Cognitive development Flashcards
What does cognitive development relate to?
Age related changes
What are invariant stages?
Stages that are fixed - they do not vary
What are universal stages?
Stages that are the same globally
What is a schema?
A pattern of thought
What is assimilation?
Taking on board new information
What is accomodation?
blending the new information with the old
Outline the core theory?
1- sensori motor stage (0-2 years)
2 - pre operational stage (2 - 7 years)
3 - concrete operational stage (7- 11 years)
4 - Formal operational stage (11 + years)
What is the core theory based on?
nature
What happens during the sensory motor stage?
- body schema (child will recognise existence in e.g. mirror
- motor-coordination (a baby explores the world using its movement skills)
- develops Object permanence (know an object exists even if we cannot see it)
What happens during the pre operational stage?
- use symbols e.g. words to solve problems and thinks more (though makes mistakes)
- animism (treats inanimate objects like animals) e.g. talk to bears
- ego centrism - children only see world from own point of view
- reversibility - cannot work back from an idea
What happens during the concrete operational stage?
- Not egocentric
- can reverse thinking
- Dont animalise objects
- develop conservation skills (when the child understands how properties stay the same even if appearance changes
- linguistic humour (e.g understanding double meanings)
- develop seriation (are able to rank in order)
What happens during the formal operational stage?
Hypothetical thinking: can solve sophisticated abstract problems
What are criticisms of the core theory?
- the stages are not as fixed as Piaget suggested
- the theory underestimates the role of nurture
- ethnocentric theory, not universal
Outline the alternative theory
Vygotsky’s theory
Describe the alternative theory
- children are born with natural thinking ability
- cognitive development is a result of nurture
- children are ‘apprentices’ who learn skills of others
- development happens at individuals pace