Cognitive development

Defined as the transitions in patterns of thinking such as reasoning, memory and problem solving

→ refers to the development of mental abilities that occurs as we adapt to the world around us.

Development of cognitive abilities (as proposed by Jean Piaget

• changes in someone’s thoughts and ability to acquire, organise, remember and use information as they age
  

Adaptations

• taking in from external environment

• processing what information means

• organising

• Using

Assimilation

• a process of taking new informational and fitting it into and making it part of existing mental idea about objects of the world.

eg/ knows something with 4 wheels is a car, thinks anything with 4 wheels is a car

Accommodation

• the process of changing pre-existing mental ideas to process new information by altering and restructuring existing thought patterns

eg/ a truck has 4 wheels but is not a car, has to change pre-existing perception of 4 wheeled vehicles

Schema (schemata plural)

the representation on the mind of a set of perceptions, ideas/actions which go together

eg/ Christmas = presents, Christmas trees, santa Claus or a timetable, CBD→ memorising timetable, getting on the train, validating myki