chapter 4: theories of cognitive development Flashcards

1
Q

Piaget’s theory

A

the theory of Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, which posits that cognitive development involves a sequence of four stages – the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stages – that are constructed through the processes of assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration

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2
Q

assimilation

A

the process by which people translate incoming information into a form that fits concepts they already understand

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3
Q

accommodation

A

the process by which people adapt current knowledge structures in response to new experiences

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4
Q

equilibration

A

the process by which children (or other people) balance assimilation and accommodation to create stable understanding

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5
Q

sensorimotor stage

A

the period (birth to 2 years) within Piaget’s theory in which intelligence is expressed through sensory and motor abilities

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6
Q

preoperational stage

A

the period (2 to 7 years) within Piaget’s theory in which children become able to represent their experiences in language, mental imagery, and symbolic thought

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7
Q

concrete operational stage

A

the period (7 to 12 years) within Piaget’s theory in which children become able to reason logically about concrete objects and events

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8
Q

formal operational stage

A

the period (12 years and beyond) within Piaget’s theory in which people become able to think about abstractions and hypothetical situations

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9
Q

object permanence

A

the knowledge that objects continue to exist even when they are out of view

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10
Q

A-not-B error

A

the tendency to reach for a hidden object where it was last found rather than in the new location where it was last hidden

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11
Q

deferred imitation

A

the repetition of other people’s behavior a substantial time after it originally occurred

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12
Q

symbolic representation

A

the use of one object to stand for another

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13
Q

egocentrism

A

the tendency to perceive the world solely from one’s own point of view

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14
Q

centration

A

the tendency to focus on a single, perceptually striking feature of an object or event

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15
Q

conservation concept

A

the idea that merely changing the appearance of objects does not necessarily change the objects’ other key properties

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16
Q

information-processing theories

A

a class of theories that focus on the structure of the cognitive system and the mental activities used to deploy attention and memory to solve problems

17
Q

task-analysis

A

the research technique of specifying the goals, obstacles to their realization, and potential solution strategies involved in problem solving

18
Q

computer simulation

A

a type of mathematical model that expresses ideas about mental processes in precise ways

19
Q

problem solving

A

the process of attaining a goal by using a strategy to overcome an obstacle

20
Q

working memory

A

memory system that involves actively attending to, maintaining, and processing information

21
Q

long-term memory

A

information retained on an enduring basis

22
Q

basic processes

A

the simplest and most frequently used mental activities

23
Q

encoding

A

the process of representing in memory information that draws attention or is considered important

24
Q

rehearsal

A

the process of repeating information multiple times to aid memory of it

25
Q

selective attention

A

the process of intentionally focusing on the information that is most relevant to the current goal

26
Q

overlapping waves theory

A

an information-processing approach that emphasizes the variability of children’s thinking

27
Q

core-knowledge theories

A

approaches that view children as having some innate knowledge in domains of special evolutionary importance and domain-specific learning mechanisms for rapidly and effortlessly acquiring additional information in those domains

28
Q

domain specific

A

information about a particular content area

29
Q

nativism

A

the theory that infants have substantial innate knowledge of evolutionarily important domains

30
Q

constructivism

A

the theory that infants build increasingly advanced understanding by combining rudimentary innate knowledge with subsequent experiences

31
Q

sociocultural theories

A

approaches that emphasize that other people and the surrounding culture contribute greatly to children’s development

32
Q

guided participation

A

a process in which more knowledgeable individuals organize activities in ways that allow less knowledgeable people to learn

33
Q

social scaffolding

A

a process in which more competent people provide a temporary framework that supports children’s thinking at a higher level than children could manage on their own

34
Q

cultural tools

A

the innumerable products of human ingenuity that enhance thinking

35
Q

private speech

A

the second phase of Vygotsky’s internalization-of-thought process, in which children develop self-regulation and problem-solving abilities by telling themselves aloud what to do, much as their parents did in the first stage

36
Q

intersubjectivity

A

the mutual understanding that people share during communication

37
Q

joint attention

A

a process in which social partners intentionally focus on a common referent in the external environment

38
Q

dynamic-systems theories

A

a class of theories that focus on how change occurs over time in complex systems