Cognition and development Flashcards
What are schemas in Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development?
Mental frameworks for interpreting the world.
What is assimilation in Piaget’s Theory?
Adding new information to existing schemas.
What is accommodation in Piaget’s Theory?
Creating new schemas for new information.
What is equilibration in Piaget’s Theory?
Balance between assimilation & accommodation → Learning.
What are practical applications of Piaget’s Theory?
Education – discovery learning.
What is a criticism of Piaget’s Theory?
Underestimates role of social interaction (Vygotsky).
What is the Sensorimotor stage in Piaget’s Stages of Development?
0-2 years: Object permanence develops at ~8 months.
What is the Preoperational stage in Piaget’s Stages of Development?
2-7 years: Egocentrism and lack of conservation.
What is the Concrete Operational stage in Piaget’s Stages of Development?
7-11 years: Conservation achieved and logical thinking about concrete objects.
What is the Formal Operational stage in Piaget’s Stages of Development?
11+ years: Abstract reasoning develops.
What supports the progression of Piaget’s stages?
Cross-cultural evidence supports stage progression.
What is a criticism of Piaget’s tasks?
Tasks were too complex, underestimated children’s abilities (Hughes, 1975 – Policeman Doll Task).
What is Vygotsky’s view on social interaction?
Learning occurs through interaction with more knowledgeable others.
What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?
Gap between what child can do alone & what they can do with help.
What is scaffolding in Vygotsky’s Theory?
Gradual withdrawal of support as child learns.
What are practical applications of Vygotsky’s Theory?
Teaching strategies – guided learning.
What is a criticism of Vygotsky’s Theory?
Ignores biological factors (brain development).
What do VOE studies suggest about infant abilities?
Infants looked longer at impossible events, suggesting object permanence earlier than Piaget claimed.
What is the Physical Reasoning System (PRS)?
Innate understanding of object properties (e.g., solidity, continuity).
What is a strength of Baillargeon’s explanation?
More valid than Piaget’s methods (less reliant on motor skills).
What is a criticism of Baillargeon’s explanation?
Assumption that looking time = understanding may be flawed.
What are Selman’s Levels of Perspective-Taking?
Stages from egocentric (3-6) to societal (12+).
What is Stage 0 in Selman’s Levels of Perspective-Taking?
Egocentric (3-6): Can’t see others’ viewpoints.
What is Stage 1 in Selman’s Levels of Perspective-Taking?
Social-Informational (6-8): Awareness others see things differently.
What is Stage 2 in Selman’s Levels of Perspective-Taking?
Self-Reflective (8-10): Can put themselves in another’s position.
What is Stage 3 in Selman’s Levels of Perspective-Taking?
Mutual (10-12): Understand multiple viewpoints.
What is Stage 4 in Selman’s Levels of Perspective-Taking?
Societal (12+): Perspective-taking influenced by society.
What is a strength of Selman’s Levels of Perspective-Taking?
Supports cognitive development of social understanding.
What is a criticism of Selman’s Levels of Perspective-Taking?
Cultural bias (individualist societies may develop differently).
What is Theory of Mind (ToM)?
Understanding that others have separate thoughts/feelings.
What does the False Belief Task demonstrate?
Autistic children struggled to attribute false beliefs to others.
What is a strength of ToM in relation to autism?
Explains social difficulties in autism.
What is a criticism of ToM tasks?
Low ecological validity (false-belief tasks are artificial).
What are mirror neurons?
Fire when performing an action & when observing the same action.
What is the role of mirror neurons in social cognition?
Basis for understanding others’ intentions.
What supports the role of mirror neurons?
Supported by brain scans (active during social interactions).
What is a criticism of mirror neuron research?
Hard to measure directly – indirect evidence only.
