Child Development - Cognition and Intelligence

Question 1

Who developed the theory of ‘children as enquiring scientists’?

Answer 1

Jean Piaget

Question 2

What is the general overview of Jean Piaget’s theory of children as enquiring scientists?

Answer 2

Children learn through action and the importance is in how children THINK rather than what they know

Question 3

At what age do children reach the Sensorimotor stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development?

Answer 3

0-2 years

Question 4

At what age do children reach the pre-operational stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development?

Answer 4

2-7 years

Question 5

At what age do children reach the concrete operational stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development?

Answer 5

7-11 years

Question 6

At what age do children reach the formal operational stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development?

Answer 6

11+ years

Question 7

What is the sensorimotor stage of Piaget’s theory? (0-2 years)

Answer 7

6 sub stages

Recognition of self as agent of action
Object permanence
Developing memory systems; self-recognition

Basically, knowing the physical environment by seeing and touching (thinking only by doing)

Question 8

What is object permanence?

Answer 8

realising that something is still there even when a piece of paper is placed in front of it

Question 9

How can developing memory systems be tested?

Answer 9

Attach child’s leg to string and they learn that when the kick, a mobile moves
See if they remember to kick 2, 3, 4 days later
The older they are, the longer they’ll remember

Question 10

Give some examples of a child’s abilities at 8 months old

Answer 10

Obeys simple requests
Points to objects
Hold cup to doll's mouth
Demonstrates affection by hugging and kissing 
Shows toes when named by mother
Shakes head or says no
Self-recognition

Question 11

What are schemas?

Answer 11

Theories about how the physical and social world operate

Question 12

What is assimilation?

Answer 12

understanding a new object

Question 13

What is accommodation?

Answer 13

Modifying a schema in result of new evidence

Question 14

In terms of pre-operational thought, what is contraption?

Answer 14

Only thinking about one idea at a time

Question 15

What is egocentrism?

Answer 15

Self centred world view

Difficulty with the perspectives of others

Question 16

At what age will a child be able to describe the view of someone else in the 3 mountain problem?

Answer 16

age 6-7

Question 17

A child who can’t describe the view of someone else in the 3 mountain problem is thinking…

Answer 17

egocentrically

Question 18

What are the basics of pre-operational thought? (3 factors)

Answer 18

egocentric - self centred world view
centration - only thinking about one idea at a time
conservation - understanding that amount is unrelated to appearance (happens at around 6 years)

Question 19

When a child passes the 3 mountain problem what stage of cognitive development are they showing?

Answer 19

concrete operational (7-11 years)

Question 20

A 0-2 year old child will be at what stage?

Answer 20

Sensorimotor

Question 21

A 2-7 year old child will be at what stage?

Answer 21

pre-operational

Question 22

A 2-11 year old child will be at what stage?

Answer 22

concrete operational

Question 23

An 11+ year old will be at what stage?

Answer 23

formal operational

Question 24

What is conservation?

Answer 24

Understanding that amount is unrelated to appearance

understanding, volume, amount etc

Question 25

What are the basics of concrete operational thought?

Answer 25

Start to think in a logical manner

Can only deal with objects and events which are real or imaginable

Question 26

What are the basics of formal operational thought?

Answer 26

Basis of adult thinking
reasoning
consider alternatives and plan ahead
systematic testing of hypotheses

Question 27

What causes differences in IQs?

Answer 27

Genetics

Social/racial genetic differences

Question 28

What is the Wechsler Adult intelligence scale?

Answer 28

Gives IQ and verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory index, processing speed index

Question 29

How is perceptual reasoning measured?

Answer 29

visual puzzles

Question 30

Benefits of IQ tests

Answer 30

Identifies educational needs
Assesments following neurological trauma, learning disability, cognitive impairment
predicting school performance
predicting job stress

Question 31

Negatives of IQ tests?

Answer 31

Influenced by environment and culture
May not be stbale
Does not measure underlying competence or ‘world skills’
Does not measure emotional intelligence

Question 32

What is Cerebral lateralisation?

Answer 32

the idea that both sides of the brain are different and different cognitive abilities reside in different parts

ASYMMETRY OF FUNCTION

Question 33

What is commissurotomy?

Answer 33

Split brain surgery - stop the opportunity for electrical discharge in one hemisphere to spread across to the other hemisphere by severing the corpus callosum to limit seizures for epilepsy patients

Question 34

What are the roles of the left hemisphere?

Answer 34

complex language functions
complex logical activities
mathematical computations

Question 35

What are the roles of the right hemisphere?

Answer 35

simple language functions
spatial and pattern abilities
emotional recognition

Question 36

What are the four stages of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development?

Answer 36

Sensorimotor (0-2 years)
Pre-operational (2-7 years)
Concrete operational (7-11 years)
Formal operational (12+ years)