Lecture 8

Question 1

Piaget’s views on children

Answer 1

1. A child has its own logic, does not talk nonsense

2. A child is a young scientist, makes mini theories, constructs knowledge

Question 2

What Piaget tried to explain with his theory

Answer 2

Genetic epistemology: study of formation of knowledge and how we know what we know

Question 3

Schemes characteristics

Answer 3

1. Are necessary for the child to understand what happens
2. Coherent fixed series of actions
3. Have internal consistency and are organized in a structure

Question 4

Accomodation

Answer 4

Modification of preexisting schemes in order to adapt to the environment

Question 5

Sensorimotor stage feature, task and description

Answer 5

Feature: object permanence
Task: hiding of objects
Description: perception and action

Question 6

Preoperational stage feature, task and description

Answer 6

Feature: egocentrism, animism
Task: perspective taking
Description: thinking about things

Question 7

Concrete operations stage feature, task and description

Answer 7

Feature: conservation, transitive inference
Task: conservation tasks
Description: thinking about actions

Question 8

Formal operations stage feature, task and description

Answer 8

Feature: abstract reasoning
Task: deductive reasoning
Description: thinking about thinking

Question 9

Why A not B error occurs

Answer 9

The mental representation is there but it is not linked with action

Question 10

Centration

Answer 10

Focus on one aspect and ignore others

Feature of preoperational stage

Question 11

Horizontal décalage

Answer 11

A specific principle is applied to different tasks at different times

Question 12

Vertical décalage

Answer 12

Understanding of a task increases over time

Question 13

Annette Karmiloff-Smith

Answer 13

1. Neuroconstructivism
2. No focus on results but on how child constructs result
3. Developmental neuroscientist
4. Understanding development of disorders

Question 14

Neuroconstructivism

Answer 14

At birth there are hardly any connections between neurons
Connections arise based on active exploration and experience
Child constructs own brain

Question 15

Elizabeth Spelke theory on core knowledge

Answer 15

Infants have 5 systems of core knowledge:

1. Objects
2. Persons
3. Number
4. Space
5. Geometric forms

Question 16

Three principles about objects and their motions

Answer 16

1. Cohesion
2. Continuity
3. Contact

Question 17

Piaget’s moral development stages

Answer 17

1. Premoral: no clear sense of morality (preoperational)
2. Heteronomous morality: rules set by authority figures are sacred (concrete operations)
3. Autonomous morality: rules are agreements that can be discusses and changed (formal operations)

Question 18

Criticism of Piaget morality views

Answer 18

Infants are surprised by immoral events and seem to have a sense of fairness

Question 19

Kohlberg stages of moral development

Answer 19

1. Avoiding punishment
2. Aiming at reward
3. Good boy attitude
4. Loyalty to law and order
5. Justice and the spirit of the law
6. Universal principles of ethics

Question 20

Level 1: preconventional morality

Answer 20

Stage 1: punishment orientation
Rules are obeyed to avoid punishment
Rules are sacred

Stage 2: instrumental orientation
Rules are obeyed for personal gain
Awareness that there are two sides to the argument

Question 21

Level 2: Conventional morality

Answer 21

Stage 3: good boy attitude
Rules are obeyed for approval

Stage 4: maintenance of social order
Rules are obeyed to maintain order
Social system morality

Question 22

Level 3: Postconventional morality

Answer 22

Stage 5: morality of contract and individual rights
Rules are obeyed where they are impartial
Make use of ethical principles

Stage 6: morality of conscience
Makes own rues in accordance with universal ethical principles

Question 23

Criticism of Kohlberg theory of morality

Answer 23

1. Underestimates children’s reasoning
2. Judgement not same as action
3. Doesn’t cover all aspects of morality
4. Social cognition is broader than moral reasoning
5. Stages are not universal
6. Moral judgement is related to personality

Question 24

Criticism of Piaget’s development theory

Answer 24

1. Theory too vague, impossible to test things like assimilation
2. He misjudged ages of when something develops
3. Universality is questionable
4. Too little attention on cultural and social relationships

Question 25

Siegler’s overlapping waves theory

Answer 25

Kids use multiple strategies and think on multiple levels. The strategies increase and decrease at certain ages