Chapter 3 Flashcards
Piaget’s theory stages
cognitive-developmental approach -> cognitive stages: cognitive abilities organised into a mental structure, maturation -> driving force behind development from one stage to the next. schemas -> in infants its based on sensory and motor processes, after infants its based in symbolic and representational subjective. Assimilatin and accommodation -> Usually take place together in varying degrees
what is assimilation?
The cognitive process that occurs when new information is altered to fit an existing scheme.
what is accomodation?
The cognitive process that occurs when a scheme is changed to adapt to new information.
stages of cognitive development
sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, formal operations
what is sensorimotor?
0-2 ages. Learn to coordinate the activities of the senses with motor activities
Preoperational
2-7, Capable of symbolic representation, such as in language, but limited ability to use mental operations.
Concrete operations
7-11, Capable of using mental operations, but only in concrete, immediate experience; difficulty thinking hypothetically.
Formal operations
11-15/20 -> Capable of thinking logically and abstractly, capable of formulating hypotheses and testing them systematically; thinking is more complex, and can think about thinking (metacognition).
What is the pendulum?
Piaget’s classic test of formal operations, in which people are asked to figure out what determines the speed at which a pendulum sways from side to side. Stage most relevant to cognitive development in adolescence
Complex tasks and logical, systematic thinking
Pendulum problem
Hypothetical-deductive reasoning
What is hypothetical-deductive reasoning?
Piaget’s term for the process by which the formal operational thinker systematically tests possible solutions to a problem and arrives at an answer that can be defended and explained.
Describe how thinking in adolescence becomes more abstract and complex, using metacognition, metaphor, and sarcasm as examples.
Abstract Thinking
Ex: time, friendship, faith
Complex thinking, Metacognition, Self-awareness of thinking processes, Includes thinking about what you think of others and what they think of you. Metaphor – understand the literal, concrete meaning as well as less obvious, more subtle meanings
Sarcasm – picking up on meanings in tone and context.
Metacognition
The capacity for “thinking about thinking” that allows adolescents and adults to reason about their thought processes and monitor them. Likely to see things in greater complexity and perceive multiple aspects of a situation.
Summarize the major critiques of Piaget’s theory, and Piaget’s response.
Limitations of Piaget’s Theory
Individual differences in formal operations
Piaget – most people proceed through the same stages at about the same ages because they experience the same maturational processes
Research has proven this wrong
Culture and formal operations
Not all cultures develop formal operational thought. Must be applied to materials and tasks specific to the culture
Describe pragmatism and how it affects thinking from adolescence to adulthood.
Pragmatism -> postformal thinking -> labouvie-vief -> Emerging adults recognize practical limitations to logical thinking. Adolescents exaggerate how logical thinking will be effective in real life. Basseches -> dialectical thought. Peng and Nisbett -> chinese culture strives to reconcile contradictions by seeking middle ground.
postformal thinking
Type of thinking beyond formal operations, involving greater awareness of the complexity of real-life situations, such as in the use of pragmatism and reflective judgment
Pragmatism
Type of thinking that involves adapting logical thinking to the practical constraints of real-life situations.
diabolical thought
Type of thinking that develops in emerging adulthood, involving a growing awareness that most problems do not have a single solution and that problems must often be addressed with crucial pieces of information missing
Describe reflective judgment and the difference between dualistic thinking and multiple thinking.
Reflective judgement -> perry -> dualistic thinking, multiple thinking, relativism, commitment.
reflective judgment: The capacity to evaluate the accuracy and logical coherence of evidence and arguments.
dualistic thinking: Cognitive tendency to see situations and issues in polarized, absolute, black-and-white terms.
multiple thinking: Cognitive approach entailing recognition that there is more than one legitimate view of things and that it can be difficult to justify one position as the true or accurate one.
relativism: Cognitive ability to recognize the legitimacy of competing points of view but also compare the relative merits of competing views.
commitment: Cognitive status in which people commit themselves to certain points of view they believe to be the most valid while at the same time being open to reevaluating their views if new evidence is presented to them.
Identify how the information-processing approach differs from Piaget’s cognitive-developmental approach.
The Basics of the Information-Processing Approach -> Views cognitive changes as continuous -> Focuses on the thinking process at all ages -> The computer is the model for this approach -> Componential approach
information-processing approach: An approach to understanding cognition that seeks to delineate the steps involved in the thinking process and how each step is connected to the next.
What is the continous approach?
componential approach: Description of the information-processing approach to cognition, indicating that it involves breaking down the thinking process into its various components.
Compare and contrast selective attention and divided attention
Attention ->
Selective attention, Gets better as you age
Divided attention -> may result in less efficient learning
Especially problematic for those with learning disabilities
Distinguish between short-term, long-term, and working memory, and explain how adolescents use mnemonic devices.
Storing and Retrieving Information: Short-Term and Long-Term Memory
Short-term memory -> Input and storage of new information
Working memory -> Long-term memory
Mnemonic devices (memory strategies)
Unlimited capacity
Give an example of automaticity, and explain how executive functioning develops in adolescence.
Processing Information: Speed,Automaticity, and Executive Functioning
Speed of processing information increases in adolescence
Greater automaticity
Greater executive functioning.
executive functioning: The ability to control and manage one’s cognitive processes.
Summarize critiques of the information-processing approach.
Limitations of the Information-Processing Approach -> Reductionism
Fails to consider how human cognition works as a whole rather than a set of isolated parts
Computers have no self-reflection, self-awareness, or emotions.
