Cognition and development

• What are the limitations of Piaget's sample in his research?

  • Sample consisted of children from a university nursery
  • Predominantly white, middle-class, well-educated families
  • Lacks ecological validity for diverse backgrounds

  
• How does Vygotsky's theory differ from Piaget's theory of cognitive development?


  • Vygotsky emphasized learning as a social process
  • Children learn from interactions with experienced peers ('experts')
  • Vygotsky placed greater importance on language as an expression of thought

  
• What did Howe et al. (1992) study demonstrate regarding discovery learning?


  Individual mental representations are formed through discovery learning
• How did Piaget's theory influence educational methods and attitudes?

  • Emphasized active learning through exploration
  • Changed classroom practices (e.g., using sandpits)
  • Shifted teacher's role to facilitator of discovery learning
• What are the flaws in Piaget's experimental methods?

  • Sample size and diversity issues
  • Limited ecological validity
  • Potential biases in interpretation of results
• What is the limitation of reasoning in the concrete operations stage?

  Children can only reason about objects physically present in their environment.
• Who tested Piaget's theory using neologisms?

  Smith et al.
• What was a major criticism of Piaget's experimental methods?

  Some methods were flawed and may have caused confusion among children.
• What did McGarrigle and Donaldson find regarding children's ability to conserve?

  60% of 6-year-olds could conserve, compared to only 16% found by Piaget.
• Why did Piaget's research lead to confusion among children?


  His research involved spreading out the coins, making children believe the quantity must have changed.
• What was a limitation of Piaget's data collection methods?

  He did not conduct any statistical analysis, making the data unreliable.
• What assumption did Piaget make about task failure?


  He assumed that task failure equates to a lack of ability.
• What did Martin Hughes demonstrate about egocentrism in children?


  Children aged 3.5 years could position a doll out of sight of a policeman 90% of the time.
• What does Hughes' finding suggest about pre-conventional children?

  They are able to conserve when tested in specific ways and understand the task.
• How did Vygotsky's approach to cognitive development differ from Piaget's?

  Vygotsky adopted a domain-specific approach, emphasizing the importance of language.
• What did Vygotsky suggest about learning?


  Learning is a social process where children acquire knowledge from more advanced others.
• What role does language play in Vygotsky's theory?


  Language is seen as a crucial cognitive skill that develops at a different rate compared to other skills.
• What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) according to Vygotsky?


  The ZPD is the distance between actual developmental level and potential development with guidance.
• How can learners cross the ZPD?

  They can receive help from more experienced peers through scaffolding.
• What are the implications of the ZPD for education?

  It explains that there is a limit to what children can learn based on their developmental stage.
• What scaffolding techniques were identified by Wood, Bruner, and Ross?


  Recruitment, reduction of degrees of freedom, direction maintenance, marking critical features, and demonstration.
• What happens to the level of help given by experts as a child crosses the ZPD?

  The level and frequency of help decreases as the child crosses the ZPD.
• What is a major weakness of Vygotsky's theory?


  It does not account for individual differences in social aptitude and personality.
• What incorrect assumption did Vygotsky make about children's learning?

  He assumed that all children learn in the same way and develop the same understanding.
• What did Howe et al. (1992) find regarding children's understanding of motion?


  Children developed different understandings and viewpoints despite observing the same motion.
• What evidence supports the Zone of Proximal Development?


  Roazzi and Bryant (1998) found that children who received help from peers made more accurate estimates.
• What did Conner and Cross (2003) observe in their study of mothers and children?

  Mothers showed decreases in support and increases in contingent interaction as children became more successful.
• What are the key differences between Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories of cognitive development?


  • Piaget: Domain-general approach, all cognitive abilities develop together.
  • Vygotsky: Domain-specific approach, emphasizes the importance of language and social interactions.
  • Both agree on a series of developmental stages.

  
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development?


  Strengths:

  • Emphasizes social interaction in learning.
  • Highlights the importance of language.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Does not account for individual differences.
  • Incorrectly assumes uniform learning across children.