A2-Intellectual development across life stages Flashcards
What happens in infancy and early childhood?
In infancy and early childhood there is rapid growth in intellectual and language skills:
* Piaget’s model of how children’s logic and reasoning develops – stages of cognitive development, the development of schemas, his tests of
conservation, egocentrism and how his model may explain children’s thoughts and actions
* Chomsky’s model in relation to how children acquire language – Language Acquisition Device (LAD), the concept of a critical period during which
children may learn language, which may explain how children seem to instinctively gain language. talking - gurgle to 200 words. intellect develops,
reading, writing etc.,
What is Piaget’s theory?
Piaget believes children are born with a basic mental structure on
which all their learning is based. There are 4 stages of universal
development – Sensorimotor 0-2yrs, Pre-operational 2-7, Concrete
Operational 7-11 and formal Operational 11-18. Each stage has to be
gone through but you can go through at different rates. He developed
Schemas which is where there is a pattern of learning that links
perceptions, ideas and actions that a child uses to make sense of the
world. A child is in a state of equilibrium when their experience
matches what they understand, As children develop they recognise
the schema is inaccurate and adapt through assimilation and
accommodation. Assimilation is when knowledge is added to the
schema to help understand it. Accommodation is when are schemas
are changed or newly formed as a result of the experience or new
information. Children develop skills such as conversation. Children
go from egocentric to understanding others have different views and
opinions.
What are criticisms of Piaget’s theory?
Criticisms - Development isn’t always predictable and smooth. A small
observation group was used. Children are less egocentric than Piaget
proposed. Bruner didn’t agree with the fixed stages or children’s readiness
to learn. It doesn’t take into account the child’s environment or quality of
education. He believed that with adult support children can progress to
higher level thinking skills. Other research suggests abstract thinking skills
can take longer than 11 to become skilled in
What is Chomsky’s theory?
Chomsky believes learning a language is a genetic natural process that we
are programmed to do, rather than taught and we have something known as a
Language Acquisition Device – LAD is a structure that every child is born with
and allows them to learn quickly and understand language as they mature
(the same as how we learn to walk). Children follow a similar sequence in
their development of language regardless of where they are from. We should
be fluent by the age of 5/6. A child can’t learn from imitation alone due to the
grammar and syntax. Even when young children are having the correct
grammar spoken to them they will still use ‘I blooded’ rather than bled as they
haven’t reached the next stage of the language development
What are criticisms of Chomsky’s theory?
Criticisms - Lacks scientific evidence to support theory. Bruner feels he
underestimates the importance of social interaction with others and that it is
critical and has far more influence on the children than Chomsky believes.
Doesn’t consider children who have delayed language such as Down’s
Syndrome. He also places too much emphasis on grammar in the sentence
structure rather than how children construct meaning from the sentences
How does intellectual development change in adolescence?
In adolescence, start new chapter of learning, examinations for GCSE and
A’Level, develop sense of own values. Further language development skills
in the form of abstract and critical thinking.
How does intellectual development change in Early Adulthood?
In early adulthood, thinking becomes realistic and pragmatic, with expert
knowledge about the practical aspects of life that permits judgement
about important matters. University, college, training for career, housing,renting, mortgage, job-promotion, Travel-holidays, backpacking etc.
