CLPS 0610 - Midterm 1 Theories

What is the core belief of nativism in cognitive development?

Children are like little adults, with little fundamental change to cognitive systems or only changes in certain areas while others remain stable.

How does nativism view brain maturation?

Internal development causes brain maturation, or in extreme cases, brain maturation causes development.

What role does innate structure play in nativism?

All cognitive structures are innate and may be triggered by the world, acting as building blocks for cognitive development.

Who proposed the constructivist approach to cognitive development?

Jean Piaget

How does constructivism differ from nativism?

Constructivism states that everything changes through development, with innate structures evolving through environmental exposure.

What role does brain maturation play in constructivism?

Brain maturation causes development, but innate structures act as building blocks that change with experience.

How does empiricism differ from nativism?

Empiricism argues that children are "blank slates," with all knowledge developed through environmental experiences.

What is the empiricist view on brain maturation?

Brain maturation causes development, but there are no innate cognitive structures.

What is the key idea of domain general cognitive development?

Cognitive processes such as memory, perception, attention, and cognitive control develop together, affecting all learning areas.

How does knowledge development occur in a domain general approach?

Knowledge is learned as a consequence of overall cognitive development and is not a driving force behind it.

What is the key idea of domain specific cognitive development?

Different types of knowledge (e.g., biological concepts, numbers, mathematical reasoning) develop independently with their own cognitive processes.

How does memory function in domain specific development?

Specific types of knowledge, such as numbers and biological concepts, have their own memory and representational systems.

What is the first step in cognitive development?

A child observes an event they cannot currently account for.

What does assimilation mean in cognitive development?

The child applies new environmental information to existing cognitive representations, like biting an object the same way they bite another.

What does accommodation mean in cognitive development?

The child changes their approach based on new experiences, such as holding an object differently.

What happens after accommodation in cognitive development?

The child reaches a new state of equilibrium with updated cognitive representations.

What is the sensory-motor stage, and when does it occur?

The sensory-motor stage occurs from 0-2 years and involves infants exploring through physical senses and interactions.

What are key developments in the sensory-motor stage?

Infants develop symbolic representation, object permanence, and means-end behavior.

What is the pre-operational stage, and when does it occur?

The pre-operational stage occurs from 2-7 years and involves the development of symbolic behavior.

What are major limitations of children in the pre-operational stage?

They remain egocentric and struggle with conservation, causal reasoning, categorization, and class inclusion.

What is the concrete operations stage, and when does it occur?

The concrete operations stage occurs from 7-12 years, when children begin logical reasoning and mental manipulations.

What cognitive abilities improve during the concrete operations stage?

Children gain abilities in conservation, causal reasoning, categorization, and class inclusion.

What is a major limitation of the concrete operations stage?

Abstract reasoning remains difficult, as thinking is mostly tied to concrete concepts.

What is the formal operations stage, and when does it occur?

The formal operations stage occurs from 12+ years, allowing for abstract and hypothetical reasoning.

What cognitive abilities improve in the formal operations stage?

Children develop counterfactual reasoning, hypothesis formation, and complex abstract thought.