Intellectual Development Flashcards

1
Q

Describe the 5 key aspects of intellectual development.

A
  1. Language development - fastest learning takes place between 2-5 years old.
  2. Problem solving - skills required to resolve issues.
  3. Memory - storage and retrieval of information.
  4. Moral development - attitudes regarding others and their relationship to self, informed by socio-cultural norms.
  5. Abstract and creative thought - problem solving without being physically present in the scenario.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Explain how intellectual and language skills develop across the life stages.

A

Childhood - rapid intellectual development.

Adolescence to early adulthood - logical thought and problem solving, more realistic and pragmatic thought.

Middle adulthood - life experience supports ability to problem solve.

Later adulthood - short term memory decline, slower thought process and reaction times.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Piaget - Describe the stages in Piaget’s model of intellectual development.

A

Sensorimotor (0-2 years) - Use senses to interact with the world, involves testing new things out.

Preoperational (2-7 years) - Language development. Use of symbols to represent sensorimotor discoveries. Egocentric thinking.

Concrete operational (7-11 years) - Able to use simple logic when problem solving. Can problem solve when the problem is physically in front of them.

Formal operational (11-18 years) - Abstract thought is used. Logic used to solve problems that are not physically in front of them.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Define egocentrism.

A

Inability to see situations from another’s perspective.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Piaget - Explain the development of schemas and the stages involved.

A

Schema - knowledge of a topic.

Assimilation - information is used to create a schema

Equilibrium - balanced understanding of the world, eg. recognising a car has four wheels and an engine.

Disequilibrium - encounters new information that does not fit with schema, eg. sees a van and thinks it is a car.

Accommodation - incorporation of new information to schema, eg. a van has a large back storage area, four wheels and an engine.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Piaget - What is a test of conservation?

A

Assesses whether children can use logic.
For example, do they understand that two objects with a different appearance can have the same volume?
This can be demonstrated using different height beakers/containers that contain the same volume of water.
Children normally grasp this concept by the time they reach the concrete operational stage.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

State criticisms of Piaget’s model.

A

Based on a small sample of children.
Stages are not as set and inflexible as stated.
Impact of environment on development is not considered.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Chomsky - Describe the Language Acquisition Device (LAD).

A
  • Innate, genetic ability to learn language.
  • Natural ability to understand components of language, such as grammar.
  • Children need to be around others using language for the LAD to work successfully.
  • Critical period means children need to be exposed to language during their early years.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

State criticisms of Chomsky.

A

Not supported by scientific evidence.
Does not take into account children with learning disabilities.
Social factors have a greater influence than was considered.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What effect does age have on memory? (physiologically)

A

Size/mass decrease of some brain areas.
Decline in amount of chemical messengers sent around the brain.
Reduction in corrections between neurons.
Decreased blood flow.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What effect does age have on memory? (cognitive ability)

A

Decline in short term memory. (Long term memory largely unaffected.)
Learning new things becomes harder and takes time.
Difficulty in multi-tasking.
Remembering names and some words is harder.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly