Cognitive Development

Cognition

intellectual growth, those by which we get to know outselves and our world

• memory

• learning

• attention (actively listening)

• perception (perceive/process information)

• thought (thinking)

• problem solving (planning, finding solutions)

Jean Piaget

• observed children

• proposed a sequence of development that all normal children follow

• four “stages” of cognitive development (systematic process of analysing child development) - completing stages with age.

1. Sensorimotor stage (sensing information and movement)

2 years

- “blank state’”  - Cognition tied to external stimulation – what is happening to and around them  - Thinking is doing – cognition tied closely to behavior  - Object permanence

Object permanence

Birth – 3 months	- Look at visual stimuli,  - turn head toward the noise
3  months	- Follow moving objects with eyes  - Stares at place where object disappeared, does not search for the object
5 months	- Grasp and manipulate objects  - Anticipate the future position of an object (starting to understand object permanence)
8 months	- Search for hidden objects  - A not b effect
12 months	Search for the last place they saw the object

Schema formation

A schema is a mental representation or set of rules that defines a particular behaviour category. Helps us understand current and future experiences e.g what happens in a lecture, a general blueprint.

assimilation

accomodation

the process by which an existing schema is modified or changed by a new experience e.g next time, see rabbit again, understands it as a rabbit.

representational thought

ability to form mental representations of others' behaviour 

occurs towards the end of the sensorimotor period (18months to 2years old)

Mental representation is instrumental in

imitation, deferred imitation, symbolic play and the use of words to represent objects.

2. Preoperational stage

2-7 years old

Think logically and symbolically, rapid development of language ability, classification, categorisation, counting,and  object manipulation 

- Ego-centric 

- Conservation

conservation

the understanding that specific properties of objects (height, weight, volume, number) remain the same despite apparent changes or arrangment of those objects

egocentrism

a child's belief that others see that world in precisely the same way that he/she does (no change in perspective)

3. Concrete Operations stage

- Logical analysis, no hypothetical thinking 

- Empathise with others 

- Understand complex cause and effect relations

(overcome egocentrism and conservation problems)

7-12 years old

4. Formal Operations stage

Abstract reasoning – “What would it be like to be on the moon?” 

- Metacognition 

- Principles of scientific thinking - have to be taught this

Piaget’s theory