psych 318 - exam 2 - cognition

excludes how do infants learn about the physical world

jean piaget

most influential developmental psychologist

piagets theory features

stages

• qualitative change

• invariant sequence

constructivism

• neither nativist nor empiricist

• knowledge is built by child in an active process

schemes

• basic element of knowledge

• start as reflexes then action schemes then mental representation

• knowledge originates in actions

adaptation

• schemes change through experience - assimilation and accomodation

baby schemes

grasping

• what, how, what will happen

• child assimilates new object to grasping scheme

• child accomodates the grasping scheme to that particular object

assimilation

taking in input in a way that is consistent with an existing scheme

accommodation

changing shceme as a result of experience showing that it is inadequate

piagets stages

sensorimotor (birth - 18-24 mo)

preoperational (2-6years)

concrete operational (8-12 years)

formal operational (12+ years)

piagets sensorimotor stage

acheivments

• distinguish self from world

• understand difference between cause and effect

• learn specific means end relationships

• develop concept of object

limitations

• no planning

• no remembering

• no bringing concepts of absent objects to mind

piagets substages of sensorimotor development

stage 1 - reflexes 0-1 mo

stage 2 - primary circular reactions 1-4mo

stage 3 - secondary circular reactions 4-8 mo

stage 4 - coordination of secondary circular reactions 8-12mo

stage 2 - primary circular reactions

discover actions on own bodies and learn to repeat

tracks moving objects with anticipation

fails to reach for partially hidden objects

stage 3 - secondary circular reactions

discovers actions on objects and learns to repeat

reaches for partially hidden objects

fails to reach for fully hidden objects

stage 4 coordination of secondary circualr reactions

intentinally puts 2 schemas together to solve a problem

reaches for completley hidden objects

makes a not b error

object permanence

understanding that objects persist and exist even when we do not see them

does failure to search for objects mean infants have no object permanence - spekle wasserman baillargeon

5mo olds

violation of expectation - will infant show surprice when objects spontaneously cease to exist

conclusion - infant looked longer at impossible event

• understand one obejct cannot pass thorugh another

• an out of sight object continues to exist

younger babies object permanence - aguilar and baillargeon

2.5 mo

no differences in looking to possible and impossible

made easier to detect the violation

• 2.5 mo looked longer at impossible

• 3.5 mo looked equally

what do the object permanence studies show about piagets theory

infants cognitive abilities may not be evident in their motor behaviors

a not b error

hide object at a several times - infant finds successfully

hide object at b - infant searches a

response preservation

infants cant stop repeating previously rewarded responses

• exhibit in route finding

• exhibit in searching

• against if baby watches A trials and never reach still sometimes make the error

memory interference

2 hiding locations similar easy to confuse

more distinct hiding locations error decreases

longer delays error increases

infants still make error with transparent cover

stage 5 tertiary circular reactions

use of new means discovered by chance for new ends

deliberate variation of means to end

searches for object visibly displaced but fails with invisible displacement

invisible displacement

can find a hidden object but if object is not where expected

they cannot seem to make inferences about where it might be

stage 6 - coordinate secondary circular reactions

insightful problem solving

solves search tasks with invisible displacement