Assignment
You should submit at least 2 short essays of around 500-550 words. You may submit up to 5 essays, but your grade will be for your best 2 essays. If you submit more than one essay for one question, you must submit another essay on another topic (i.e. your grade will be calculated from the best 2 essays on 2 different topics). Questions will be added to reflect the lecture and seminar content. Please submit your essays as one file through the Turnitin Link in 'Submit Module Assessment'.
Essay Questions:
1 Is there a critical period for first language acquisition? What about a second language learning?
2 Is motor development of children universal across cultures?
3 Is attachment essential for later emotional development?
4 Evaluate Piaget's stage model of cognitive development. Does recent evidence support it?
5 Was Chomsky right about language learning?
6 How do infants solve the problem of induction (a.k.a. the ‘Gavagproblem)?
7 Describe the development of empathy. What role does empathy play in moral behaviour as children develop?
8 How do changes in cognition influence a child's understanding of gender? Describe how this could lead to gender bias.
9 What factors may influence the timing of the transition from pre-operational to concrete-operational thought?
10 Can aspects of cognitive development be accelerated by schooling?