Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory Flashcards
What perspective does he have on cognitive development?
- Biological perspective on cognitive development
- Biology contribute cognition
- Go through stages, but still gradually process
- Constructive approach as well, we construct knowledge about the world
Exploring - Children are active learners through interactions, touching objects example
What are 3 important characteristics of Piagets stage theory?
- The stages provide a general theory of development
All aspect of cognition is integrated - Invariant stages, same order and nothing is skipped
- Universal, applies to all children
Individual differences come from speed of development
“Some People Cant Focus”
Schemas
Different categories of learning that we use to make sense of the world
- Building blocks of knowledge
What are the first schemas we have?
- Sensorimotor actions, to explore the world
- Touching, grabbing
- Mentalisation afterwards
Mental representation
Internal depictions of information that the mind can manipulate
- Images
- Concepts
Adaption
Schemas develop through interactions with environment
- Grasping schema by grasping objects
- Dropping schema by dropping objects
Assimilation
Use of current schema to interpret and interact with the environment
- Four legged animals = all dogs
Accomodation
Changing schemas in response to new information and experiences, through parents
- Four legged animals is NOT all dogs
- Differentiating between shcemas
- Adjust old schemas
- Develop new schemas
Universal process, happens at all ages
The process between accommodation and assimilation
- Constant tension
- Once in equilibrium, different schemas can jointly be applied to explore - slow cognitive changes
Disequilibrium
- Rapid cognitive information from the environment that doesnt fit with pre-existing schemas
- Cognitive discomfort, too much at once
Equilibration
Back-to-back movement between equilibrium and disequilibrium
- Creates effective schemas
Organization
An internal process occurring apart from contact with the physical world
- Connection between schemas - interconnected cognitive system
- Classify schemas, less mental power
The sensorimotor stage
- Birth to 2 years old
- Infants and toddlers “think” and explore with their 5 senses
- Start with simple reflexes - habits - aware of our body - act with more intentions(curiousity)
- Object Permanence - when object continues to exists even when we cant see them
- Egocentric
Circular reaction
- Cant explore with purpose
- Adapting first schemas
Stumbling to new experiences - Repeat the actions
Research that support the sensorimotor stage
- A-not-B error, where is the toys at
Looking at the first place it was at - Retrieve object from new hidden location
- Make-believe plays
Research that challenge The sensorimotor stage
Cognitive development happens earlier than Piaget´s theory
- Infants explore the physical world, controlling objects
- Object permanence, retrieve hidden objects
- Mental representation
- Deferred imitation
- Schema categories earlier
The Preoperational Stage
- Age 2-7 years old
- Symbolic thinking and Intuitive thoughts
Lots of fantasies, imaginary friends - think they are alive - Words, gestures etc can be symbols for something else
- Ask alot of questions - Intuitive age
- Thinking is egocentric still
- Sociodemocratic play
- Cognitive and social benefits
Memory
Logic
Emotions
Make-believe play
- More complex as the child gets older
Pretend to play with objects, beyond physical world
Use one object in two ways
Pretend games less self-centred, inclusion of others
Pretend play based on each others ideas - Separation from reality, they know
What does research show about preoperational stage?
- Few research is supporting it
Complex tasks makes logical thinking difficult, familiarity makes it easier
2 year olds show awareness of other perspectives
Nonegocentric responses occurr as well
Basic categorization happens during these ages - More of a gradual process
- Children are more capable than Piaget thinks
The Concrete Operational stage
- 7 to 11 years
- Childs thought is more logical, flexible and organize
Notable change - More deductive thinking, generalisation
- Children has achieved
Conservation
Concentration
Reversibility - 5+3=8 then 8-3 must be 5
Hierarchical classification - Unique to others
What cant children not understand during the concrete operational stage?
- Limited to information from directly observed situations
- Poorly with abstract ideas
- One task at a time
What does research show about the concrete operational stage?
- Culture and teaching influence children’s cognitive abilities alot
Going to school - concrete thinking may not be as concrete in reality
- The forms of logic thinking does not emerge spontaneously, its not biological
The Formal Operational Stage
- 11 years and onward
- Children is able to think on a abstract, systematic and scientific level
Come up with new things
Love, failure, sucess - Deeper understanding for other perspectives
- Planning, assumptions etc
-Hypothetico-Deductive reasoning - Propositional thought
Hypothetico-Deductive reasoning
Compare 2 statements and come to a generalisation
The ability to approach a problem using hypotheses or think in terms of and identify variables that might cause the outcome
- Systematic approach to approach and combine variables to explore their influence in real world
Propositional thought
Understand the logic of propositions without referring the the physical world
- All bachelors are unmarried men
- Truth rests in rules of logic and not real-world confirmation
What are some outcomes of cognitive changes during adolescence?
- Imaginary Audience
Belief that they think they are focus and primary concern of everyone - Explain why adolescents are
Self-conscious
Sensitive to public criticism
Appearance focus - Falter in advance thinking
- Personal Fable
everyone is observing and thinking about them, i am important and unique
What does research show about formal operational stage?
- Children show tendencies for hypothetico-deductive thinking earlier
Not more than 3 variables - Children do struggle with propositional thinking
They dont think too carefully of what people say - Gradual increase
- Not everyone can reach this stage in everything, most specialize in a few areas
Different areas demand different type of thinking
Discovery learning
- Less focus on presenting knowledge, more on encouraging children to discover and explore environment
Sensitivity to readiness to learn
- A good fit between the childs capacities and chosen activities
Acceptance of individual differences
- All children go through the same sequence of development, but different rates
Challenge for teachers to plan activities
What are some critiques to educational principles from Piagets theory?
- The learning is mainly through exploration
- Neglecting other types of learning
Verbal teaching
Prompting
Social comparison
