Chapter 6: Cognitive development Flashcards
Schema (Constructivism)
organized knowledge structure
Like a little mental box for every category.
Deciding where new information goes
Assimilation vs Accommodation (Constructivism)
Assimilation – Squishing new info into existing system. Schema stays the same because new info “fit” (sometimes incorrectly, but we’ll get to that)
Accommodation – Adjusting the system to properly categorize new info. Broadening horse definition to include spots
Add a zebra box, horse box gets more specific
Equilibration vs Disequilibrium (Constructivism)
Equilibration –Balance, Everything is already in the correct box. Current schema provide a stable understanding of the world (nothing is challenging it at the moment)
Disequilibrium – Lack of balance, spurs learning!
How: ConstructivismEquilibration Process
- (Initial) Equilibrium:
satisfied with understanding
assimilation
- Disequilibrium:
New info causes confusion.
accomodation
- Advanced Equilibrium:
More sophisticated understanding
How does working with current schema allow you to build on ideas? How can you use schema and (dis)equilibrium process to help learner’s grow?
How do schema influence processing for in adults’ everyday lives?
Sensorimotor
General Progression
From body-centered to environmentfrom reflexive to complex action/thinking
Circular – Repeated actions
Primary – Body-focused
Secondary – Environment-focused
Sensorimotor Substages (6)
Reflexive Activity (Birth through 1st Month)
Strengthen/adapt reflexes
Primary circular reactions(1-4 months)
Reflexes -> voluntary
Interest in body-centered repeated actions
Secondary circular reaction (4-8 months)
Gaining object permanence
Interest in environment-centered repeated actions (people, objects)
Partial object permanence
- Coordination of secondary circular reactions (8-12 months)
Intentional movements and problem solving.
More object permanence A-not-B error - Tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months) “Child as scientist”
Experiment and discover - Throwing ball down the stairs. - Mental Representations (18-24 months)
Remember and repeat ideas from before, imaginative play, problem solving.
Preoperational Stage
2-6 years(ish)
Understand symbols (banana phone, playing house, etc.)
Struggle with operations (mental actions)
Egocentrism – Inability to consider another’s perspective.
Why struggle?
Centration – focus on a distinct feature and ignore all other information.
Struggles
Irreversibility – not realizing that some things can be reversed (washed a cup)
Conservation errors– inability to understand physical nature is the same, even if form changes.
Concrete Operational Stage
6ish-11ish
New skills
Conservation
Concrete applications
Transitive Inferences
Seriation
Classification and hierarchy
But not…
Abstract ideas
Formal Operational Stage
11+ish
Better with abstract.
Strategies show deductive reasoning.
Violation of expectancy tasks
Criticism of Piaget’s Theory
Sensorimotor stage
Evidence of mental representations
Evidence of object permanence
Preoperational Stage
Overstating egocentrism
Language vs. actual understanding
Can be taught about conservation
Concrete Operational
Main criticism is sociocultural differences
Examples
Mexican children who make pottery understand conservation earlier
Brazilian children who sell fruit/candy can perform mathematical equations earlier
Formal Operational
Main criticism is individual differences
Opportunities and motivations vary based on situation, task, and context
JPLs note – Did he argue that everyone got to Formal?
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
Gap between the child’s competence level and what they can do with help.
