PSYC 200: Chapter 9 - Cognitive Development in Early Childhood

what is the preoperational stage?

• lasts ~2-7 years old\

• substages:

  • symbolic function

  • intuitive thought

• beginning to understand world w/ words, images, and drawings

• not able to perform operations

• limitations:

  • centration

what are operations?

reversible mental actions that allow children to do mentally what they could only do physically

what is the symbolic function substage?

• first substage of preoperational stage

• 2-4 years old

• an object can be mentally represented even tho its not there

• limitations:

  • egocentrism

  • animism

what is egocentrism?

not able to differentiate between one’s own perspective and someone else’s perspective

what is the Three Mountains Task?

• experiment by Piaget and Barbel Inhelder

• studies egocentrism

• shows egocentrism bcuz children pick there own view instead of the dolls view

what is animism?

inanimate objects have lifelike qualities and are capable of action

what is the intuitive thought substage?

• second substages of preoperational stage

• 4-7 years old

• begin to use primitive reasoning and want to know all answers to various questions to “how” and “why” s

what is centration?

• limit of preoperational stage

• focusing on 1 characteristic of an object rather than others

• proven by lack of conservation

what is lack of conservation?

not being aware that changing an object’s/substance’s appearance doesnt change its basic properties

ex: doesnt know that a small cup of water and tall cup of water have the same volume

what does Rochel Gelman argue?

• argues against Piaget’s preoperational stage

• training one dimension → improves other dimension; centration can be improved → more likely to conserve

what are the differences and similarities between Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theory on children’s cognitive development?

• differences:

  • Vygotsky views children more as social creatures that interact with their environment (society and cultural context) for cognitive development (social constructivist approach)

  • Vygotsky’s endpoint depends on which skills are considered most important in a particular culture, while Piaget’s is formal operational thought

• similarties:

  • views teachers as guides rather than directors for learning

what is Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?

• range of tasks too difficult for child to master alone, but can be learned w/ guidance & assistance of adults/more-skilled children

• lower limit: tasks child can independently do

• upper limit: tasks child can do w/ guidance and assistance

what factors influence effectiveness of ZPD in children’s learning and development?

• better emotion regulation

• secure attachment

• absence of maternal depression

• child compliance

what is scaffolding?

changing level of support/amount of guidance & assistance provided to adjust to child’s capabilities/performance

how does Vygotsky view language and thought in children?

• language and thought first develop independently of each other and then emerge

• private speech: using language for self-regulation/solve problems

• inner speech: using language mentally (thoughts)

what are teaching strategies that incorporage ZPD?

• assessing child’s ZPD to determine guidance/assistance they need

• using child’s ZPD in teaching by starting at upper limit

• using more-skilled peers as teachers

• monitor and encourage children’s use of private speech

• teaching in a meaningful context: no presentations

• transforming classroom w/ Vygotsky’s ideas: student-centered learning activities rather than teacher-centered learning activities

what are the criticisms of the Vygotsky’s theory?

• not specific about age-related changes

• didnt adequately describe how changes in socioemotional capabilities contribute to cognitive development

• overemphasized role of language in thinking

• when does a teacher/parent become too overbearing/controlling?

what are the 2 aspects of attention that young children especially make advances in?

• executive attention:

  • planning actions

  • attending to goals

  • making up for errors

  • tracking progress on tasks

  • dealing w/ challenging situations

• sustained attention/vigilance:

  • focusing on object, task, event, or other aspect of environment

what are the limits to child’s control of attention?

• salient vs. relevant dimensions:

  • preschool children pay more attention to things that stand out like a clown

  • later, pay more attention to things that are more relevant to context like the directions to solving a problem

• planfulness:

  • preschool children dont examine all details to make decision

  • later, assess one detail at a time to make decision

what is memory?

the retention of info over time

what is short-term memory?

• retaining info for up to 30 s w/out rehearsal/repeating of that info

• w/ rehearsal/repetition, info is kept in this type of memory for longer