Development Flashcards
What is a stage theory?
Any theory that suggests that human development occurs in stages. All stage theories believe that…
- individuals must progress through each stage in order (unless brain damage)
- movement through stages is closely linked to age changes
- development at each stage is sign posted by major steps that lead to dramatic behaviour transitions
What are the 2 processes involved in altering existing schemata or developing new schemata ?
Assimilation and Accomodation/Adaption
Explain Piagets theory.
piaget (1896-1980) proposed all children go through 4 different cognitive steps in order without missing any (unless there is brain damage). He believed these stages were universal over all cultures.
He said that during cognitive development the brain builds schemata and as the child gets older their schematas become more numerous and elaborate. he believed that babies have innate schemata.
What is schemata?
- mental structures or frameworks that organize past experiences and provide an understanding of future experiences.
- units of knowledge related to one aspect of the world.
Give examples of innate schemata’s.
sucking reflex: triggered by something touching the babies lips.
rooting: triggered by the stroking of the infants cheek, the baby responds by turning their head in the direction of the touch and opens their mouth for feeding.
What are the Piagetian stages?
Sensorimotor (0-2) :
- infants learn about the world through their senses
- gradually learning there is a relationship between their actions and the external world
- object permanence emerges during this stage
Preoperational (2-7) :
- use symbols, images and language to represent their world
- symbolic thinking
- animism
- egocentrism
- conservation
- irreversibility
- centration
- seriation
Concrete operational (7-12) :
- can perform basic mental problems that involve physical objects
- may struggle with abstract thinking
- understand reversibility and conservation
- display less centration and egocentrism
Formal operational (12+) :
- thinks logically and methodically about physical and abstract problems.
- thinking is more flexible
- are able to do hypothetical problems and can form and test hypothesis.
Define object permanence
understanding that objects continue to exist when they are out of sight.
Define symbolic thinking
development of symbols to represent objects or events.
Define animism
Belief that inanimate objects are alive
Define egocentrism
Children who are unable to view the world from someone else’s perspective. (3 mountains experiment)
Define Conservation
Objects stay the same despite changes in appearance
Define irreversibility
Action can be done and redone
What are the limitations of piaget?
- Children can gain cognitive skills at an earlier age than Piaget believed.
- Cognitive development can occur inconsistently. A child may perform most tasks at a preoperational level but solve some tasks at a concrete operational level.
- Some tasks require familiarity with a situation in order to pass them.
Who opposed piaget and what did he believe?
Hughes, believed that children failed Piaget’s tasks because of a lack of familiarity with the situation, rather than a lack of cognitive skill.
Explain the policeman task.
He believed that children as young as 3 and a ½ could take another persons perspective into account and no longer appear egocentric as his task involved a boy hiding and this was something that they could relate to.
90% of 3-5 yr old’s could do this.
What is the study that explains the impact of culture on piagets tests? and explain it.
Hermansburg project.
- aboriginal kids in remote Australia
- found that aboriginal Australians were just as capable as white kids of similar ages as long as they had been totally immersed in white culture and formal schooling
- if the child had not they lagged or failed to exhibit the types of thinking tested by the tasks.
- therefore stages are affected culture
who was siegal and what did he believe?
siegal believed that problems occur in piagets tasks as adults repeat questions or ask questions that are obvious
- cause this doesn’t happen in everyday life the kid may think their answer is wrong and change it
What are the strengths of piaget?
- further research has supported his theory and findings
- the theory has inspired more studies that have improved our understanding of children’s cognitive development
- big impact on education- changed the way kids are taught improving results
Who is Kohlberg and what is his theory?
Kohlberg (1927-1987) proposed that there is a universal sequence to the development of morality. He believed women are less moral. stages are based on children’s responses to various moral dilemmas eg. value of human life, value of honesty, value of property
What are Kohlbergs stages?
PRECONVENTIONAL(0-10) -
STAGE 1:
-does not recognize different points of view
-punishment provides info about what is wrong not good or bad
-egocentric
STAGE 2:
-follows rules if it is in their interest
-aware of different interests
-correct behavior is based on own needs
CONVENTIONAL(10-15) - STAGE 3: -determined by approval of those close to us -good behavior is done to please others -less egocentric STAGE 4: -determined by laws and societies rules -conform to rules to maintain welfare of society
POSTCONVENTIONAL(16+)
STAGE 5:
-laws should be obeyed for the good of the community
-try to balance human rights and laws of society
-determined by societies rules which are viewed as fallible not absolute
STAGE 6:
-respect for others
-abstract ethical principles that emphasize equity and justice
-universal principles (applied to the world)
What are the limitations of Kohlberg?
- participants used in the experiment were all male and western
- culturally bias
- gender bias
explain shweder et al.
- cultural bias
- does not take into account cultural context and therefore individuals level of moral development was higher in western individualistic cultures according to kohlbergs results.
explain Gilligan.
- believed that women did not reach stage 4 because of care based morality.
- men focus more on justice(stage 4)
- women focus more on caring (stage 3)
- not inferior simply different
- 3 levels of reasoning
- self interest
- self-sacrifice
- care as a universal obligation
