W8 Cognitive Development

Page 4: Intended Learning Outcomes

• Goals:

  • Describe Piaget's stages of cognitive development.

  • Discuss the assumptions and concepts underlying Piagetian theory.

  • Discuss the strengths and limitations of Piagetian theory of development.

Page 5: Introduction to Piaget

• Jean Piaget (1896–1980):

  • Pioneer in cognitive development theory.

  • Suggested infants and children think differently than adults, emphasizing qualitative differences.

  • Development significantly influenced by children’s actions in the world.

Page 6: Piaget’s View of Development

• Social Context:

  • Acknowledged importance, yet viewed children as isolated learners constructing personal understanding.

• Constructivist Approach:

  • Described children as ‘little scientists’ exploring their environment.

Page 7: Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

• Overview of Stages:

  • Fundamental phases outlining cognitive development according to Piaget.

Page 8: Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 years)

• Key Features:

  • Reflexive movements evolve into deliberate actions.

  • Develops means-end behavior.

  • Gradual separation of self from the environment.

  • Achievement of object permanence.

  • Deferred imitation marks the conclusion of this stage.

Page 9: Preoperational Stage (2-7 years)

• Key Features:

  • Development of semiotic functions—using symbols for communication.

  • Enables thought about past and future and facilitates language use.

  • Characterized by egocentrism; difficulty in perspective-taking.

  • Struggles with logic in problem-solving (e.g., conservation tasks).

Page 10: Concrete Operational Stage (7-12 years)

• Key Features:

  • Ability to solve conservation tasks correctly marks entry into this stage.

  • Horizontal decalage: exhibits different rates of development within stages.

  • Logical thinking emerges but requires physical representation of problems.

Page 11: Formal Operational Stage (approx. 12 years and beyond)

• Key Features:

  • Capacity for logical and abstract thinking.

  • Hypothetical reasoning is developed.

  • In-depth thinking about society and self-concept.

  • Internal cognitive structures become highly organized.

Page 12: Concepts and Assumptions in Piagetian Theory

• Introduction to the major concepts foundational to Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Page 13: Schemes in Piagetian Theory

• Definition of Schemes:

  • Basic coordinated patterns of action or reasoning.

  • More complex schemes develop as children grow older, incorporating mental processes.

  • Children utilize schemes for interacting with their environments; earlier schemes facilitate the development of more sophisticated ones.

Page 14: Key Concepts in Piagetian Theory

• Assimilation:

  • Integrating new experiences into existing knowledge frameworks.

• Accommodation:

  • Adjustments in behavior and cognition when existing schemes do not encompass new experiences.

• Equilibration:

  • Self-regulatory process promoting increasingly organized and complex intellectual schemes through assimilation and accommodation.

Page 15: Assumptions: Nature vs. Nurture

• Maturation:

  • Genetic programs unfold over time affecting development.

  • Children can actively engage with their environment, impacting their growth.

  • Developmental goals involve achieving stability between physically responding to and cognitively understanding interactions.

Page 16: Assumptions: Cultural Context

• Cultural Influence:

  • Similar cognitive development patterns across cultures.

  • Cultural and educational experiences can alter the pace and extent of cognitive development.

Page 17: Assumptions: Active vs. Passive Learning

• Active Knowledge Construction:

  • Learning involves continuous restructuring of intellectual frameworks through activities and experiences.

  • Children are active learners, shaping their understanding of the world.

Page 18: Assumptions: Continuous vs. Discontinuous Development

• Developmental Trajectory:

  • Initially emphasized distinct stages, but later acknowledged ongoing changes in cognitive abilities, illustrating a 'spiral' of development across different rates.

Page 19: Assumptions: Critical Periods

• Sensitive Learning Periods:

  • Stages of development reflect optimal times for learning.

  • Piaget viewed development as a lifelong process rather than strictly limit times.

Page 20: Strengths and Limitations of Piagetian Theory

• Overview of the strengths and limitations inherent to Piaget's contributions to developmental psychology.

Page 21: Strengths of Piaget’s Theory of Development

• Recognition of Cognition's Role:

  • Highlights the significance of cognitive processes in development.

  • Reveals unexpected insights into children's thinking, such as object permanence and conservation.

• Broad Scope:

  • Encompasses various behaviors and is applicable to everyday life.

• Ecological Validity:

  • Focuses on how children adapt within their natural environments.

Page 22: Limitations of Piaget’s Theory of Development

• Cultural and Contextual Bias:

  • Primarily reflects Westernized perspectives, thus limited in cultural application.

• Neglect of Individual Differences:

  • Fails to account for variations among individual children.

• Limited Lifespan Focus:

  • Concentrates mainly on childhood, overlooking later stages of development.

• Variable Task Outcomes:

  • Children’s behavior can change with different task designs, challenging the validity of Piaget’s observations.

Page 23: Overview of Vygotsky

• Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934):

  • Focused on the influence of social and cultural interactions on cognitive development.

  • Although contemporaries, his theories emphasize context and societal impact differently than Piaget.

Page 24: Key Concepts of Vygotsky

• Social Development:

  • Higher mental functions emerge from social interactions, contrasting with Piaget’s maturation concept.

• Internalization of Knowledge:

  • Children learn and modify shared cultural knowledge.

• Appropriation:

  • Adaptation of tools occurs uniquely via individual experiences.

• Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding:

  • Concepts facilitating supportive learning experiences.

Page 25: Imitation in Newborns

• Meltzoff (1977) Findings:

  • Proposed earlier occurrence of imitation than suggested by Piaget.

• Oostenbroek et al (2016) Study:

  • Tested 106 infants, found no reliable evidence for newborn imitation of actions or sounds, questioning Piaget's timeline.

Page 26: Reevaluating Newborn Imitation Skills

• Conclusions from Research:

  • The concept of inborn imitation modules should be reconsidered; notions of imitation likely develop around six months, aligning more with Piaget's original hypothesis.

Page 27: Key Terms

• Key Terms to Remember:

  • Schemes

  • Assimilation & Accommodation

  • Object permanence

  • Sensorimotor

  • Pre-operational

  • Concrete Operational

  • Formal Operational