

8. Have there been any environmental events in your child’s first 2 1/2 years that you think
might have influenced his or her behavior? On what do you base your hypotheses?
—- 1 point for each of two environmental events – be sure to explain how you think they influenced
your child (2 points)

9. How is your child progressing on typical toddler issues, such as learning household rules,
learning to follow routines, listening to you, developing self-control and learning to get along
with other children?
—-1 point for each of three toddler issues (total of 3 points)

10. Analyze your own parenting philosophy and practices. What principles from learning or
social learning theory, Bowlby, Ainsworth, Piaget, Vygotsky, information processing theory,
neuroscience or other theories do you appear to have relied on in making your parenting
choices or interpreting your child’s behavior? Include three principles and identify one or more
theorists who espoused these principles in your answer.
—-1 point for discussing an example from your parenting that fits a concept or principle from each
of three theories you select from the list above (3 points)

3 years

11. What activities and experiences have you and your child engaged in that might be
promoting healthy behavioral practices and an interest in physical activity? Refer to the book
and lecture where needed.
—1 point for each of three activities or experiences (3 points)

12. Describe the development of your child’s language and cognitive skills and discuss how
these might be affecting his or her interactions with you & your responses. Refer to the text or
lecture for descriptions and explanations of each area of skill.

—1 point for each of three examples illustrating changes in cognitive or language skills and one
point for explaining how they might affect your interactions with your child (4 points)

13. How well is your child adapting to social situations in the home and outside the home?
Does your child have any behavior or emotional problems at this point? Why do you think
these problems are occurring and what are you doing about them? Refer to the text or lecture
as needed.

—1 point for an instance of adaptation in the home and 1 point for an instance outside the home. 1
point for describing a problem (or an area in which the child needs improvement) and what the
parent is doing or plans to do about it. (3 points)

4 years

14. How would you characterize your parenting style (e.g., authoritative, authoritarian,
permissive, or variations or combinations of these styles)? Refer to the book or lecture
descriptions to justify your
classification. How have your specific parenting techniques changed since infancy?

— 1 point each for two examples describing your parenting style, and 1 point for illustrating how
specific parenting techniques have changed since infancy (3 points)

15. Describe three specific examples of changes in your child’s behavior at age 4 that seem to
stem from growth in cognitive and language ability since the period of infancy (e.g.,
improvements in symbolic thinking, reasoning, knowledge of the world, theory of mind). Refer
to the book or lecture.

— 1 point for each of three examples of changes in behavior; be sure to use one or more concepts
from the course, including but not limited to those listed above (3 points)

16. How would you characterize your child’s personality? Would you say that your child is
primarily overcontrolled, under controlled or resilient? Support your argument. Recall that the
Virtual Child’s behavior at age 3 and 4 is designed to resemble one of three personality types.
The personality types combine some of the temperamental traits with which you are already
familiar. The overcontrolled category refers to a child who is cooperative and follows the rules
but is shy in social situations and anxious and clingy under pressure. The under controlled
category refers to a child who is uncooperative or even aggressive, does not follow the rules,
may or may not be shy in social situations, and tends to become distracted and overly
emotional, particularly when under stress. The resilient category refers to a child who is
cooperative and follows the rules, is friendly, non-aggressive and outgoing, able to focus on
tasks without being too distracted, has good regulation of his or her emotions, and is
adaptable to new situations. Refer to the course reader and lecture.

— 4 points for a well-documented explanation, with two examples of behavior in different situations
that support your argument (4 points)

Questions that go with either 3 years or 4 years, or both

17. Look for evidence of continuity as well as discontinuity in your child’s behavior from
infancy through early childhood. Give an example of an aspect of ability or personality that has
remained fairly stable. Give an example of an aspect of ability or personality that has been
unstable. Why do you think change occurred in one area and not the other? Refer to the book
or lecture with regard to reasons for continuity or discontinuity. (3 points)

—1 point each for examples of continuity and of discontinuity. One point for a reasonable
explanation, referring to information from the book or lecture where possible, that might account for
either continuity or discontinuity. (3 points total)

18. Your Virtual child is growing up basically in an average American cultural setting. Based on
what you have learned from the course, how specifically might your child’s behavior be
different if she was raised in a different culture? Alternatively, if you are familiar with a
different culture (e.g., you or your parents were raised in a country outside America with a
very different culture), you can describe how your parenting, or your child’s behavior might be
different within that cultural setting. As a third option, describe and give examples of how your
parenting style, or any other aspect of your parenting, has been influenced by your cultural
background or other experiences.

—1 point each for providing examples or explanations of three possible cultural differences or
influences on your parenting. Describe the rationale for your claim, and the source of your
information (book or lecture, or your own experience growing up at least partially within a particular
culture). (3 points)

19. Based on the evidence from age 6 and 8 years, how well is your child adapting to the
school social environment and to the peer group? To what extent does this adaptation seem
to depend on personality characteristics that are fairly stable in your child, and to what extent
does your child seem to be developing novel behavior to cope with these new situations?
Refer to the textbook and lecture for particular points about the responses of children in this
age group to the peer group and the school environment.

–1 point for an example of adapting to the school social environment and 1 point for an example of
peer group adaptation. 2 points for discussing how any of these adaptive responses depend on your
child’s personality vs. novel behavior evoked by the unique demands. (4 points total)

20. How smart is your child, and in what areas? Refer to the summary of multiple intelligences
that appeared at age 6 and to sections of your textbook and the course reader article on
multiple intelligences. Find specific evidence regarding your child’s verbal, logical-
mathematical, spatial, musical and bodily-kinesthetic intelligence from your observations of
your own child as well as the psychologist’s report at age 8 years, 11 months and explain how
it ties in to the material in your text and course reader.

— 1 point for an example illustrating your child’s level in four of the five areas of intelligence (4
points)

21. Describe some examples of your child’s behavior or thinking that you think are due to
typical American gender role socialization and explain why you think so, referring to the text
and lectures regarding gender roles and sex differences in behavior. Several examples can be
found in the Virtual Child program at ages 6 and 8. How closely does your attitude toward
gender roles correspond to typical American attitudes, and if there is a discrepancy, to what
do you attribute this (e.g., cultural background, attitudes of your own parents, etc.)?

— 1 point for each of two examples illustrating gender role socialization and 1 point for discussing
evidence from the book and lecture about gender roles and comparing them to your own attitudes.
One point for giving an example from the program of how you have put your attitudes into play (4
points)

22. Describe changes in your child’s academic skills between ages 6 and 10 and assess how
well these skills are developing. If your child has any problems that affect school work, such
as dyslexia, ADHD, or low levels of verbal, mathematical/scientific or spatial ability. Describe
these problems and explain what you and the teachers are doing about them. The 5th grade
report card will be useful for this, but you should also incorporate your own observations. If
your child doesn’t have any academic difficulties, describe what you are doing any way to help
your child do well in math/science and literacy (reading, writing and communicating).

—– 1 point each for two aspects of academic skills, which can include oral
language/communication, reading, spelling, writing, understanding of science or social studies, and
mathematics, and 1 point for explaining and giving examples of how you are helping in each area. (4
points)

23. How well is your child adapting to social situations in the home and outside the home?
Does your child have any behavior or emotional problems that have become apparent
between 6 and 10 years of age? (some possibilities include internalizing and externalizing
problems, ADHD, and obesity). Why do you think these problems are occurring and what are
you doing about them?

—-1 point each for providing an example to illustrate how well the child is adapting in the home and
outside the home. 1 point for describing a problem or an area in which the child needs improvement
and providing a hypothesized reason for the problem and 1 point for describing what you are doing
about these problems. (4 points)

24. Has your parenting changed since the preschool period and if so, why do you think it has
changed and what effect might this have on your child? Refer to your textbook or lecture
notes for evidence on typical changes in parenting that occur in middle childhood.
—1 point each for describing two ways in which your parenting has changed, 1 point for thinking
about why it has changed and 1 point for hypothesizing about effects on the child. Be sure to
include evidence from the text or lecture about typical changes in parenting in middle childhood. (4
points)

25. Has your child’s personality type changed since age 4? Are there any personality traits and
abilities on which your child closely resembles you? Describe two of them. Do you think this
comes about because of a “genetic” resemblance (i.e., your questionnaire responses) or some
consistent practices you’ve followed in your parenting? For example, if you and your child are
both highly open to experience, and you took every available opportunity to explore new
things with your child, is it possible you’ve taught your child to be open to experience?

—1 point for describing your child’s personality type and backing this up with observations, and 1
point for each of the two personality traits you have chosen for comparison to yourself. 1 point for
discussing the issue of genetic vs. environmental influences and citing observations within Virtual
Child to support either a genetic or environmental contribution to behavior. (4 points total).

26. In what ways have factors from Microsystems outside the family, from the mesosystem,
and the ecosystem possibly influenced your child’s development at ages 6, 8 and 10? Find four
examples of such influences and make clear why you believe they should be categorized at
the particular level you chose within Bronfenbrenner’s model. For example, you could choose
two microsystems (e.g., classroom and peer group), one mesosystem (parent-peer relations
or parent- teacher relations) and one ecosystem (something affecting the parent directly but
the child only indirectly, through the parent.

—1 point for each of four examples and an accompanying justification. (4 points total).

Adolescence (12-18 years)

27. Describe any physical or behavioral signs of incipient puberty, including changes in
physical appearance, behavior or emotions at ages 12 and 14 years.
—1 point each for three examples of physical and/or behavioral (which can include cognitive, social
or emotional) signs of puberty and a citation of the text or lecture as a source indicating why these
types of changes are important (3 points).

28. What activities and experiences at ages 12 and 14 has your teen been involved in that
might promote healthy behavioral practices, physical fitness and skill in sports?

—-1 point each for examples of two activities that promote physical health and/or sports skill and 1
point for citing arguments from the course or the readings as to why these activities are beneficial (3
points)

29. Describe one change in your child’s thinking (e.g., changes in humor, abstract thinking, or
theory of mind) and discuss how this might be affecting his or her interactions with you & your
responses and his or her interactions with peers. Cite evidence from the course that these
kinds of changes occur in early adolescence.

—1 point for describing an example, 1 point for analyzing how this might be affecting interactions
with you and 1 point for analyzing how this might be impacting interactions with peers. (3 points)

30. Using the 7th & 9th grade report cards and your own observations, summarize your child’s
academic skills at this point. What specific activities might promote some of these skills?
What careers or courses of study might be best suited to your teen’s abilities and interests?

—1 point each for describing and giving two examples of your child’s academic skills. Make sure
not to rely solely on the report cards, i.e., cite your own observations. 1 point for describing some
activities that might facilitate growth in academic skills and 1 point for explaining why a particular
career or course of study might be suitable. (3 points)

31. How important have your teen’s relationships with peers been to his/her social
development, emotional well-being and school achievement from 14-18 years of age?

—-1 point for each of three examples of a possible connection between peer and romantic
relationships to the child’s social, emotional or academic development and citing points from the
course that support the importance of these types of peer relationships to later behavior (3 points)

32. How has your teen adjusted at 14-18 years of age to typical adolescent issues such as
risk- taking, drugs, alcohol, and sexual interests, and how have you responded to your teen?

—1 point for each of two examples of an issue your teen has encountered from this list, and 1/2
point for describing how you responded to that specific issue and 1⁄2 point for describing why it is
important to long-term adolescence adjustment (according to the text and lecture). (3 points)

33. As the program ends, what pathways does your child appear to be on in terms of physical,
cognitive, social, emotional and moral development? Choose three aspects of your child to
discuss. To what extent could you have predicted these pathways based on what you knew of
your child’s earlier development?

—1 point for discussing each of two pathways and 1 point each for providing supporting
documentation (4 points)

34. Describe one specific way in which you think your parenting mattered for your child’s
development, based on evidence from the course regarding the contributions of parents to
child development. Describe one specific way in which your child developed that appeared to
be influenced by factors outside your control, such as genes, random environmental events or
the general influence of contemporary middle-class American culture.

— 1 point each for describing a parenting and non-parenting influences and 1 point for each
example for providing evidence from the course that supports your choice of this influence as
important (4 points)