Development

What Development covers

Development is examined in Paper 1, Cognition and behaviour. It covers early brain development, nature and nurture, Piaget's stage theory of cognitive development, Piaget in education, naughty teddy and policeman doll studies and Dweck's mindset theory, learning styles and Willingham.

The 4 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Early brain development, nature and nurtureHow the brain develops from the neural tube through the brain stem, thalamus, cerebellum and cortex, maturation, and the part nature and nurture play in early development.Open →
• Piaget's stage theory of cognitive developmentSchemas, assimilation, accommodation and equilibrium, the four stages, object permanence, egocentrism and the three mountains task, conservation, and the theory's evaluation.Open →
• Piaget in education, naughty teddy and policeman doll studiesDiscovery learning and readiness in the classroom, and McGarrigle and Donaldson's naughty teddy and Hughes' policeman doll studies as challenges to Piaget.Open →
• Dweck's mindset theory, learning styles and WillinghamFixed and growth mindsets, praise for effort, self-efficacy beliefs, verbalisers and visualisers, and Willingham's criticism of learning styles.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Development further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Assimilation vs Accommodation

  Assimilation: fitting new information into an existing schema without changing it. Accommodation: changing an existing schema so that new information fits.

• Fixed mindset vs Growth mindset

  Fixed mindset: the belief that ability is set and cannot be changed. Growth mindset: the belief that ability can be developed through effort.

• Egocentrism vs Conservation

  Egocentrism: the inability to see a situation from another person's point of view. Conservation: understanding that a quantity stays the same when its appearance changes.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   From what structure does the brain begin to develop in the womb?

   Model answer

   The brain develops from the neural tube, a simple structure that forms in the first month of pregnancy. The front end of the tube grows into the brain.

2. 2

   Which part of the brain develops first, and why is this important?

   Model answer

   The brain stem develops first. The brain stem controls automatic functions like breathing and heart rate, which a baby needs to survive at birth.

3. 3

   What are autonomic functions?

   Model answer

   Autonomic functions are bodily processes that happen without conscious control. Examples include breathing, heart rate, digestion and body temperature.

4. 4

   What does the developing thalamus allow a baby to do?

   Model answer

   The thalamus relays information from the senses to the cortex. Thalamus development allows a newborn to start processing sights, sounds and touch.

5. 5

   Why does the development of the cerebellum matter for a young child?

   Model answer

   The cerebellum coordinates movement, balance and posture. The cerebellum grows rapidly after birth, allowing a baby to sit, crawl and later walk.

6. 6

   What does the developing cortex allow a child to do?

   Model answer

   The cortex is responsible for cognition, including thinking, language, memory and reasoning. The cortex develops most slowly, continuing to mature into adolescence and beyond.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Development revision questions

What does Development cover in AQA GCSE Psychology?

4 subtopics: early brain development, nature and nurture, piaget's stage theory of cognitive development, piaget in education, naughty teddy and policeman doll studies and dweck's mindset theory, learning styles and willingham. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Development organised?

By the AQA 8182 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.