Lecture 2 - Theories of Development (Piaget)

Question 1

Overview of theory

Answer 1

-Children are active learners who construct their own knowledge through interacting with the environment
Learn to adapt to their environment as a result of their cognitive adaptations

Question 2

Schemas

Answer 2

Mental representations or a set of rules that enable children to interact with their environment

Question 3

Assimilation

Answer 3

The integration of new input into existing schemes leading to more consolidated knowledge

Question 4

Accommodation

Answer 4

The adjustment of schemas to new input, leading to growing and changing knowledge

Question 5

4 Stages of cognitive development

Answer 5

1- Sensorimotor stage
2- Pre-operational stage
3- Concrete operation stage
4- Formal operational stage

Question 6

1- Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years)

Answer 6

• Infants conquer their motor system
• Development of mental representations
• Develop self-awareness (know their body is theirs)
• Begin to show deferred imitation (repetition of others behaviours)

Question 7

2- Pre-operational stage (2-7 years)

Answer 7

Divided into 2 sub-stages: pre-conceptual sub stage and intuitive thought sub stage

Question 8

Pre-conceptual sub-stage

Answer 8

• Egocentrism occurs (ability to acknowledge another person’s perspective) - Three mountains task
• Able to represent ideas and objects which enable pretend play
• Reduction in animism (the idea that if it moves it’s alive)

Question 9

Intuitive thought sub-stage

Answer 9

• Develop symbolic thought

- Able to systematically order and classify items

Question 10

3-Concrete operational stage (7-12 years)

Answer 10

• Metacognition begins (thinking about thinking)
• Can conserve, classify and categorise in multiple domains (numbers, weight, height)
• Conservation task

Question 11

4-Formal operational stage (7-12 years)

Answer 11

• Able to reason hypothetically

- Reason with verbal hypotheses and deduce conclusions from abstract statements

Question 12

Influence/Implications

Answer 12

• Gave us some of the first insights into children’s minds
• Work has impacted education = led educators to focus on play
• Findings have been replicated with new methods

Question 13

Limitations

Answer 13

• Stages and ages children master them aren’t accurate
• Tasks were too advanced/not child friendly
• The idea that children can’t/shouldn’t be taught something if they aren’t at that stage has been disputed