Cognitive Development Lecture Goals Introduce Developmental Psychology Introduce Jean Piaget s idea Introduce Cognitive Development Corresponding Readings Module 13 Pages 177 187 Who was Jean Piaget A biologist An observant father His goal was description Greatly influenced research about cognitive development Misunderstood Jean Piaget s Ideas Children grow up in a complex world Goal of learning effect interaction with the environment Cognitive abilities grow as child makes sense of the environment Quantity and quality of thought change with development Concepts defined by activity schemas By what can and can t be done to an object Activity schemas grow from inborn reflexes rooting mouth palmar grasping stepping feet Activity schemas develop as we gain body control and coordination 2 Types of Learning Assimilation Accommodation Assimilation modify or add schemas to incorporate new experiences into existing set of schemas Notice things share the same properties Promotes overgeneralizations Example dog 4 legged animal Sees cow and calls it a dog Cow assimilated into existing schema for 4 legged animals dog Accommodation modify or add schemas to make sense of new information Captures distinctions Example Mom says animal is a cow not a dog Child modifies dog schema Child adds cow schema Piaget s Stages of Development 4 stages Each stage characterized by cognitive gains and limitations Rough age guidelines but set order Sensorimotor 0 2 Preoperational 2 6 Concrete Operational 7 to 11 Formal Operational 12 adult Sensorimotor 0 2 Thought dominated by sensations and motor responses Little Experimenters Thought limited to here and now Object permanence issues Out of sight out of mind Peek a boo Watch and hat story Age 1 2 begin to use language first steps in learning and using symbol systems Preoperational 2 6 Child has learned object permanence Child learns language symbol use Gains in memory Child begins to use mental representations Child does NOT understand mental operations logic Child considers only 1 of many dimensions points of view e g picture game Egocentrism issues unable to take another s point of view 3 mountains task Pile of blocks task Board game task Juice box task Conservation issues reversible operations Seriation issues can t put objects in order Concrete Operational 7 11 Can think logically about real objects they can view move Can solve conservation problems Can adopt other s point of view Can consider multiple dimensions at same time Can order objects on feature Child can NOT apply logic to abstract or hypothetical situations Formal Operational 12 adult Can apply logic to abstract or hypothetical situations Can make abstract logical predictions Capable of mature moral reasoning
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