Developmental Theories

Question 1

What are the three main concepts of Piaget’s?

Answer 1

Schema
-> Children categorises knowledge and information.
-> Cognitive equilibrium: When the object does not contrast with their existing schemas.

Assimilation and Accommodation:
-> Assimilation = they try to fit new items into existing schemas
However, if pointed out by caregivers
-> Accommodation = They create new schemas to accommodate the new item

Discontinuous development:
-> Children developments are in different stages, which are irreversible and cannot be skipped.

Question 2

Stages of Piaget’s framework

Answer 2

1. sensorymotor stage:
   -> the child uses physical attributes and sensories to experience the world around.
   -> Through multiple try-and-fail, they replicate the actions that are enjoyable (e.g., sucking their thumb or dropping bottles to attract attention)
2. preoperational stage:
   -> the child uses symbols and pictures to represent their thoughts (the ability to symbolise (semiotic)
   -> preconceptual (2-4): more egocentric
   -> intuitive stage (5-7): less egocentric
   -> tested by the perspective test
3. Concrete-operational stage:
   -> can think logically (tested by the conservation test)
4. Formal-operational stage:
   -> can think abstractly

Question 3

Describe Information Processing Model

Answer 3

Focuses on the factors contributing to thinking (i.e., the CPU)
Steps of information processing:
-> sensory/information input
-> stored in the STM
-> through learning and consolidation -> goes into the LTM
-> when the information is needed, information retracted from the LTM to the WM

-> Focuses on the continuous development of children

Question 4

Explain Vygotsky’s SocialCultural Theory and it’s difference with Piaget

Answer 4

-> Focuses on how social interactions and scaffolding contributes to learn (vs Piaget’s that learn is in stages and self interaction with the world)
-> The Zone of Proximal Development is a zone that can be reached by the help of a more knowledgeable other
-> MKO teaches the child to perform the skill in the ZPD, which will help the child to eventually learn the skill

Question 5

Types of Play

Answer 5

Functional play (0-2)
Pretend play (3-15)
Constructive play (3-15)
Games with rules (6-15)

Question 6

Describe the development of pretend play

Answer 6

-> First two years will be functional play and imitation towards the end of the period.
-> Starting from 3/4 years old, pretend play (e.g., role play) started to emerge -> change of egocentric play to less egocentric play

-> Piaget and Vygotsky saw the emergence of pretend play important with different reasons.
-> Piaget: believes that the children do not have full understand of reality. However, they are imitating the adults attempting to understand reality. Stop pretend play as they start to understand the reality
-> Vygotsky: pretend play allows children to escape from reality of do something that cannot be done in the real life (e.g., play as fireman)

Question 7

Describe Autism

Answer 7

Three elements of Autism:
-> difference in social communication
-> rigidity in their own beliefs and thoughts
-> difference in social relationships

autism children have a worse ToM (i.e., perform worse in ToM tasks false belief/M&M), which leads to not being interested in pretend play -> arguable.