piaget's theories of cognitive development

Question 1

fill in the blanks:

cognition -> schemas -> organisation and ________->______________ and accommodation

Answer 1

adaptation;assimilation

Question 2

define schemas.

Answer 2

mental structures of knowledge and behavior to interpret the world. concepts about a place or thing or event.

Question 3

define organisation in terms of schemas.

Answer 3

merge existing schemas to create new and more intricate schemas

Question 4

define adaptation.

Answer 4

fit schemas with new experiences in our envt.

Question 5

define assimilation.

Answer 5

interpret new and unfamiliar things in terms of preexisting schemas

Question 6

define accommodation.

Answer 6

reorganisation of schemas based on new data to better fit envt.

Question 7

define equilibrium/equilibration in terms of assimilation and accommodation.

Answer 7

process of using both assimilation and accommodation to create a stable theory.

Question 8

________ leads to disequilibrium and ________ leads to equilibrium.

Answer 8

assimilation; accommodation

Question 9

what are the 4 major characteristics of development in children?

Answer 9

1. universal: same for all kids around the world
2. invariant: each stage followed same fixed order
3. discontinuous: each stage is qualitatively different
4. parallel: same rate across multiple domains

Question 10

what is the universal sequence of 4 stages according to piaget’s theory?

Answer 10

1. sensorimotor (0-2 yrs)
   - act on themselves, then on objects
   - interactions become increasingly sophisticated
2. preoperational (2-7 yrs)
   - symbols, language
   - engage in pretend play
   - thinking lacks logic
3. concrete operational (7-11 yrs)
   - logical but not abstract
   - form concrete concepts
   - develop more structured way of thinking
4. formal-operational (11+ yrs)
   - think abstractly
   - demonstrate scientific thinking similar to adults

Question 11

list the 3 key features of the sensorimotor stage.

Answer 11

1. learn through senses and actions
2. circular reactions: repeat events caused by own motor activity
3. initially limited to here and now: no mental representations

Question 12

list the gradual development of mental representations.

[A-not-B task] [8, 12, 18-24 mths]

Answer 12

8 mths: object permanence appears but still fragile (A-not-B error)

12 mths: A-not-B error disappears; object perm stronger

18-24 mths: full representation appears marking end of stage

Question 13

what behavioural manifestations are evidence for having mental representations for children in the preoperational stage (2-7 yrs)?

Answer 13

1. delayed imitation
2. anticipation in problem solving
3. pretend play
4. drawing
5. language

Question 14

why do children in the preoperational stage (2-7 yrs) fail at conservation tasks?

Answer 14

• lack of critical mental operators:
  compensation
  reversibility
  identity
• leading to centration (cannot focus on 2 dimensions simultaneously)

Question 15

what is the seriation task and what does it test?

Answer 15

• order objects according to length/size
• tests if children in the preoperational stage can think of an object in relation to 2 or more objects simultaneously

Question 16

what are some limitations in cognitive development in children aged 2-7 (preoperational stage)?

Answer 16

1. can’t think of 2 dimensions simultaneously (centration)
2. cannot think of whole and its parts simultaneously (hierarchical classification)
3. cannot think of appearance and reality simultaneously (perception bound - focus on appearance, intellectual realism - focus on reality)
4. egocentrism (attribute own perceptions, knowledge and feelings to others)
5. precausal thinking (cannot select cause for effect)
   - animism: attribute animal properties to inanimate objects
   - artificialism: attribute envt characteristics to human actions
   - transducive reasoning: give magical explanations