Cognitive development: Piaget

Question 1

What is genetic epistemology?
The d____ of k____
T____ roots in b____ and p____
Emphasis on a____

Answer 1

The development of knowledge
Theoretical roots in biology and philosophy
Emphasis on adaptation

Question 2

What is meant by the term constructivism?
S____ of n____ and n____
Children a____ construct knowledge through i____ with the e____

Answer 2

Synthesis of nature and nurture
Children actively construct knowledge through interactions with the environment

Question 3

Knowledge is abstracted from our experience. What are two different types of knowledge?
1. P____ knowledge - p____ p____ of o____
2. L____ m____ knowledge - our a____ upon the o____

Answer 3

1. Physical knowledge - physical properties of objects
2. Logical mathematical knowledge - our actions upon the objects

Question 4

Children’s knowledge is organised into what?

Answer 4

Cognitive structures, or ‘schemas’

Question 5

Early schemas involve what?
I____ a____ (e.g. s____, g____)

Answer 5

Internalised action (e.g. sucking, grasping)

Question 6

Later schemas can involve what?
I____ a____

Answer 6

Intellectual activity (e.g. abstract reasoning)

Question 7

What are the two main ideas in the principle of adaptation?

Answer 7

1. Assimilation - incorporating new objects from environment into an already existing schema
2. Accommodation - modifying or re-organising mental structures in response to a new object/event

Question 8

The mechanism equilibrium is a s____ pattern of self-r____, achieving b____ between maintaining existing s____ and m____ them to deal with new inform from the e____

Answer 8

A sequential pattern of self-regulation, achieving balance between maintaining existing schemas and modifying them to deal with new info from the environment

Question 9

What are the two main ideas of the principle of organisation?
1. How do you i____ all your s____?
2. How might you put them t____ to achieve certain a____?

Answer 9

1. How do you integrate all your schemes?
2. How might you put them together to achieve certain aims

Question 10

What are Piaget’s four stages of development?

Answer 10

1. Sensorimotor
2. Preoperational
3. Concrete operational
4. Formal operational

Question 11

What age is the sensorimotor stage, and what occurs during this stage?

Answer 11

Age 0-2 years
Moving from reflexes to reflecting

Question 12

The sensorimotor stage involves three circular reactions. What are these?

Answer 12

Primary circular - choosing to repeat that behaviour
Secondary circular - start to bring in objects from the environment
Tertiary circular - more exploratory, trying out certain things

Question 13

What process develops during the sensorimotor stage?

Answer 13

Object permanence
Searching for hidden objects emerges from around 8 months onwards

Question 14

What are four things mental representations allow?
1. Full understanding of o____ p____
2. Deferred i____
3. P____ play
4. Beginnings of l____

Answer 14

1. Full understanding of object permanence
2. Deferred imitation (see something but don’t copy it today, wait for next day)
3. Pretend play
4. Beginnings of language

Question 15

What years is the pre operational stage and what occurs?

Answer 15

2-7 years
Increase in mental representations
Difficulty in manipulation of mental representations

Question 16

What are two tasks that demonstrate key challenges children in the pre operational stage face?
1. C____
2. E____

Answer 16

1. Conversation
2. Egocentrism

Question 17

What years is concrete operations stage and what occurs?

Answer 17

7-11years
Applying operations to concrete objects
Limited ability to reason with abstract representations

Question 18

What years is formal operations stage and what occurs?

Answer 18

12years+
Applying local operations to abstract intangible entities
Leads to problem solving
Everything able to do in earlier stages can now be done with abstract entities

Question 19

What are some limitations of Piaget’s theory?

Answer 19

1. Children more cognitively competent than Piaget recognised
2. Theory is vague about mechanisms that give rise to children’s thinking and produce cognitive growth
3. Stage model depicts children’s thinking as more consistent than it is
4. Theory understates the contributions of the social world to cognitive development