Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Psychology and Sociology

Understanding Baby's Sensory Motor Intelligence

Exploring the World Through Senses

Babies primarily use their senses and motor skills to explore and manipulate their environment. This period of cognitive development, from birth to two years old, is called "sensory motor intelligence" by Piaget. A key aspect of this stage is the child's desire to touch and interact with everything around them.

Developing Senses: Touch, Hearing, and Sight

Touch

During the first year, touch is especially developed. From the earliest days, babies manipulate objects by putting them in their mouths, exploring textures with their sensitive tongues, gums, cheeks, and lips. By six months, they can distinguish objects based on temperature, size, hardness, and texture. A... Continue reading "Sensory Motor Intelligence in Babies: Exploring the World Through Senses" »

Meaningful Learning

Occurs when new information connects to a relevant pre-existing cognitive structure. This implies that new ideas, concepts, and propositions can be learned significantly as other relevant ideas, concepts, or proposals are adequately clear and available in an individual's cognitive structure and function as an anchor point to the former.

Mechanical Learning

Occurs when there are inadequate pre-existing cognitive structures, so the new information is stored arbitrarily, without interacting with pre-existing knowledge.

Learning by Discovery

Involves students sorting information, integrating it with their cognitive structure, and reorganizing or transforming the integrated combination to produce the desired learning.

Reception Learning

The... Continue reading "Learning Theories: Meaningful, Mechanical, and Eclectic Approaches" »

Child Sexual Abuse: Identifying High-Risk Factors

Understanding the factors that increase a child's vulnerability to sexual abuse is crucial for prevention and intervention. Several key areas contribute to a child being at high risk:

Gender-Based Risk

Traditionally, the female sex has been considered at higher risk. Various studies consistently indicate a significantly higher incidence of sexual abuse among girls, often cited as 2-3 girls for every boy, especially in cases of intrafamilial sexual abuse. This disparity is primarily attributed to the fact that most abusers are heterosexual males.

Age-Related Vulnerability

The ages of greatest risk are typically between 6-7 years and 10-12 years. Research suggests that more than twice as many cases... Continue reading "Child Sexual Abuse: Risk Factors and Offender Motivations" »

Types of Reinforcement

Bandura identifies three forms of reinforcement that promote learning by observation:

1. Direct Reinforcement: Reinforcing the observer directly when they reproduce the model's behavior.

2. Indirect or Vicarious Reinforcement: Reinforcing the model. Observing the consequences of others' behavior can modify behavior similarly to direct experience. Vicarious reinforcement:

• a) Informs observers about appropriate behavior based on success and failure patterns.
• b) Enhances practical learning through direct experience, as multiple observers can be exposed to the modeled behavior simultaneously.
• c) Reduces attention demands compared to direct experience.

3. Self-Reinforcement: Controlling one's own reinforcements without expecting... Continue reading "Observational Learning: Reinforcement and Classroom Application" »

Observation: Concepts and Features

Observation is an inherent part of human nature, integrated into our psychology in relation to everyday events. It involves the perception of a phenomenon that is selected and recorded without manipulation, making the observer a passive witness of what has occurred.

Observation can vary in its degree of systematization, ranging from casual observation to those that adhere to strict methodological criteria.

Observation becomes a scientific technique when it meets the following criteria:

• It is part of an objective investigation.
• It is stated and recorded systematically.
• It is subject to checks and controls regarding validity and reliability.

Types of Observation

Self-Observation

Self-observation occurs when the observer... Continue reading "Understanding Observation: Types and Techniques" »

What are the Functions of Assessment?

The role of assessment includes formative assessment, diagnostic evaluation, forecast evaluation, and function-oriented evaluation.

What is Diagnostic Assessment?

Diagnostic assessment is performed prior to the development of the educational process. To perform a diagnostic evaluation, different procedures can be used, such as written questions, oral exchanges with the group on the topic of interest, and observing the student in their work related to the themes.

What is Formative Assessment?

This assessment is the most important in the educational process because it provides the student with feedback (and of course, feedback to the teacher) regarding their performance. It indicates what has been achieved, what... Continue reading "Understanding Educational Assessment: Types, Functions, and Tools" »

Research Designs

Non-Experimental Design

In this design, the independent variable cannot be manipulated to produce an effect on the dependent variable. This is because the events have already occurred, or certain variables cannot be altered.

Types of Non-Experimental Design

• Transversal Design

  Gathers information about a problem category at a single point in time, using different groups of cases.

• Longitudinal Design

  Gathers information about a problem category over time, using the same cases at different intervals.

Experimental Design

A design where the independent variable can be manipulated to generate changes in the dependent variable, typically within a controlled situation.

Types of Experimental Design

• Field Research

  Conducted in a real or natural

Primary socialization is the most important part of the process. It aims to introduce the subject into society and develops within the family during childhood. In industrial societies, television and primary school also play an important role. In this stage, the child takes over the roles, attitudes, and values of the people around him (parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, etc.) and identifies with them. Gradually, the child internalizes roles and norms through a process of progressive generalization, moving from specific norms, attitudes, and values to more widespread ones. The process of primary socialization is not merely cognitive or intellectual but has a significant emotional component within the family. Loving relationships are... Continue reading "Understanding Socialization: Primary, Secondary, and Resocialization" »

Party Roles

A role is defined as an individual's function within a group. Individuals can fulfill multiple roles across different groups.

Status refers to an individual's position within a hierarchical structure.

The role involves practicing behaviors aligned with the status held. While a person may play different roles, certain behaviors define each role. Studying the "Johari Window" helps understand how individuals present themselves in relation to others.

Johari Window: Four Key Areas

• Open Area: What I know about myself and what others know about me.
• Blind Spot: What others know about me, but I don't know about myself.
• Hidden Area: What I know about myself, but others don't know.
• Unknown Area: What neither I nor others know about me.

Within groups,... Continue reading "Understanding Group Dynamics: Roles, Conflicts, and Teamwork" »

Understanding Participant Observation Nuances

However, there are nuances. Systematic observation (excluding verbal interaction) is easy to perform in open spaces. It is also relatively smooth when the researcher is introduced as a participant but primarily functions as an observer (e.g., journalists).

The researcher undergoes a progressive process, starting from initial integration into the observed group. Initially, they are inevitably guided by their pre-existing theoretical assumptions (etic approach). This continues until they grasp the group's own interpretation of reality, which the group uses to classify, arrange, and organize their experiences (emic approach).

It is crucial to gain an insider's perspective on the field and systematize... Continue reading "Participant Observation: Field Access and Research Dynamics" »