Cognition and development
Cards (78)
- When a child adapts a new schema because the information that is presented to them doesn't fit into the already established ones. As a result, they create a whole new schema so they can understand information presented to them because they cannot do so by undergoing assimilation.
- The driving force that causes the changes to the schemas to happen as it means our intellect goes from a state of disequilibrium to equilibrium which allows us to understand experiences and understanding of the world as the individual seeks to restore balance.
- +: evidence to support the existence of innate schemas-: equilibration is difficult to demonstrate+: important applications to education with self-discovery is an important part of learning and how understanding develops through accommodation.-: conflicting research, Piaget's failed to recognise the importance of language (Vygotsky's research)
- Showed that infants as young as 4 days old show a preference for a schematic face rather than the same features all jumbled up (a normal face is a unique configuration rather than a complex pattern of random features). This 'facial preference' has been replicated by multiple psychologists such as Goren et al (1975).
- Barbel Inhelder (1974) Showed that children's learning was helped when there was a mild conflict between what they expected to happen and what did happen- only research to prove equilibration effects.
- What are Piaget's stages of intellectual development?
- Consistent logical rules.
- Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years): Children explore the world with the basic schemas they have acquired. It is split off into two sub-stages: (0-8 months) child operates in the here and now and (8-24 months) children start to develop thought. Actions become intentional and trial and error learning occurs. Object permanence develops.
- Pre-operational stage (2-6/7 years): At this stage, children have a sort of logic which is based on what they see and not reasoned very well. It splits off into 2 categories: Preconceptual period (2-4 years) where they can use words and symbols to represent things. Are egocentric and show evidence of centration. Intuitive period (4-7 years) egocentrism starts to diminish but conservation is not demonstrated.
- Children were shown a model of 3 volcanoes (a small, medium and big one). A doll was sat on the opposite side of the child so they could only see mainly the big mountain and a bit of the medium one. 4 year olds demonstrated egocentrism by always choosing their view, 6 year olds chose a different perspective but not a right one and 7-8 year olds chose the correct picture.
- Concrete operational stage (7-11 years): In this stage, children can perform mental operations but only on concrete things rather than abstract ones. They develop a skill known as class inclusion.
- Showed children 20 wooden beads (18 brown and 2 white) were asked: are all the beads wooden, are there more brown beads or white beads and are there more brown beads or more wooden beads? Children could only answer question 3 correctly in this stage of cognition and development.
- Showed children four model cows on their sides (3 black and 1 white). Asked 6 year olds: are there more black cows or more cows? (25% got this correct) and are there more black cows or more sleeping cows (48% got this correct). This shows that children can develop class inclusion if the task is easier.
- Children can now perform operations on both concrete and abstract situations. Hypothetical thinking is a key skill that is developed.
- Children were given a liquid and four flasks of clear liquid. They had to figure out which combination would produce a yellow liquid.Children in the preoperational stage mixed the liquids at random.
- Concrete operational children used trial and error but stop when they solve the problem.Formal operational children systematically try all possible combinations.
- The understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of view. Piaget (1963) put a toy under a blanket while the child was looking. From 8 months, children would look under the blanket (OP), if the toy was moved to a second hiding place, infants would only look in the correct places from 12 months of age.
- An inability to see things from another person's point of view. This begins to diminish in the latter part of this stage.
- Hughes (1975) argued that the three mountains task was too hard and didn't make much sense. Stage 1; a policeman doll was placed at various point or the child had to say if they could see the doll. Stage 2: the child had to hide from the dol from the police officer. 90% of 3.5-5 year olds managed to do this, demonstrating a lack of egocentrism.
- What is centration?
- Realising that the amount/volume of material remains the same even if it is redistributed. Children are unable to demonstrate this in this stage.
- Being able to categorise things (and realising that some things are in more than one category).
- -: underestimation of children's ability as studies show children are more advanced at a younger age.-: validity of stages is limited as some stages overlap and not everyone make it to stage 4-: culturally biased on western cultures-: methodological concerns with the sample that Piaget used.
- Baillargeon takes a more nativist approach, suggesting children are born with an innate knowledge of the physical world and says that babies found Piaget's tasks difficult as they lack the physical motor skills or are easily distracted. Piaget thinks that babies do not develop object permanence until 8 months old, it is not innate
- The extent to which we understand how the physical world works. An example of this being object permanence and that objects exist even when they are not in your view. Baillargeon states that humans are born with the physical reasoning system (basic understanding of the world) which develops as we grow. Object permanence is something we have from birth.
- Typical experiment; expected event and unexpected event. Baillargeon and Graber (1987) showed 24 infants aged 5-6 months a tall and short bunny pass behind a screen with a window. Possible condition: tall bunny can be seen passing the window but short one cannot.
- The longer the infant looks at the impossible event, it means they're trying to figure out what's going as they realise its impossible.
- children shown a short and tall carrot moving along a track, there was a screen obstructing the carrot so it was not visible as it passed behind it.The same procedure was followed except there was a window in the screen either carrot was visible.. The infants stared for longer at the 'tall carrot' condition indicating they were surprised but it. In doing so they demonstrated object permanence as they realised the carrot continued to exits even thought it could not be seen.
- Agreed with Piaget on the idea that children' thinking is different to that of adults. However, he placed a much greater emphasis on the social context of their upbringing and believed that culture is the most detrimental factor in regards to individual development.
- Innate and a form on natural development, elementary mental functions like perception and memory and are transformed to higher mental functions when the child's culture is integrated ore into their life. Higher mental functions are found in humans only.
- A child learns through problem-solving experiences that are shared with someone else like a parent or teacher. All people with greater knowledge than the child are called experts. Initially, the expert takes on more of a guiding role and gradually they help them less and less.
- V believed that culture is transmitted by experts using semiotics. This is important in language but can be important in maths too and they are considered to be the means of how a culture is transmitted to a child.
- At the beginning, dialogue is shared between children and adults, then they being to communicate within themselves as they develop mental representation which enables intellectual development.
- The signs and symbols developed within a particular culture.
- Every function in cognition and development appears twice, first on a social level then on an individual one. Social experiences allow for the development of higher mental functions and are dependent on the use of semiotics.
- The region where C&D takes place. It is the difference between a person's current abilities (what they can do on their own) and their potential of what they can achieve with an expert.
- Introduced by Jerome Bruner and Wood et al 1976 and is the process of assisting a learner through the ZPD and for them to be bale to achieve similar tasks on their own in the future. The expert/learner creates a scaffold which is gradually withdrawn so the child is able to work independently.
- 'Contingent regulations'- when you respond to someone's failure with explicit instructions and responded to success by proving less explicit instructions. Wood and Middleton had discovered this after observing mothers and their 3-4-year-old children assembling a three-dimension pyramid puzzle.