Lecture 7: Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood

Describe the concrete operational period (Piaget)

• Perform true operations (mental acts)

• Can perform coordinated mental actions

• BUT still very concrete

Why are concrete operations called that?

Mental actions are directed towards concrete objects

Children in the concrete operational stage are able to

Transform mathematical functions

What can children do with concrete operations?

1. Physical world is now predictable

2. Thinking is more organized and flexible

3. Can reverse thinking and start to consider alternatives

Describe two-sided thinking

• can think about objects from more than one perspective

• can hold two things in mind simultaneously

Two-sided thinking is the opposite of _____

Centration

How might a child reason through conservation tasks?

1. Logical necessity

2. Compensation

3. Mental reversing

Describe logical necessity as a rationale for a child in a conservation task

Quantity must remain the same, despite changes in appearance

Describe compensation as a rationale for a child in a conservation task

Change in one dimension compensates for change in another

Describe mental reversing as a rationale for a child in a conservation task

Children can recall the memory of the task in their heads and recount it verbally

Define metacognition

Ability to think about one’s own thought process (thinking about thinking)

Define metamemory

Ability to think about one’s own memory processes and capabilities

What is a studied example of metamemory?

The encyclopedia study

What are the implications of the encyclopedia study

• 8 y/os have a better understanding of their memory limitations than 5 y/os

• 8 y/os know that they need to study and test themselves in order to remember information

• 8 y/os know that in order to remember something, they must consistently rehearse

Children in middle childhood lack…

Formal operations

Formal operations involve:

1. Hypothetical (abstract) reasoning

2. Exhaustive thinking

Define hypothetical reasoning

Generating and testing hypotheses, considering possibilities, understanding abstract situations

What is an example of hypothetical reasoning?

Transitive problems (if A < B and B > C, then A > C)

Define exhaustive thinking

Mental operations in which all possible solutions are considered

What are examples of exhaustive thinking

Sandwich problem, combination of chemicals problem

7 year olds cannot ______

exhaust all possible combinations