Cognitive Development Theories

Question 1

PIAGET: KEY COMPONENTS

Answer 1

SCHEMA
ASSIMILATION
ACCOMMODATION
EQUILIBRIUM

Question 2

SHEMA

Answer 2

• building block of knowledge

Question 3

ASSIMILATION

Answer 3

• process via which kids incorporate new experiences into pre-existing schema

Question 4

ACCOMMODATION

Answer 4

• process via which kids adapt to new experiences by modifying pre-existing schema

Question 5

EQUILIBRIUM

Answer 5

• process via which kids balance assimilation/accommodation to achieve understanding of a concept

Question 6

PIAGET’S COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES

Answer 6

SENSORIMOTOR
PREOPERATIONAL
CONCRETE OPERATIONAL
FORMAL OPERATIONAL

Question 7

SENSORIMOTOR STAGE

Answer 7

• birth-2y
• infants know world through senses/motor actions
• reflexes ie. grasping/sucking/hearing
• ie. learning what dogs look like; learning to pet them

Question 8

SENSORIMOTOR: A-NOT-B TASK

Answer 8

• tendency to reach for hidden object where it was last > new location where it was last hidden
• 12m infants start searching at object’s current place

Question 9

SENSORIMOTOR: OBJECT PERMANENCE

Answer 9

• 8m+ infants understand that object exists even when out of sight BUT need a representation first
• object permanence fosters infant stability/predictability

Question 10

SENSORIMOTOR: DEFERRED IMITATION

Answer 10

• 18-24m infants imitate beh some time post occurrence

Question 11

PREOPERATIONAL STAGE

Answer 11

• 2-7y
• toddlers/young kids acquire ability to internally represent world via language/mental imagery/pretend play
• seeing world from others’ perspective outside of their own develops DURING this

Question 12

PREOPERATIONAL: LIMITATIONS

Answer 12

ANIMISTIC THINKING
- objects have human-esque qualities
EGOCENTRISM
- can’t see things from another’s POV (ie. 3 mountain task)
CENTRATION
- focus on one problem aspect; ignore the rest (ie. the balance scale problem)

Question 13

CONCRETE OPERATIONAL

Answer 13

• 7-12y
• kids become able to think logically/systematically (not just intuitively)
• use mental operations
• understand that events = often influenced by multiple factors not just one
• achieve:
  1. conservation (ie. liquid/solid tasks)
  2. hierarchical classifications aka. simultaneously sorting things into gen/specific categories (ie. red/yellow flower task)
  3. transitive inference aka. thinking w/o direct experience

Question 14

FORMAL OPERATIONAL

Answer 14

• 12y+
• adolescents think systematically; lets them understand:
  1. politics
  2. ethics
  3. science fiction about alternative political/ethical systems
  4. engage in scientific reasoning
• use:
  1. hypothetical-deductive reasoning (what might happen)
  2. prepositional thinking

Question 15

PIAGET: STRENGTHS

Answer 15

• significant influence on teaching/learning
• kids think dif from adults

Question 16

PIAGET: WEAKNESSES

Answer 16

• no methodology to test assimilation/accommodation
• small sample sizes
• no info on pps socio-economic status
• confusing questions

Question 17

VYGOTSKY’S SOCIOCULTURAL APPROACH

Answer 17

• kids = social learners
• culture influences cognitive development
• kids have certain capabilities:
  1. attention
  2. perception
  3. memory
• kids’ interactions w/^ experienced adults contribute to ^-order/complex capabilities

Question 18

VYGOTSKY: KNOWLEDGE TRANSMISSION

Answer 18

ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT
SCAFFOLDING
PRIVATE/EGOCENTRIC SPEECH

Question 19

VYGOTSKY: ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT (ZPD)

Answer 19

• distance between actual development lvl determined by problem solving/potential development determined via problem solving under adult guidance/collab w/capable peers
• aka. what kids achieve under optimal conditions w/good match of teaching/learning needs

Question 20

VYGOTSKY: SCAFFOLDING

Answer 20

• instructional process
• the ^ knowledgeable partner adjusts amount/type of support offered to kid to fit w/kid’s learning needs over interaction course

Question 21

VYGOTSKY: SCAFFOLDING

Answer 21

• instructional process
• the ^ knowledgeable partner adjusts amount/type of support offered to kid to fit w/kid’s learning needs over interaction course
• includes:
  1. INTERSUBJECTIVITY
  2. JOINT ATTENTION
  3. EXECUTIVE FUNCTION PREDICTION

Question 22

SCAFFOLDING: INTERSUBJECTIVITY

Answer 22

ROCHAT (2009)
- mutual understanding when people communicate
- begins in infancy (ie. infants learn via observing others) BUT develops over time
- kids’ perspective taking ability fosters intersubjectivity

Question 23

SCAFFOLDING: JOINT ATTENTION

Answer 23

• 2+ individuals focus on same object at same time
• fosters learning via observing others

Question 24

SCAFFOLDING: EXECUTIVE FUNCTION PREDICTION

Answer 24

HAMMOND ET AL (2012)
1. parent recruits kid for task
2. kid encounters error (parent allows/prevents)
3. kid attempts to solve error (parent offers assistance/interferes)
4. kid becomes frustrated (parent maintains direction)
5. kid cannot proceed (parent presents task via leading questions/suggestions/piece arrangement)
6. kid continues w/task (parent stops helping)
- scaffolding at 2y -> indirect effect on kids’ executive functions at 4y via verbal ability at 3y

Question 25

VYGOTSKY VS PIAGET: EGOCENTRIC SPEECH

Answer 25

PIAGET - ie. 2 5y girls play w/dolls talk BUT don't into account doll's POV - 4-7y = 45% egocentric speech VYGOTSKY - private speech NOT egocentric - self-directed dialogue; helps kid: 1. solve issues 2. guide thinking processes

Question 26

VYGOTSKY VS PIAGET: EGOCENTRIC SPEECH HYPOTHESES

Answer 26

PRIVATE SPEECH FUNCTION DEVELOPMENTAL COURSE SOCIAL SPEECH RELATION TASK COMPLEXITY

Question 27

EGOCENTRIC/PRIVATE SPEECH: FUNCTION

Answer 27

PIAGET - reflects kid's lack of ability to take other POV VYGOTSKY - key role in self-guidance/self-direction

Question 28

EGOCENTRIC/PRIVATE SPEECH: DEVELOPMENTAL COURSE

Answer 28

PIAGET - decreases w/age VYGOTSKY - ^ in young age; decreases later as gradually becomes internal thought

Question 29

EGOCENTRIC/PRIVATE SPEECH: SOCIAL SPEECH RELATION

Answer 29

PIAGET - private speech switches -> social speech VYGOTSKY - plays positive role in young kids

Question 30

EGOCENTRIC/PRIVATE SPEECH: TASK COMPLEXITY

Answer 30

PIAGET - no specific prediction VYGOTSKY - use increases w/task difficulty as greater effort required to solve issue

Question 31

EGOCENTRIC/PRIVATE SPEECH: LVL 1 DEVELOPMENT

Answer 31

- speech irrelevant to task - kid repeats word - expresses affect not relevant to task - makes comments about imaginary people/things

Question 32

EGOCENTRIC/PRIVATE SPEECH: LVL 2 DEVELOPMENT

Answer 32

- externalised private speech relevant to task - kid describes what they're doing; making self-guiding comments - kid reads aloud - expresses affect relevant to task

Question 33

EGOCENTRIC/PRIVATE SPEECH: LVL 3 DEVELOPMENT

Answer 33

- task relevant external expressions of inner speech - kid uses inaudible muttering - lip/tongue movements

Question 34

VYGOTSKY: FUNCTIONS

Answer 34

- elementary mental functions influence by bio factors (ie. memory/perception/attention) - higher mental functions need many cognitive processes for involvement (ie. problem solving/voluntary attention)

Question 35

VYGOTSKY: MEDIATORS

Answer 35

- tools (ie. numbers/art) to enhance thinking: - kids become better at problem solving via these: 1. LANGUAGE -> understanding others/expressing themselves 2. PLAY -> imaginative thinking/pretend situations/social understanding

Question 36

VYGOTSKY: RECIPROCAL TEACHING

Answer 36

- method of teaching using dialogue - beyond learners/peers' ZPD - group of learners/peers & teacher - teacher asks questions/explains/summarises - learners/peers answer questions/elaborate/discuss disagreements - group discusses future content

Question 37

VYGOTSKY: COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Answer 37

- small learner/peer groups - learners/peers share common goals - mixed group = knowledgeable/less knowledgeable learners - ^ knowledgeable peers support lesser in group

Question 38

VYGOTSKY: STRENGTHS

Answer 38

- recognised importance of cultural tools in fostering cognitive development - source of inspiration - researchers conducted studies to examine role of kids' interactions w/^ experienced adults/peers in fostering cognitive development

Question 39

VYGOTSKY: WEAKNESSES

Answer 39

- didn't aggress key issues of: 1. IRL collaboration 2. group dynamics 3. interaction quality across cultures 4. non-verbal aspects of communication 5. if interactions w/more experienced peers undermine kids' ability to work/think independently 6. process via which kids develop cognitively over time

Question 40

! SUMMARY !

Answer 40

PIAGET - kids construct knowledge via assimilation/accommodation - 4 stages VYGOTSKY - kids learn via interactions w/^ experienced adults - knowledge transmitted via ZPD/scaffolding/private speech