piaget

• what did piaget propose about how cognitive development occurs?

  actively construct knowledge through interaction with the environment
• define schema

  cognitive framework that helps individuals organise and interpret information
• what do schemas allow for?

  take in new experiences and make sense of them based on existing knowledge
• give an example of a schema

  baby has a simple sucking schema
• what are the 2 processes of schema development?

  1. assimilation
  2. accommodation
• when does assimilation occur?

  new information is incorporated into an existing schema without changing it
• give an example of assimilation

  child sees a new breed of dog and adds it to their "dog" schema without changing it
• when does accommodation happen?

  new information doesn't fit into an existing schema
• give an example of accommodation

  child sees a cat for the first time, initially calls it a dog, but learns to create a new schema for "cat"
• what does accommodation lead to?

  modification or creation of a schema
• define equilibration

  process of balancing assimilation and accommodation to create stable understanding of world
• what process of schema development does equilibrium link to?

  assimilation
• define disequilibrium

  new information doesn't fit into existing schemas as it causes cognitive imbalance
• what process of schema development does disequilibrium link to?

  accommodation
• define equilibrium

  assimilation and accommodation resolves conflict and restores balance
• what are piaget's 4 stages of intellectual development?

  1. sensorimotor
  2. preoperational
  3. concrete operational
  4. formal operational
• what age is the sensorimotor stage?

  0 to 2 years
• outline the sensorimotor stage

  infants learn through sensory experiences and motor actions
• key characteristics of sensorimotor stage

  object permanence

  • objects continue to exist even if they aren't visible
• piaget's research into object permanence

  • hid a toy under a blanket and observed infants
  • before 8 months, infants don't search for hidden objects
• what age is the preoperational stage?

  2 to 7 years
• outline preoperational stage

  development of language, imagination and symbolic thinking
• key characteristics of the preoperational stage

  • egocentrism - inability to see the world from another person's perspective
  • class inclusion - objects can belong to multiple categories at the same time
• piaget's research into egocentrism

  3 mountains task

  • shown a model of 3 mountains and asked to describe view from another perspective
  • children under 7 years struggled to take another viewpoint
• piaget's research into class inclusion

  shapes task

  • set of pictures showing different shapes
  • asked if there were more shapes or triangles

  
  

  • preoperational children - struggled and focused on one category
  • concrete operational children - understood triangles are a subset
• what age is the concrete operational stage?

  7 to 11 years
• outline the concrete operational stage

  logical thinking develops
• key characteristic of concrete operational stage

  conservation

  • quantity remains the same despite changes in appearance
• piaget's research into conservation

  volume task

  • showed children two identical glasses of liquid and poured one into a taller, thinner glass

  
  

  • preoperational children - taller glass had more liquid
  • concrete operational children - understood amount remained the same
• what age is the formal operational stage?

  11+ years
• outline the formal operational stage

  ability to think logically about abstract concepts and hypothetical situations
• key characteristic of formal operational stage

  abstract thinking
• piaget's research into abstract thinking

  pendulum task

  • adolescents systematically tested different variables to determine what affects speed
• strength of piaget's schema theory - evidence

  • supported by child development research
  • 3 mountains task - younger children struggle with perspective-taking due to egocentric schemas
  • schemas play a role in how children process and organise information
• weakness of piaget's schema theory - incomplete

  • underestimates influence of social and cultural factors
  • vygotsky - zone of proximal development
  • lacks explanatory power
• weakness of piaget's schema theory - simplistic

  • overemphasis that development occurs in fixed stages
  • undermining evidence showed piaget underestimated abilities
  • doesn't capture complexity of schemas
• strength of piaget's stages - relevance

  • practical application on education
  • influenced child-centered learning and importance of active learning
  • real-world value
• weakness of piaget's stages - underestimation

  • underestimated cognitive abilities of young children
  • mcgarrigle & donaldson - 90% of younger children could understand conservation
  • hughes - 50% of younger children had decentred
  • oversimplifies development
• weakness of piaget's stages - overestimated

  • overestimated ability to use abstract reasoning
  • keating - 11 to 13 year olds failed all 3 reasoning tasks
  • lacks external validity