Chapter 8: Knowledge Acquisition Flashcards
What do the studies of intuitive physics teach us?
“…infants’ concepts in the area of intuitive physics are applied very narrowly.”
“The perspectives of Spelke, Baillargeon, and core developmentalists in general are not that infants are developing generally well-informed theories of physics. Infants lack some specific physical concepts such as ideas about inertia, momentum, and the expected effects of gravity on objects in motion.”
Run yourself through the three components of the standard social sciences model.
1) We have general-purpose learning mechanisms.
2) Biology is not relevant.
3) We are born a blank slate.
How is continuity tested in a lab setting and when does it seem to develop?
Continuity is tested with a habituation experiment where a rod is hidden behind an occluder. When the occluder is removed, the rod can either be one rod or two smaller rods.
The infants expect the rod to be continuous, or one rod.
This occurs at 4 months.
How does Piaget’s claim of when object permanence develops compare to modern knowledge?
Piaget believed that objects became permanent around 8 months.
We know have evidence of object permanence as early as 3 1/2 months (‘lights out’ and the wooden board violation of expectation experiments).
Assign a definition to experience-expectant learning. What would you expect a developmental systems theorist (DST) to say about this?
Learning that relies on stimuli that all members of the species experience.
A DST would likely say that individuals inherit their species-typical environment.
Can you provide research data on prepared learning?
1) Clinical phobias.
2) Aversive conditioning can occur in a single trial with EEA salient objects objects.
3) Rats will associate nausea with water, but not sound; and rats will associate a shock with sound, but not water.
What are the three aspects of core knowledge?
1) Reliably developing
2) Domain-specific
3) Fitness advantage
How does an infant’s appreciation of occlusion events develop?
2 1/2 months: Believe that objects behind an occluder should be visible.
3 1/2 months*: Believe that height is an important variable in occlusion. Also when occlusion is traditionally though to develop.
7 1/2 months: Appreciate that transparent objects show what is behind them.
What are the three developmental milestones in understanding how support and gravity work? What happens at each?
3 months: Understand that an object must be supported at some point to stand.
5 months: Understand that this support must come from the bottom side of the object.
6.5 months: Understand that a majority of the object must be supported for it not to fall.
What are some characteristics of each of Piaget’s six substages?
Stage 1 & 2: Will track objects and lose interest. but quickly lose interest if lost.
Stage 3: Skilled with eye-tracking, but will forget about the existence of an object if it becomes occluded.
Stage 4: Has complex representations yet will show the A-not-B error.
Stage 5: Resolves the A-not-B error yet has issues with invisible displacement; the infant cannot update the location of an object in their mind.
Stage 6: Fully developed.
Assign a definition to experience-dependent learning.
A learning mechanism that responds to individual-specific information. This helps an individual specialize in their environment.
What is the duration for each of Piaget’s six substages?
Stage 1 & 2: birth to 4 months.
Stage 3: 4 months to 8 months.
Stage 4: 8 to 12 months.
Stage 5: 12 to 18 months.
Stage 6: 18 to 24 months.
When do children show an understanding of cohesion in object movement?
3 months.
What role does a domain serve? Can you think of any of its limits?
Contains information as to what entities are included and not included in a system, and how to interact with that which is included.
Limited in making inferences outside of the domain.
What type of objects do these intuitive physics principles apply to?
Objects that are larger than a grain of sand. Infants do not have the same expectations for particles and liquids.
