Cognitive Emotional Development: Infancy and Childhood Flashcards
Cognitive Development
study of changes in memory, thought, and reasoning processes that occur throughout the lifespan
Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory:
Knowledge accumulates and is modified by 2 processes- assimilation and accommodation
-4 distinct stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational)
Assimilation
people fit new information into the belief system they already posses
i.e. think all girls have long hair, seeing girls with long hair supports this belief
Accommodation
people modify belief structures based on experience
i.e. see girl with short hair, changes categorization of boys and girls
Sensorimotor Stage
-birth to 2 years
-thinking and exploration of world based on immediate senses and motor experience
-infants are completely immersed in present moment
Object Permanence- ability to understand that objects exist even when they cannot be directly perceived
Pre operational Stage
- 2 to 7 years
- language development using symbols, pretend play, mastering concept of conservation
- can count and use numbers
- can think about physical objects
Works on mastering conservation, scale errors, symbolic relationships
Conservation
knowledge that quantity or amount of object is not the same as the physical arrangement and appearance of that object
i.e. 2 rows of pennies with same amount of pennies in each row, one really spread out, one close together. “Which one has more?”. Child points to spread out row
Scale Errors
interact with miniature objects as if they were life size
i.e. trying to climb in a toy car
Symbolic Relationships
Understanding that miniature objects can represent real objects
i.e. miniature room and represent real room
Concrete Operational Stage
-7 to 11 years
-develop skills in logical thinking and manipulating numbers
-able to classify objects according to properties such as size, value, shape…etc
Transitivity- increase in logical and organized thought
i.e. X is more than Y, Y is more than Z, then X is more than Z
Formal Operational Stage
- 11 years to adulthood
- development of advanced cognitive processes such as abstract reasoning and hypothetical thinking
i. e. gathering evidence, testing possibilities
Zone of Proximal Development:
-suggested that development is ideal when children attempt skills that are just beyond what they can do alone, but have guidance from adults who are attentive to their progress
Scaffolding- highly attentive approach to teaching in which teacher matches guidance to learner’s needs
Attachment
-enduring emotional bond formed between individuals
i.e. Harlow’s monkeys- 2 metal “mothers”, one wrapped in cloth, one without cloth
sometimes cloth monkey had food, sometimes metal monkey had food. Baby monkeys always go to cloth money. When scared, babies would go to cloth monkey
Therefore, attachment and bonding very important
Stranger Anxiety
- signs of distress that infants begin to show towards stranger at about 8 months
Strange Situation
way of measuring infant attachment by observing how infants behave when exposed to different experiences that involved anxiety and comfort.
- involves scripted experiences that expose children to mild anxiety (i.e. being left alone with stranger) and potential to receive comfort from caregiver (i.e. caregiver returns)
Types of Attachment
Secure Attachent, Insecure Attachment Disorganized Attachment
Secure Attachment
caregiver is a secure base that child turns to occasionally
- shows some distress when caregiver leaves, seeks comfort upon caregiver’s return and stress is relived
Anxious/ Resistant Insecure Attachment
caregiver is base of security, but child is too dependent on caregiver rather than being comfortable exploring surrounding
- very upset when caregiver leaves, fearful towards stranger
- upon caregiver’s return, child seeks comfort, but also resists it and pushes caregiver away
Avoidant Insecure Attachment
child behaves as though they don’t need caregiver and plays in room as if they are oblivious to caregiver
- isn’t upset when caregiver leaves, unconcerned about stranger
- doesn’t seek contact after caregiver returns
Disorganized Attachment
instability, child has learned that caregivers are both sources of fear and comfort, often seeks closeness and then pulling away
Self Awareness
- Ability to recognize one’s individuality
- Develops between 18-24 months
Egocentric
only considers own perspective (lack cognitive ability to understand perspective of others)
i.e. covers eyes to hide
Theory of Mind
ability to recognize thoughts, beliefs, and expectations of others, and understanding that these can be different from one’s own thought…etc
False Belief Task
offer child box of chocolates, open it to find pencils. See other child offered the same box, “what does the other child expect to find inside?”
- If answer is pencils, child believes that other child knows same thing they know. If answer is chocolates, child is demonstrating that they understand that he does not posses her knowledge (theory of mind)
Prosocial Behaviour
-Infants tend to prefer “good” people (i.e. those who help others)
Instrumental Helping
providing practical assistance such as helping to retrieve an object
Empathetic Helping
providing help in order to make someone feel better
Attachment Behaviour System
focused on meeting own needs for security
-primary system
Caregiving Behaviour System
focused on meeting needs of others
-secondary system
Introjection
internalization of conditioned regard for significant others (children who feel as if their parent’s love for them is conditional (rewarded for good behaviour, punished for bad behaviour) are more negative towards their parents, and feel greater internal pressure to do well
Inductive Discipline
explaining consequences of a child’s actions on others, activating empathy for others
-promotes emotional and behaviour self control, moral values
Core Knowledge Hypothesis
infants have inborn abilities for understanding some key aspects of their environment
Habituation
refers to a decrease in responding with repeated exposure to an event
Dishabituation
an increase in responsiveness with the presentation of a new stimulus.
