Please answer all questions thoughtfully and concisely. Integrate textbook, lecture and other resource information and

theories with your own knowledge and understanding. Each response should be no longer than one single-spaced

typewritten page. You must answer at least 5 questions. Each question is worth 20 points. Please type your paper.

Exams are due at the next class meeting. Late exams will be penalized. Please number or repeat the question that

you are answering before providing your answer. You may also choose alternate questions from the attached in-class assignments on genetics, conception and prenatal development.

1. Describe the field of developmental psychology and discuss the main focus of human development. What

special problems complicate the study of age-related change across the lifespan?

2. What features of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory make it very different from Piaget’s theory? What is the meaning

3. Is Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory compatible with assumptions of the lifespan perspective:

development as lifelong, as multidirectional, as highly plastic, and as embedded in multiple contexts? Explain.

4. What is the role of developmental theories in the study of human development? Describe how developmental theories

help explain human development? Why are these theories important to understanding development? What particular

5. Describe the ethical pros and cons of fetal surgery, surrogate motherhood, and postmenopausal-assisted childbearing.

6. What is our current state of knowledge about common genetic abnormalities and their causes?

7. How do genes influence one’s physical characteristics and behavior? How is each person’s genetic uniqueness

8. What are some of the factors that determine whether a couple is at risk for having a child with genetic abnormalities?

9. For those of you who have already experienced pregnancy, what was it like? For those of you who haven’t, what do

you imagine the experience might be like for you? How has what you have read and discussed so far influenced

10. How might a woman’s pregnancy affect the father and other family members?

11. If good prenatal diet and health care are so closely related to healthy prenatal and postnatal development, why don’t all

expectant mothers follow nutritious diets and receive good health care? How can adequate health care be made

12. How does a pregnant mother’s and father’s lifestyles affect the developing fetus? What precautions do they need to take

beginning at least a year in advance to make for the most optimal environment for the fetus?

13. Cite examples of prenatal environmental influences that appear to have little or no negative impact on health in infancy

14. Trixie has just learned that she is pregnant. Since she has always been healthy and feels good right now, she cannot

understand why the doctor wants her to come in for checkups so often. Why is early and regular prenatal care important

15. Discuss the importance of a strong parental alliance and parent-newborn bonding to a healthy start for the baby.

16. Distinguish between low-birthweight (LBW), preterm, and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants, and identify the causes

17. What kinds of social policy changes could be most effective in reducing the incidence of low birthweight, sudden infant

18. Select one of the issues discussed about development. Select which side of the issue/argument you support. Develop

Please answer 5 questions thoughtfully. Integrate textbook and other resource information and theories with your own knowledge and understanding in responding to each question. Please type your papers. State the question first before responding. Each question is worth 20 points. Answer at least 1 question each on infancy, toddlerhood and childhood. Exams are due at the next class session.

1. Discuss the effects of diet on infants’ growth and physical development. Also speculate about

changes in society, in social policy, that would make it easier for parents to provide optimal nutrition

for infants. (Examples: more nutritious commercial baby food, removal of pesticides from fruits

and vegetables, better and more accessible parent education, more extensive income support

and nutritional supplement programs, greater flexibility in the workplace for nursing mothers, etc.)

2. Newborn Yoshiko just came home from the hospital 2 days ago. Her Japanese parents engage in parent-infant

co-sleeping. How is co-sleeping likely to affect Yoshiko’s sleep-waking schedule during the first year, and why do

her parents believe that sleeping with the baby is important? What does the research say about the importance and

impact of co-sleeping? What strategies are outlined from the research literature on how parents should arrange for

3. Describe the growth of the brain during infancy and toddlerhood. Describe the development of the brain during childhood.

4. Discuss the importance of breastfeeding. What is the adequate time period to breast feed your baby?

What are the positive advantages of breast-feeding? Why is breast-feeding especially important for

infants in poverty-stricken regions of the world? Discuss the relevant research findings on the positive benefits

5. Discuss attachment in infancy and toddlerhood. How is attachment established? What are the behaviors of infants

who are attached to their mother or caregiver? How can the behavior of both the mother and the father affect the

bond with their child? How can an infant’s temperament affect the process of attachment to a parent? What are the

longterm effects on the child’s development when attachment is securely formed?

6. Describe cognitive development during infancy, toddlerhood and childhood. How does learning occur at each of

these developmental levels? Describe at least 5 ways that infants learn. How can parents increase cognitive and learning

7. What is competence? Why is the development of competency important in child development? What does research

say about the importance of competence and the longterm effects on child development? How can parents enhance

8. What kinds of linguistic environments are important for toddlers and children to be able to effectively develop

language capabilities? How does “motherese” facilitate a toddler's language development? Cite the research literature

and the important findings and strategies that support the continued development of language during childhood. Which

theory or explanation of language development seems logical in your opinion relative to toddlers and children's

9. How does heredity, environment and prenatal conditions influence the development of temperament? What are the

resulting effects on a child's temperament. Name and describe the types of temperaments that can be the resulting

effects. What types of parenting practices are likely to have a “good fit” with each type of a child’s temperament?

10. In your opinion and also consulting the research, what are the effects of infant and child daycare in which infants are

regularly cared for by trained and paid non relatives? A mother who takes her child to day care says to you that she

knows she is harming her baby, but must work out of economic necessity. How would you respond? What does

the research have to say about the effects of daycare? If you have to resort to daycare, what criteria would you use