PSYC 140 CERTIFICATION EVALUATION 2026
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS ANSWERS
◉ when does crying peak in infants. Answer: at around 6 weeks
◉ how many hours a day can babies cry. Answer: 3-4 hours a day
◉ What are the 5 S's. Answer: swaddling, side/stomach position,
shushing, swinging, sucking
◉ why does swaddling and side/stomach help?. Answer: - touch
needed for early brain dev and growth
- touch releases endorphins
- swaddling limits overstimulation
◉ why does shushing help?. Answer: shushing serves as white noise;
babies prefer vocal noises
◉ why does swinging help?. Answer: the motion may be similar to
what babies experienced in utero
,◉ how large can a baby be by the end of infancy?. Answer: Up to 30
lbs, 32-35 inches tall
◉ when does baby fat peak. Answer: 9 months; decreases with
mobility
◉ cephalocaudal trend. Answer: during the prenatal period, the
head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body
- period of rapid CNS development
- head disproportionately large
◉ overproduction. Answer: babies are born with all neurons and
make a lot of synapses early on, most are unneeded and are later
pruned
◉ critical period. Answer: an optimal period shortly after birth when
an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces
proper development
◉ proximodistal trend. Answer: growth proceeds literally from
"near to far" - from the center of the body outward, ex. trunk
muscles first, finger muscles later
,◉ sensorimotor stage. Answer: in Piaget's theory, the stage (from
birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world
mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
◉ schema. Answer: a concept or framework that organizes and
interprets information, helps you make sense of an experience
◉ assimilation. Answer: interpreting our new experiences in terms
of our existing schemas
◉ accomodation. Answer: adapting our current understandings
(schemas) to incorporate new information
◉ what are the two ways in which schemas change?. Answer: -
assimilation
- accommodation
◉ what are the 6 substages of the sensorimotor stage?. Answer: 1.
simple reflexes
2. primary circular reaction
3. secondary circular reaction
4. coordination of SCR
5. tertiary circular reaction
6. internalization of schemes
, ◉ simple reflex substage. Answer: (1) babies have involuntary
reflexes that serve as the building blocks for future motor skills and
cognitive gains
◉ first habits and primary circular reactions substage. Answer: (2)
reflexive behaviors become more voluntary. Baby purposefully tries
to reproduce a pleasurable event that occurred by chance. Infant is
primary object, ex. thumb-sucking
◉ secondary circular reaction. Answer: (3) similar to PCR but with
an object, ex. shaking a rattle. Focused on external world. Learning
through senses and mobility
◉ coordination of secondary circular reactions. Answer: (4)
behavior becomes more coordinated and goal-directed; they know
what they want and will try to get things. Avoiding certain things.
Crying if desires frustrated
◉ tertiary circular reactions. Answer: (5) infant experiments and
tries new things, using one object to interact with another object (ex.
drumming). Doing things continuously to see how things work
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS ANSWERS
◉ when does crying peak in infants. Answer: at around 6 weeks
◉ how many hours a day can babies cry. Answer: 3-4 hours a day
◉ What are the 5 S's. Answer: swaddling, side/stomach position,
shushing, swinging, sucking
◉ why does swaddling and side/stomach help?. Answer: - touch
needed for early brain dev and growth
- touch releases endorphins
- swaddling limits overstimulation
◉ why does shushing help?. Answer: shushing serves as white noise;
babies prefer vocal noises
◉ why does swinging help?. Answer: the motion may be similar to
what babies experienced in utero
,◉ how large can a baby be by the end of infancy?. Answer: Up to 30
lbs, 32-35 inches tall
◉ when does baby fat peak. Answer: 9 months; decreases with
mobility
◉ cephalocaudal trend. Answer: during the prenatal period, the
head develops more rapidly than the lower part of the body
- period of rapid CNS development
- head disproportionately large
◉ overproduction. Answer: babies are born with all neurons and
make a lot of synapses early on, most are unneeded and are later
pruned
◉ critical period. Answer: an optimal period shortly after birth when
an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces
proper development
◉ proximodistal trend. Answer: growth proceeds literally from
"near to far" - from the center of the body outward, ex. trunk
muscles first, finger muscles later
,◉ sensorimotor stage. Answer: in Piaget's theory, the stage (from
birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world
mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
◉ schema. Answer: a concept or framework that organizes and
interprets information, helps you make sense of an experience
◉ assimilation. Answer: interpreting our new experiences in terms
of our existing schemas
◉ accomodation. Answer: adapting our current understandings
(schemas) to incorporate new information
◉ what are the two ways in which schemas change?. Answer: -
assimilation
- accommodation
◉ what are the 6 substages of the sensorimotor stage?. Answer: 1.
simple reflexes
2. primary circular reaction
3. secondary circular reaction
4. coordination of SCR
5. tertiary circular reaction
6. internalization of schemes
, ◉ simple reflex substage. Answer: (1) babies have involuntary
reflexes that serve as the building blocks for future motor skills and
cognitive gains
◉ first habits and primary circular reactions substage. Answer: (2)
reflexive behaviors become more voluntary. Baby purposefully tries
to reproduce a pleasurable event that occurred by chance. Infant is
primary object, ex. thumb-sucking
◉ secondary circular reaction. Answer: (3) similar to PCR but with
an object, ex. shaking a rattle. Focused on external world. Learning
through senses and mobility
◉ coordination of secondary circular reactions. Answer: (4)
behavior becomes more coordinated and goal-directed; they know
what they want and will try to get things. Avoiding certain things.
Crying if desires frustrated
◉ tertiary circular reactions. Answer: (5) infant experiments and
tries new things, using one object to interact with another object (ex.
drumming). Doing things continuously to see how things work
