Unit 3.4 Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan

Piaget's Theory

Is a comprehensive theory of cognitive development that describes how children acquire knowledge through stages as they interact with their environment.

Schema

Is a mental framework that organizes and interprets information, helping individuals understand the world.

Assimilation

Is the process of integrating new information into existing schemas without changing the schema.

Accommodation

Is the process of modifying existing schemas or creating new ones in response to new information or experiences.

Sensorimotor Stage

Is the first stage of cognitive development, according to Piaget, lasting from birth to approximately two years, where infants learn about the world through their senses and motor activities.

What is the milestone that happens in Senserimotor?

Object Perminance

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen which develops during the sensorimotor stage. It happens ar about 8 months

Preoperational Stage

The second stage of cognitive development, lasting from approximately ages 2 to 7, where children begin to engage in symbolic thinking and learn to use language but still lack the ability to perform operations mentally.

What goes away during the preoperational stage?

Egocentrism

What are the milestones in the preoperational stage?

Concervation, Theory of Mind

Egocentrism

The inability to see things from perspectives other than one's own.

Mental Symbols

The use of words, images, or objects to represent and stand for other things, which develops during the preoperational stage of cognitive development.

Pretend Play

A type of play where children use their imagination to create scenarios and act out roles, reflecting their cognitive development and understanding of the world.

Conservative

The understanding that certain properties of objects, such as volume or mass, remain the same despite changes in form or appearance. This cognitive ability typically develops during the concrete operational stage.

Reversibility

The ability to understand that actions or processes can be undone, leading to the restoration of the original state. This concept generally develops during the concrete operational stage.

Animism

The belief that inanimate objects possess feelings, thoughts, and emotions, common in early childhood.

Theory of Mind

The ability to attribute mental states such as beliefs, intents, desires, and knowledge to oneself and others, recognizing that they may differ from one's own.

Concrete Operational Stage

The third stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development, occurring between ages 7 and 11, where children begin to think logically about concrete events and understand the concept of conservation.

Logical Thinking

The ability to reason and draw conclusions based on the relationships between objects and events, typically developed during the concrete operational stage of cognitive development.

Realistic Thinking

A form of thinking that focuses on practical and real-world applications, often involving concrete details and clear strategies to solve problems.

Straightforward Thinking

A type of cognitive processing that focuses on practical and direct solutions to problems, often involving concrete examples and clear reasoning.

Conservation Has Been Mastered

The understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or appearance, typically developed in the concrete operational stage of cognitive development.

Formal Operational Stage

The last stage of Piaget's theory of cognitive development, typically beginning at age 12, during which individuals develop the ability to think abstractly, logically, and systematically.

Abstract Thinking

The ability to think about concepts and ideas that are not directly tied to concrete objects or experiences. This stage of cognitive development allows individuals to engage in logical reasoning, problem-solving, and hypothesis testing.

Hypothetical Thinking

The ability to consider possibilities and outcomes that are not immediately present or real. This cognitive skill is critical during adolescence, allowing for problem-solving and reasoning about abstract concepts.

Zone of Proximal Development

The range of things that we can do with help. This is how we develope cognatively

Scaffolding

The help to get us through the Zone of Proximal Development