Module 4 - Other Theories of Cognitive Development Flashcards
define the information-processing theories
a class of theories that focus on the structure of the cognitive system and the mental activities used to deploy attention and memory to solve problems
- underlying cognitive skills that allow kids to manage and manipulate information and how they develop over time
- even the simplest activity still involves a chain of mini cognitive tasks that build on each other
define task analysis
the research technique of specifying the goals, obstacles to their realization, and potential solution strategies involved in problem solving
what are the different views on children’s nature?
limited-capacity processing system: through learning and maturation, children expand the amount of info they can process at one
problem solver: children are active problem solvers, strategies are used to overcome obstacles and obtain goals
define working memory
- actively attending to, maintaining and processing information, all occurring in less than a second
- limited in both capacity and the length of time for which it can maintain info in an active state
- subset of long-term memory knowledge that is attended to at a given time
- improves dramatically across childhood
define long term memory
- system that can store info for retrieval long after it was initially left your working memory
- consists of knowledge that people accumulate over their lifetime
- factual knowledge, conceptual, procedural, attitudes, etc.
- unlimited amount of info for unlimited periods of time
define executive functioning
- set of cogntive processes assoicated wiht the intentional regulation of ones behaviuor
- control behaviour and thought processes
- inhibition, enhancement of working memory, cognitive flexibility
- The prefrontal cortex plays a huge role (continues to improve until early 20’s)
what are the 3 explanations for memory development?
basic processes, strategies, and content knowledge
define basic porcesses
- simplest and most frequently used mental activities
- associating events, recognizing objects, recalling facts, encoding and generalizing
define encoding
process of representing in memory information that draws attention or is considered important. representing specific features of objects and events.
define strategies
children g=begin to use a number of broadly useful memory strategies such as rehearsal and selective attention
define rehearsal
repeating of info multiple times in order to remember it
define selective attention
process of intentionally focusing on the information that is most relevant to the current goal
- equally important is ignoring irrelevant info (young children struggle with this)
define content knowledge
- with age and experience, knowledge about everything increases making it easier to recall new material and mix it with the preexisting info
define overlapping waves theory
- theory on the development of problem-solving
- information-processing approach that emphasizes the variability of children’s thinking
- this definition comes from the diagram where there are a number of strategies used but when you sue then flows throughout your life, you don’t just grow and not use the strategy again
what is planning difficult for children?
- that it requires inhibiting the desire to solve the problem immediately in favor of first trying to chose the best strategy
- they tend to be overly optimistic about their abilities and believe they can solve it without planning
define core-knowledge theories
approaches that view children as having some innate knowledge in domains of special evolutionary importance and domain-specific learning mechanisms for rapidly and effortlessly acquiring additional info in those domains
- innate knowledge
- domain-specific learning mechanism for learning info in those domains
how do core-knowledge theorist view children?
they view children as entering the world equipped not only with general learning abilities but also with specialized learning mechanisms, or mental structures, that allow them to quickly and effortlessly acquire info of evolutionary importance
define nativism
the theory that infants have a substantial innate knowledge of evolutionarily important domains
- doesn’t need to be taught or learned from experience
- 4 core knowledge systems
define constructivism
the theory that infants build increasingly advanced understanding by combining rudimentary innate knowledge with subsequent experiences
- children still have innate knowledge (but its very basic)
- use innate knowledge to construct more complex knowledge
- form naive theories
define sociocultural theories
approaches that emphasize that other people adn the surrounding culture contribute greatly to children’s development
define guided participation
a process in which more knowledgeable people organize activities in ways that allow less knowledgeable people to learn
define social scaffolding
process in which more competent people provide a temporary framework that supports children’s thinking at a higher level than children could manage on their own
- zone of proximal development (Vygotsky): just going past of where a child is being pushed by still within their grasps of understaning
what was Vygotsky’s theory?
- portray children as social learners, intertwined with other people who help them gain skills and understanding
- intent on participating in activities that are prevalent in the specific time and place in wich they live
what were the 3 stages of growth from Vygotskys view?
- children behviour is controlled by other people statements
- children behaviour is controlled by their own private speech (where they tell themselves aloud what to do)
- behaviour is then controlled by internalized private speech (think to them selves what they need to do)
