Cognition and development Flashcards
Maturation
The effects of the biological process of ageing and how some processes become more available to us as we grow.
Environment
Interaction of the environment leads us to understand the world more complexly.
Schemas
Cognitive frameworks which we develop through experiences to help us represent concepts, beliefs and expectations and help us understand how to act.
Accommodation
In response to dramatically new experiences, either a current schema is radically changed our a new schema is formed.
Assimilation
When we understand a new experience and add new information to an existing schema.
Disequilibrium with schemas
Occurs when we encounter something that doesn’t fit with an existing schema
When we have new information we build it successfully in our understanding of the world through assimilation or accommodation.
Disequilibrium acts as motivation to learns as it is an unpleasant sensation.
Summarise Piagets theory of cognitive development
Piaget believes adults and children have different levels of cognitive development because they think differently due to maturation and the environment. Babies are born with innate packages of knowledge called schemas. Piaget suggests there are two ways schemas (and cognitive development) can increase, accommodation and assimilation. Accommodation is when a new schema is built as new information is too unique. Assimilation is when a schema is built on based on new information. Information has to go through one of these process so our brain leaves disequilibrium and reaches equilibrium.
Piagets theory of cognitive development strength - research evidence
p- one strength of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is the existence of evidence for the individual information of mental representations
e- Piaget’s theory of learning suggests that children will form quite individual representations of the world.
e- Christine Howe demonstrated this in a study where 9-12 year olds were placed in groups to investigate the movements of objects down a slope. The children had increased understanding after the study, each child picked slightly different facts and came to different conclusions.
l- therefore Piaget’s theory of cognitive development has high validity as all research is in support that children develop differently due to different thinking styles.
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development strength - positive application
P- One strength of Piaget’s theory is it’s been applied to teaching.
E- Piaget’s idea that children learn by actively exploring their environment and forming their own mental representation of the world has changed classroom teaching.
E- Since the theory, classrooms have become more interactive to allow children to conduct their own understanding of the curriculum. In early years children may discover the physical properties of sand whereas in A-Level the students may teach the content.
L- Therefore, Piaget’s theory off cognitive development has good applications in society as it has helped people understand the best ways of learning at different ages.
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development disadvantage - Alternative
P- A limitation of Piaget’s theory is he underestimated the role of others learning.
E- Piaget understood learning as individual process which others can source information.This contrasts other theories where learning is an active process supported by others.
E- Vygotsky saw knowledge as existing first between the learner and the more experienced.
L- Therefore, strong evidence suggests that learning is enhanced by interaction with others, and this is better explained by alternative theories.
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development weakness - Limited research evidence
P- A limitation of Piaget’s theory is the sample wasn’t representative of all children.
E- It’s suggested that Piaget overstated the role of motivation in learning.
E- One reason for this is that Piaget studied a highly intelligent sample of children- initially his own then those in a university nursery. This suggests the children could have had a higher motivation as they had a higher IQ or they sensed demand characteristics.
L- Therefore, Piaget’s theory has limited validity and reliability as he had a limited sample.
Piaget’s stages of intellectual development
Sensorimotor stage
Pre-operational stage
Concrete operational stage
Formal operational stage
Piaget’s sensorimotor stage
0-2 years
- at start babies explore with movement and realise they have influence over things
- 8 months object permanence is formed
- to understand object permanence children must be able to form mental representations (schemas) of an object
-Piaget ‘blanket and ball’ study
Object permanence
understanding that objects and people still exist when they cant be seen, only understood past 8 months
Piaget’s Pre-operational stage
2-7 years
- children cannot perform logical reasoning and rely heavily on what they see (appearance over reality)
- can build and solve operation , conservation of mass, theory of mind and class inclusion by the age of 7
- Conservation of volume , ability to realise that volume remains same even when appears of object or group of objects changes.
eg the volume of water is the same when placed in different shaped vessels
- Egocentrism, the Childs tendency to only be able to se the world from their own point of view. this applies to both physical objects and arguments in which a child can only understand their own perspective.
(THEORY OF MIND)
eg the three mountains task
- Class inclusion, the ability for a child to understand that objects fall into categories.
Piaget and Inhelder found under 7 year olds struggle with advanced class inclusion, the idea that classes have subsets
Piaget’s concrete operational stage
7-11 years
- children have developed the ability to use logic at this stage in terms of things they can see, they are able to complete the conservation of mass and three mountains tasks etc.
They lack abstract reasoning , struggle to imagine situations or objects they can’t see.
Piaget’s formal operational stage
11+
- Can take a much longer time to adapt ourselves to abstract reasoning, some people never fully master abstract thinking.
- They can use deductive reasoning which requires us to draw conclusions based on reason.
- This stage is also linked with our development of ‘idealistic thinking’, meaning we can use our imaginations to think of how things might be if we were to make changes.
Wason and Shapiro deductive reasoning tasks
Limitation Piaget’s theory of intellectual development- scientific credibility
P- one limitation of Piaget’s work is he makes assumptions in his research which reduces scientific credibility.
E- He assumes that when a baby loses interest in an object they assume it no longer exists. Alternatively, the baby is just distracted or investigator effects hint characteristics to the child in the task as children felt they had to give a different answer when asked a 2nd time.
E- This suggests that his conclusions around babies development of object permanence is possibly flawed as he makes assumptions that may not be correct.
L- Therefore Piaget’s theory lacks validity as it is based on assumption rather than empirical evidence.
Limitation Piaget’s theory of intellectual development - issues
P- A limitation of Piaget’s theory is it shows cultural bias.
E- Piaget was from a middle classes, EU family and his study was on similar children. He places value on logical thinking as this is relevant to his culture (ethnocentrism).
E- This means the findings of his study may have limited use when applied to other cultures who don’t share the same values and maybe value things like concrete operations more.
L- Therefore, Piaget’s theory lacks generalisability to other social classes and cultures.
Limitation Piaget’s theory of intellectual development - research evidence
P- One limitation of Piaget’s theory is his research on conservation was flawed.
E- Children taking part in Piaget’s conservation of mass studies may have been influenced by watching the experimenter change the appearance of the counters or liquid.
E- In a replication of Piaget’s task when a ‘naughty teddy’ appeared and knocked the counters closer together, 72% correctly said there is the amendment number of counters as before.
L- Therefore, Piaget’s research lacks reliability and his findings may have been incorrect of the age conservation appears.
Strength Piaget’s theory of intellectual development - application
P- A strength of Piaget’s theory is it has important applications
E- Piaget’s stage theory suggests children are not biologically ready to be taught certain subjects until they have reached a certain age
E- For real learning to take place, Piaget proposed that activities should be at the appropriate level for the Childs age. If a child is not old enough, they may acquire skills superficially
L- Therefore, Piaget’s tenor has good application in the real world when it comes to educating children
Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development summary
Vygotsky suggested the main reason for children differing in cognitive development is culture. Influences in our culture are key driving forces for the development of of cognition, and that ability is a result of social contexts
Vygotsky the role of experts
The role of experts suggests that as children we are constantly learning from other people in our environment. If someone has greater knowledge than your own they are an ‘expert’.
Vygotsky the role of language
Language or ‘semiotics’ involved in communication allow children to develop intellectually.
Pre-intellectual speech between parent and child;d starts off the basis of learning, as children develop and grow they earn an internal dialogue to discuss with themselves to solve problems.
Vygotsky cultural and social influence
knowledge starts ‘intermental’ (between expert and non-expert) and then knowledge become ‘intramental’ (in the mind the non-expert). Learning develops differently based on social interaction.
Vygotsky zone of proximal development
focuses in on a ‘zone’ at which children can optimally learn information
the middle zone where scaffolding and instruction is most influential
Scaffolding
Structural support for learning
How can Vygotsky’s theory provide real world application?
A strength of Vygotsky’s theory is it can be applied to teaching
Vankeere and Verhaeghe found that 7 year olds who were tutored by 10 year olds as well as regular teaching in school progressed more than peers with just teaching.
Alborz found that teaching assistants are very effective at improving the rates of learning in children showing Vygotsky’s beliefs about the effectiveness of the role of the expert have been effectively applied to real life.
Therefore, Vygotsky’s theory of the role of the expert and scaffolding can be used in real life.
Support for the one of proximal development?
A strength of Vygotsky’s theory for the zone of proximal development is there’s research support.
Roazzi and Bryant looked at the role of zed and experts. 4-5 year olds were asked to estimate the number of sweets in a box either alone or with the support of an older child.
Results found that children with an expert made far more reasonable and accurate guesses that the children without. This shows the gap between what a child can do alone vs with a support when learning.
Therefore, Vygotsky’s theory accurately explains the process of development of cognitive ability.
Vygotsky vs Piaget
One limitation of VYgotsky’s theory of development is it’s not a full explanation.
