Piaget Flashcards
Preoperational stage (language)
- use symbols to represent words, images and ideas
- cannot understand adult logic or mentally manipulate information
- language is egocentric (lots of ‘me’ and ‘I’
Sensorimotor stage (language)
- understand that symbols can represent objects
- can remember and repeat words or actions from previous days
- may ask short questions and make requests with one or two words
Concrete operational stage (language)
- less egocentric, considers the views of others
- language becomes mature and logical
- they question, criticise and come up with new ideas
formal operational stage (language)
- use complex language forms
- new kind of thinking that is abstract, formal and logical
- use hypothetical language
piaget language theory
Thoughts comes BEFORE language
(PigGET to think first talk later)
Sapir whorf theory
Speech shapes thought
Piagets argument for what comes first - how does thought lead to language?
A schema is a mental structure containing info we have about one aspect of the world. E.g. A child may develop a schema for something that barks and has four legs. It is only after sometime that the child learns the schema has a name.
- children develop language by matching words to their existing knowledge
Readiness (Piagets theory)
The idea that children can only understand words when they are ready.
If they learn a word they are not ready for, they are like a parrot - repeating words they don’t understand.
How does language develop?
Children only speak towards the end of their first year (sensorimotor stage)
Before this time they are developing schemas.
In the preoperational stage, language makes rapid process; they tlak about their future and their feelings
In the concrete operational stage, language becomes mature and logical. Can consider the POVs of others and can question, criticise and come up with new ideas.
Formal operational stage there’s more of hypothetical thinking
Piaget theory of language development
Explains that children’s thinking develop in stages through building mental images of the world. The understanding of objects as things comes before naming the objects. Basically thought comes before language.
Evaluation of piaget theory of language development
Strength: practical application, shows child isn’t a miniature adult, helps parents and teachers understand that a child cannot do something they are not yet ready to.
Strength: valid, children show understanding of the words they use as their talk is not at random (baby might say ‘mommy sock’ to show the sock is owned by their mum. shows that language is used when schema are there)
Weakness: hard to get evidence for Piagets theory, as 1 y/o can’t tell you what they’re thinkkng
Weakness: Sapir Whorf believes language comes before thought, conflicting evidence
Sapir Whorf strong version
Language determines thought.
- No words for a thought, object or idea then you are unable to think about it
Sapir Whoft weak version
Language influences thought
- You can imagine something with no words for it
- if the words we have for a concept or idea are limited, our ability to notice or recall the idea will be limited
- E.g. in inuit they have words for falling snow and wet snow. Although in english there aren’t words for this but you can still imagine them. Supports the idea that words help but if no words we can still imagine
Evidence language determines how we think about things (sapir whorf) - BRIDGES
In german bridge is fem in spanish it is masculine.
German people describe bridges as beautiful, elegant and slender (stereotypically feminine words)
Spanish people describe briges as long, strong and dangerous (stereotypically masculine words)
So, language does influence thought.
Evidence language determines how we think about things (sapir whorf) - COLOURS
Himba culture only has 5 colour categories. Western culture has 11 colour categories. Himba people can distinguish between certain colours better than western people like green because of difference in language. But they can’t distinguish between blue and green.
