,PYC2602 - ALL-IN-ONE EXAM PACK
All answers were researched using the study guide, prescribed book and memo’s.
Please note that human errors are possible in this document.
SUMMARISED NOTES
Chapter 1 - Basic concepts of child and adolescent development Page 3
Chapter 2 - Prenatal development and the birth process Page 19
Chapter 3 - The neonatal phase and infancy Page 29
Chapter 4 - Early Childhood Page 50
Chapter 5 - Middle Childhood Page 74
Chapter 6 - Adolescence Page 102
Chapter 7 - Vulnerabilities, resilience and rights of children Page 136
A simple summary Page 152
EXAMS/ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments 2017 Page 170
Assignments 2018 Page 182
Assignments 2019 Page 193
Assignments 2020 Page 205
Test Bank Page 217
Assignments 2021 Page 237
Assignments 2022 Page 246
October/November 2015 Page 251
May/June 2016 Page 264
October/November 2016 Page 276
October/November 2017 Page 288
May/June 2018 Page 300
October/November 2018 Page 312
May/June 2019 Page 324
October/November 2019 Page 336
May/June 2020 Page 348
November/December - Portfolio 2022 Page 360
CHAPTER 1 - BASIC CONCEPTS OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
,1.1 Orientation
The monkey boy of KwaZulu-Natal
In the 1980s, an intriguing event took place in the Kwazulu-Natal province of South Africa. Over a period of a
year, a boy of about five years old was witnessed in the company of wild monkeys. It is believed that his
unknown mother left him in the bush when he was an infant and he was raised by monkeys, Along a with this
group of monkeys, he visited villages in order to steal food. The villagers tried to save him but he put up such a
fight that the help of the police had to be called in. When he was eventually he was taken to a school for the
disabled and named Saturday Mthiyane, (Saturday, because he was Caught on a Saturday; Mthiyane was the
school’s head and founder.)
In the beginning, Saturday was very violent. He used to break things and get in and out through windows. He
did not play with other children and acted violently towards them. He preferred uncooked red meat. He hated
clothing and did not like blankets either. In 1997, after 10 years, Saturday was still unable to speak. He had been
taught to walk properly, However, he still refused to eat cooked food and preferred raw vegetables instead.
Bananas remained his favourite food.
In 2005, when about 17 years old, Saturday’s behaviour had still not changed significantly. He stiff did not talk,
walked and jumped around like a monkey, liked raw food and hated clothing. If he wanted something, he stole it.
Any attempt to prevent him from satisfying his needs was met with aggression. In October 2005, his sad life
came to a tragic end when he and three others were killed when the orphanage where he lived, caught fire after
candles fell on blankets. The orphanage did not have electricity. (Hlongwa, 1997; Hiongwa, 2005)
The boy who became a girl
In the middle of the 1960s, David Reimer and his twin brother were taken to the local hospital in Canada for a
routine circumcision. They were eight months old. However, David’s circumcision was seriously botched and
the entire penis accidentally removed. Following advice from medical experts, the parents decided to raise
David as a girl. (They called him Brenda, although in the scientific literature it was referred to as the
“John/Joan” case.) Soon afterwards, the parents started dressing David as a girl and let “her” hair grow long. At
the age of 21 months, plastic surgery was performed to create female genitalia. During the preschool years,
“she” was encouraged to take part in girlish play and housework. (“Her” brother was raised as the “typical” boy.)
Problems, however, started when “Brenda” went to school. Children were cruel to “her” and, for example,
would not allow “her” to use the boys’ or girls’ bathroom. At the same time, she experienced serious mental
anguish, knowing that something was terribly wrong, but did not know what. By the age of 13, “she” was so
unhappy that “she” considered committing suicide. During this time, the truth was revealed to “Brenda”. “She”
later said that, all of a sudden, everything then became clear and “she” understood who and what “she” was.
David immediately started to resume his male identity. The breasts that had developed because of hormone
injections were removed. An artificial penis was also created from cartilage and muscle by means of
reconstructive surgery. David then tried to live a normal life and eventually married and became a stepfather to
three children.
However, it seems that David had not come to terms with himself or the world — in 2004, at the age 38, he
committed suicide. (His brother had died two years earlier, apparently also committing suicide. “He was
suffering from schizophrenia, a serious mental illness,) At David’s funeral, his mother said, “He was the most
generous, loving soul who ever lived, He was a hero, He showed the doctors he was a worldwide hero.”
What do these two stories have in common and how do they fall into the theme of this book?
All the questions that you would like to ask about these two cases actually fall within the field of child
psychology. Is the behaviour the result of nature (inborn characteristics) or nurture (the environment) or both?
Are certain behaviors more influenced by either nature or nurture? Are these influences more important during
certain developmental stages than during others? How can children’s development be optimised?
Through the course of this summary, all above mentioned issues will be addressed including discussion on the
stages and domains of development, certain developmental issues and theories of child development.
1.2 The goals of child psychology
, Child psychology is one of the most interesting areas, especially among students and parents
It tells you more about your own children’s development.
It is important to know what the scientific contribution of child psychology is.
The goals of child psychology are in line with the goals of general psychology :
To describe the changes typically occurring from conception to about 18 years of age.
To explain what causes these developmental changes.
To predict, based on past and present characteristics, what behaviour the child will manifest at a later
stage in his or her life.
To improve well-being; that is, to make positive changes in people's lives or to prevent problems from
developing.By doing research and disseminating the results to parents, teachers, policy makers and other
important role payers in children's lives, the well-being of millions of children have been improved.
1.3 Views on children - An historical overview
Indications are that in most ancient cultures the common perception was that children were the property of their
parents who could therefore treat them in any way they wanted. In fact, infanticide (the deliberate killing of
infants) was often committed in many without condemnation. This seems to have happened especially when
the baby was gender (usually female). Twins also often became victims of infanticide because of various
cultural beliefs.
The seventeenth century in Europe brought a change in the attitude towards children. A person, who played an
important role in the movement to see children in a more sympathetic light, was the British philosopher John
Locke (1632-1704).Locke held the opinion that Children's environment determines what and who they become.
One of the most common atrocities committed against children since the earliest times is slavery. For centuries
capturing children during inter-tribal raids and wars and using them as slaves was quite common practice. Even
trafficking, where children were sold into slavery, was not unknown.
In general, however, the state of the world's children left much to be desired with the advent of the 20th century.
Children were still very much seen as the property of the parent. (Presently, in many countries, including South
Africa, the State is regarded as the upper guardian of children; therefore, children may be removed from
parental homes if conditions are detrimental to the child's wellbeing.)
1.4 Development stages and domains of development
Although the development of the child is a
continuous process it is useful to divide it into
stages, using the characteristics and skills which
research has shown most individuals develop
during each specific stage.
There are several advantages to this stage
approach. For instance, it provides a good
indication of when children are ready for school
and when they should be allowed to make their
own decisions on important matters. At the same
time, it provides a good indication of whether a
child’s development is below or above the norm
(average).
Some characteristics and skills are obvious, which
mean that certain boundaries between stages may
be clearly drawn and are generally accepted. Thus,
birth is a clear and generally accepted boundary
between the prenatal stage (when the child is still
in the womb) and the postnatal stage (the period
after birth). On the other hand, some boundaries
are not as clearly demarcated and are even quite
arbitrary, Furthermore, individual and cultural
differences should always be taken into account.
Most psychologists will agree on the
