Teratogens are chemicals that can cause physical or functional abnormalities in a human embryo or fetus is exposed to a pregnant mother. Examples of such drugs include alcohol and cocaine. The duration of exposure, the amount of teratogenic chemical present, and the stage of development in which the embryo or fetus is at the time of exposure all impact the fetus or embryo. Teratogens can harm an embryo or fetus in various ways, including physical deformities, behavioral or emotional difficulties, and a drop in the child’s intellectual quotient (IQ). Teratogens can also harm fetuses and lead to premature labor, spontaneous abortions, and miscarriages.
Next, Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development should be considered. It supposes that children go through four stages of mental growth (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). His thesis is concerned with not only how children gain information but also with the nature of intelligence. There are, in general, four Piaget’s stages, demonstrating the development of man in general. The sensorimotor stage, lasting from birth to two years, is the initial one. The concrete operational stage (between the ages of seven and eleven) is when children reason about actual occurrences. The formal operational phase, which lasts from 12 onwards, starts thinking abstractly and figuring out hypothetical situations. Teens begin to consider moral, intellectual, ethical, social, and political questions that need theoretical and abstract thinking, and conceptual cognition arises. They also start to use deductive logic, which is the process of reasoning from a general concept to specific data.
As for Vygotsky’s position, the correct answer is that Michela’s state and behavior are healthy, temporary, and beneficial. The essential nature of this phenomenon is expressed in the fact that the child develops external cognitive functions through internal dialogue (Topolewska-Siedzik et al., 2018). Imaginary friends represented by dolls represent the internal dialogue. Children’s language gradually becomes their primary instrument for intellectual development, first as loudly or private speech to direct and regulate their behaviors, and then as silent self-talk or inner speech.
IQ or intelligence quotient is a number used to indicate a person’s relative intellect. There are several IQ tests available, and the first of them is calculated by multiplying the ratio of mental age to chronological or physical age by 100. Mental age, often known as MA, is the chronological age at which a specific level of performance is considered average or usual (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). The French psychologist Alfred Binet, who established the IQ test in 1905, was the first to define mental age. Mental ages cannot effectively evaluate children’s fundamental abilities of different chronological years since the difference in results for other age groups taking graded exams grows roughly in proportion to the increase in age.
Attachment theory is concerned with human interactions and attachments, particularly long-term ones between parents and children and romantic partners. The first attachment theorist was British psychologist John Bowlby, who defined attachment as a long-term psychological bond. Bowlby claims that even feedings did not alleviate the fear that youngsters felt when they were away from their primary caregivers (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). Secure, anxious-ambivalent, disorganized, and avoidant attachment styles influence actions later in life.
Hostile and instrumental aggression are two types of aggressiveness that have distinct characteristics. Allow the individual to concentrate on hostility before learning the meaning of these two types. Aggression is defined as aggressive conduct or ideas directed towards another person. When someone reacts aggressively, it indicates that the individual behaved or replied was violent. Hostile aggression is done to inflict hurt. Anger is a common motivator for aggressive attacks. On the other hand, instrumental aggression is not driven by rage or the desire to harm others.
The identity status interview is an interviewing system developed by James E. Marcia. Identity status interview is a semi-structured interview approach for psychological identity study that examines an individual’s level of inquiry and commitment across many life domains (Benson, 2020). When evaluating the information supplied in this interview, four possible results are using a scoring system produced by Marcia and colleagues. Foreclosure, identity diffusion, moratorium, and identity attainment were the four identity situations identified by Marcia.
References
Benson, J. B. (2020). Encyclopedia of infant and early childhood development. Elsevier Gezondheidszorg.
Topolewska-Siedzik, E., Cieciuch, J., & Strus, W. (2018). Personality underpinnings of identity: The role of metatraits and traits in identity formation modes. Self and Identity, 18(5), 529–549.
Kail, R., V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2016). Essentials of human development: A Life-Span view (2nd ed.). Cengage Learning.