Section 9.3: Infancy and Childhood: Cognitive Development - Terms

Cognition

The mental processes involved in acquiring, storing, and using knowledge.

Schema

A mental framework that helps organize and interpret information.

Accomodation

Adapting existing schemas to incorporate new information.

Assimilation

Interpreting new experiences using existing schemas.

Sensorimotor stage

Piaget’s first stage (birth to ~2 years) where infants explore the world through sensory experiences and motor activities.

Object permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.

Preoperational stage

Piaget’s second stage (~2 to 7 years) marked by symbolic thinking but limited by egocentrism and lack of logical reasoning.

Conservation

The understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or appearance.

Egocentrism

A child’s difficulty in seeing a situation from another person’s point of view.

Theory of mind

The ability to understand that others have thoughts, feelings, and perspectives different from one’s own.

Concrete operational stage

Piaget’s third stage (~7 to 11 years) when children begin to think logically about concrete events.

Formal operational stage

Piaget’s final stage (from ~12 years and up) where individuals develop abstract reasoning and hypothetical thinking.

Jean Piaget

A pioneering developmental psychologist who studied children’s cognitive development and proposed stage theory.

Lev Vigotsky

A developmental psychologist who emphasized the role of social interaction and culture in cognitive development.

Scaffold

A support system provided by teachers or peers that helps a learner achieve a higher level of understanding.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

A developmental disorder characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors.