Cognitive Development and Language Acquisition

A set of practice flashcards based on the lecture notes about theories of cognitive development and language acquisition.

Cognition

The processes associated with perception, knowledge, problem solving, judgement, language, thinking, attention, reasoning, imagining, and memory.

Jean Piaget

Swiss psychologist known for his work in developmental psychology, particularly children's cognitive development.

Constructivism

The theory that children actively construct knowledge through their experiences and interactions.

Assimilation

The process of fitting new information into existing cognitive schemas or concepts.

Accommodation

The process of altering existing schemas or creating new ones in response to new information.

Equilibration

The balance between assimilation and accommodation; achieving a state where cognitive schemas are in harmony.

Egocentrism

The inability to differentiate between one's own perspective and that of others; a characteristic of the preoperational stage of development.

Object permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, a key concept in cognitive development.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget's third stage of cognitive development (7-12 years) where children begin to think logically about concrete events.

Formal Operational Stage

The final stage of Piaget's theory (12 years and up) where abstract thought and hypothetical reasoning develop.

Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory

Emphasizes the role of social interactions and cultural tools in cognitive development.

Theory of Mind (ToM)

The ability to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and intentions that are different from one's own.

Overregulation

An error in language where children apply a grammatical rule too broadly, such as 'goed' instead of 'went'.

Nativism

The theory that certain skills or abilities are hard-wired into the brain at birth, particularly language acquisition.

Critical Period

A time during development when the brain is particularly receptive to learning certain skills, such as language.

Perceptual Narrowing

The developmental process by which infants become more attuned to the sounds and features of their native language as they grow.

Statistical Learning

The ability to learn about the probabilities of certain sounds occurring within a language, aiding in language acquisition.

Incremental Theory

The belief that intelligence is malleable and can be developed through effort and learning.

Entity Theory

The belief that intelligence is a fixed trait that cannot be changed.

Stereotype Threat

The risk of confirming negative stereotypes about one's group, which can hinder performance.

Echolalia

The repetition of phrases or sentences spoken by others, often seen in children with autism.

Attachment

The emotional bond that develops between a child and caregivers, crucial for social and emotional development.

Evolutionary Psychology

The study of psychological traits as evolved adaptations, emphasizing the biological basis of behavior.

Imprinting

A form of rapid learning that occurs in young animals, where they form attachments to the first moving object they encounter.

Causal Relationships

The understanding that one event (the cause) leads to another event (the effect), a crucial aspect of cognitive development.

Dual Representation

The ability to understand that a symbol or model can represent both itself and the object it symbolizes.

Core Knowledge Theories

Theories that suggest children are born with innate knowledge in certain domains, such as language or biology.

Executive Functions

Cognitive processes that include working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility.

Transitive Inference

A cognitive ability that allows a child to deduce relationships between multiple items based on known relationships.