Piaget: The Pre-operational stage

Question 1

Define the constructionist view of children

Answer 1

• Children construct knowledge
• Intrinsically motivated to learn
• Infer rules about the world around them

Question 2

Define cognitive structures

Answer 2

a. A cognitive framework that allows a child to make sense of the world in ways that he can understand
b. Development refers to a continual reorganization of knowledge into new and more complex structures

Question 3

Define adaptation

Answer 3

When there is a disequilibrium, the organism adapts old structures to fit the challenges posed by the environment

Question 4

What are the two modes of adaptation

Answer 4

Assimilation and accomodation

Question 5

Define assimilation

Answer 5

a) Assimilating new experiences using existing structures

b) No change, the child incorporates new realities

Question 6

Define accomodation

Answer 6

a) Assimilating new experiences using existing structures
b) No change, the child incorporates new realities
c) Create new structures or modify new structures or modify existing ones

Question 7

What are the three methods used by Piaget

Answer 7

Unstructured interviews with children
Focus on overt behaviours
Emphasis on mistakes

Question 8

Define object permanence

Answer 8

Realization that an object still exists despite changes in our perception of it

Question 9

Object permanence development at substage 2

Answer 9

No attempt to look for hidden object

Question 10

Object permanence development at substage 3

Answer 10

search for partially hidden objects

Question 11

Object permanence development at substage 4

Answer 11

search for completely hidden objects

Make A-not-B errors

Question 12

Object permanence development at substage 5

Answer 12

ability to follow visible displacements of an object

Question 13

Object permanence development at substage 6

Answer 13

Ability to follow invisible displacements of an object (normally toward the end of the period)

Question 14

Violation of expectations paradigm

Answer 14

i. Possible event is consistent with the belief or expectation examined in the experiment
Impossible event violates this belief or expectation

ii. Impossible event violates this belief or expectation

Question 15

What three parameters were modified in the Dynamic systems approach to Piagets object permanence tests

Answer 15

1. Strength of association
2. Attention
3. Muscular pathways (motor inhibition)

Question 16

Define progressive decentering

Answer 16

gradual decline in egocentricism

Question 17

Egocentricism definition

Answer 17

inability to distinguish self from the outer world: incapable of seeing the world through the eyes of others

Question 18

Define invariants

Answer 18

Aspects of the world that remain the same, even when we can’t perceive them

Question 19

Define mental representation

Answer 19

The use of symbols to picture and act on the world internally, mental processing begins to replace trial and error

Question 20

centration definition

Answer 20

The ability to only focus on one aspect of a problem at a time

Question 21

Seriation definition

Answer 21

Being able to arrange objects in series