Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development Flashcards
Schemas
- Piaget: schemas are mental stuctres that contain inpormation on a specific aspect of the world. They help us interact with the world around us.
- schemas can be BEHAVIOURAL, such as a schema that enables us to properly cross a road.
- schemas can also be COGNITIVE, for example a schema that helps us multiply numbers mentally.
As a child progresses through life… (Discovery learning)
their interaction with the environment and new experiences leads to an
infant’s schemas develop further known as DISCOVERY LEARNING - for example, as a child spends more time with different types of dogs, they are cognitively developing with the knowledge of diff types of dog.
What did Piaget decline regarding children’s knowledge compared to adults?
The simple idea that children know less than adults do
Piaget emphasized that children’s thinking differs fundamentally from that of adults.
How do children process information according to Piaget?
In an entirely different way from grownups
This unique information processing affects their cognitive development.
What role does biological maturation play in cognitive development according to Piaget?
It contributes to cognitive development
Piaget believed that both cognitive development and biological maturation are interconnected.
Disequilibrium
- Piaget argues that a driving force behind a modification and development of schemas is the motivation to learn and is caused by situations that we do not understand well.
- Piaget argued that the motivation to learn arises when existing schemas do not allow us to make sense of something new (cognitive conflict)
- this leads to the unpleasant feeling called disequillibrium
Equilibration
- in order to return to equilibrium, the schemas need to change in order to make sense of the new information
- this change can occur in the form of assimilation or accommodation
- by doing this, we can enter the preferred state of equilibrium. This facilitates cognitive development
Equilibrium is achieved through two ways
- assimilation
- accomodation
Assimilation
When we change our schemas by adding new information to existing schemas to understand a new experience and reach equilibrium. For example, when a child sees a parrot for the first time, they add it to their existing schemas for birds
Accommodation
When we change our schemas as a response to dramatically new experiences - requiring the formation of new schemas to make sense of the situation. For example, a child seeing a monkey for the first time will create an entirely new schema for it
When do the processes of assimilation and accommodation take place?
Throughout our life as we come across new experiences
Evals
+ supporting evidence for experiences improving schemas
+ applications in education
- the role of others
- Equilibration is difficult to demonstrate
A strength of Piaget’s theory of cogdev is that there is supporting evidence for experiences improving schemas
Howe et al: children aged 9-12 in groups of 4 to study + discuss movement of objects down a slope. Understanding was assessed before and after discussion. Found that after discussion- increased level of knowledge and understanding even tho all of them didn’t arrive at the same conclusion (showing individual understanding).
SB: shows, as Piaget predicted, that children do learn from experiences- allows them to develop more sophisticated schemas. Increases validity of Piagets theory of cogdev
A strength of Piaget’s theory- is that Piagetian concepts like discovery learning have been practically applied to the education system
Instead of rote learning which was dominant form of learning for decades, today children r encouraged to engage in experiences which lead to discovery learning. E.) children learn colour theory through exploring and mixing different colours instead of rote learning
In secondary schools, students learn abt states of matter by practically experimenting with ice cubes and heat. Shows his theory is not purely theoretical but in reality improves lives of students as can better access learning . Increases in utility
A weakness of Piagetian theories is that concepts like equilibration are hard to objectively measure and demonstrate under controlled conditions.
According to Bryant, it is unclear regarding the level of cognitive conflict that a schema has to go through to reach a state of disequillibrium - as it is not measurable. Moreover, researchers have argued concepts like assimilation / accomodation are not testable and are difficult to operationalise and study. One way it is difficult to study is the fact that we cannot tell whether someone went through assimilation or accomodation.
Thus as the concepts within the theory are unscientific and therefore less valid, the validity of the theory itself is called into question.
