Lecture 1- Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

Question 1

Why does Piaget think children need the domain-general learning mechanism of accommodation?

a) it helps them about the physical world.
b) it enables them to resolve conflict between the world and the model of it in their minds.
c) it makes them more compliant.
d) it helps them learn new words.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

According to Piaget, why can children not conserve volume?

a) Children fail this task because they can’t count.
b) Children fail this task because they lack formal operational thought.
c) Children fail this task because their thinking is ‘frozen’.
d) Children fail this task because they think the questioner expects them to change their previous answer.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

At what stage does Piaget think children can first form a symbolic representation?

a) Sensorimotor stage
b) Preoperational stage
c) Concrete operational stage
d) Formal operational stage

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Piaget thinks children are born with…

a) No innate knowledge.
b) Powerful domain-general learning mechanisms.
c) Some reflex actions to help them survive.
d) All three of the above.

Answer 4

D

Question 5

According to Piaget, which of the following is NOT dependent on being able to form a symbolic representation?

a) Trying to remember where you put your keys
b) Playing a game in which, a yellow blanket becomes a sandy beech
c) Thinking that you are a girl
d) Scribbling on a piece of paper

Answer 5

D

Question 6

According to Piaget, what is the difference between hypothetical thinking and fantasy play?

a) Only hypothetical thinking offers an alternative reality
b) Only hypothetical thinking requires children forming representations
c) Only hypothetical thinking involves ideas which are different from reality
d) The ability to perform an operation is necessary and sufficient to engage in hypothetical thinking

Answer 6

A

Question 7

What are Piaget’s learning mechanisms

Answer 7

1) Assimilation = new knowledge
2) Accommodation = model fails so a new model formed
3) Equilibration- balance between the two

Question 8

what is conflict world?

Answer 8

no model

Question 9

what is consistency world?

Answer 9

model

Question 10

How are stages created?

Answer 10

three accommodation events

Question 11

Why are the accommodation events important?

Answer 11

changes the way knowledge is organized, changes all thinking

Question 12

What is domain?

Answer 12

type of knowledge

Question 13

Name the 4 developmental stages?

Answer 13

1) sensorimotor stage
2) Preoperational stage
3) Concrete operational stage
4) Formal operational stage

Question 14

what ages does the sensorimotor stage start and end?

Answer 14

0 - 2 yrs

Question 15

What years does the preoperational stage start and end?

Answer 15

2 - 7 yrs

Question 16

what years does the concrete operational stage start and end?

Answer 16

7 - 11 yrs

Question 17

what year does the formal operational stage start and end?

Answer 17

11 yrs +

Question 18

Summarise the sensorimotor stage

Answer 18

1) Infants’ senses plug straight into actions
2) Learn how to move around the world
3) Learn action schema

Question 19

What are the limitations of stage one of the developmental stages

Answer 19

1) Limits all domains
2) Physical- No understanding of object permanence
3) Egocentrism- only see the world from their perspective- the world only exists when they act on it
4) No mental representation

Question 20

How did Piaget test object permanence?

Answer 20

A not B task

Question 21

Define mental representation

Answer 21

provides the content of our thoughts and puts something between our senses and actions

Question 22

State the importance of mental representation

Answer 22

allows you to understand object permanence, learn language and self identity

Question 23

Summarise Pre-operational stage

Answer 23

1) Domain general change occurs (mental representation)
2) No mental operation but can do representations
3) Child thinking is frozen as they can form representations but can’t make them move
4) egocentric- unable to view the others perspectives

Question 24

What test is used in the pre-operational stage

Answer 24

conservation task

Question 25

What are the steps for the conservation task?

Answer 25

1) Pour liquid into 2 tall beakers and get child to agree they are the same
2) take the content of the beaker and poor into a shorter beaker
3) ask which beaker has the most or are they the same

Question 26

What does the conservation task show about the children?

Answer 26

1) They cannot conserve- understanding the amount doesn’t change
2) Cannot do the reverse operation- can’t imagine the action of pouring the water back

Question 27

Define operation

Answer 27

Mental actions used to make our representations move

Question 28

Summarise the concrete Operational stage

Answer 28

1) can hold representations and perform operations
2) but they perform their actions first as it will allow them to learn operations

Action > Representation > Mental action

Question 29

Summarise Formal operation stage

Answer 29

1) Abstract- thinking not bound to anything specific
2) Unbiased- show no prejudice, end of egocentrism
3) Hypothetical- able to imagine how the real world could be different

Question 30

Summarise Piaget’s theory

Answer 30

1) knowledge is constructed (not innate)
2) development is domain genal
3) discontinuous- different ways of thinking in each stage
4) Development is a constructive purpose