Psych 354 Midterm Flashcards
Three categories of epistemology
Empiricism- learning through experience
Nativism- born with knowledge inside us (adaptation, evolution)
Constructivism- knowledge doesn’t pre exist, we must create it with activity
Name some of the challenges of developmental research
- consent
- limited attention span
- generalizing; sociocultural
- researcher bias
- kids act diff in a lab
- deprivation
- kids behaving diff depending on the person
What is “physics envy”?
Biology wishing to be as mathematical and straight forward as physics
What does phylogenic and ontogenic mean?
Phylogenetic= evolutionary Ontogenic= developmental
Three components of conceptual analysis
1) clarifying grammar and meaning of concepts
2) exposing a limitation or problem in the model
3) revealing unacknowledged assumptions
What is nominal fallacy?
Thinking you’ve explained a concept by identifying it
Imprinting
Developing attachment thru natural social interaction
What are metatheoretical assumptions?
Unacknowledged philosophical assumptions upon which theories are based
Two “world views” of metatheoretical assumption?
1- individualistic (split; individual minds)
2- relational (systems; social processes)
Probabilistic VS predetermined epigenisis
Predetermined is that genetic information creates the path of development, where probabilistic means that genetic info and the environment work together and effect each other
Talk about Piaget and his work
First psychologist to make a systematic study of cognitive development; detailed observational studies of children, he developed simple/clever tests to check abilities
He always felt misunderstood; considered himself a genetic epistemologist not a developmental psychologist
Describes Piaget’s theory of stages
Sensorimotor- infants gain knowledge through sensory experiences and manipulating objects
Pre operational- learn through pretend play and have difficulties with logic and perspective
Concrete operational- better at logic but struggle with abstract thinking, and ideas are very rigid
Formal operational- more logic, deductive reasoning, understanding abstract ideas
Piaget’s theory of equilibration
A child balancing between assimilation (putting new knowledge into existing schemas) and accommodation (changing old schemes) to allow them to go forward in the stages
What are the 4 factors of development that Piaget found most important?
1- maturation (biological)
2- experience (physical knowledge and properties of objects)
3- social experience
4- equilibration
Describe Piaget’s constructivism
Developing knowledge thru action (not innate or copied!!!)
Children are active in constructing new knowledge not passive
Six substages of Piaget’s sensorimotor development
Stage 1- reflexes (0-1 mos)
Stage 2- primary circular reactions (1-4 mos)
Stage 3- secondary circular reactions (4-8 mos)
Stage 4- coordinating schemes (8-12 mos)
Stage 5- third circular reactions (12-18 mos)
Stage 6- mental combos (18-24 mos)
A not B error test
Kids check the place where they put an object, not where they see someone else move it because of their incomplete understanding of object permanence. Overcome when child can resist the urge to repeat their action.
3 words that describe Piaget’s theories
Constructivist, structuralist, formalist
Describe Baillargeon’s critique of Piaget’s objective permanence theory
Thought that Piaget underestimated children; they can do better with a simpler test. Used looking time paradigm and found signs of object permanence at 3.5 mos instead of 10 mos.
Describe pre-operational thought
Can represent absent objects (not tied to here and now) and can use symbols
Describe concrete operational thought
Pass conservation tests but constricted to reasoning about actual objects
Baillargeon’s Drawbridge methodology
Hypothesis that infant will be surprised by the “impossible” event and look longer at it
Critique of Drawbridge methodology
Interpretation of looking time- just shows that babies notice a difference
Tests perceptual abilities, not conceptual
Habituation shouldn’t be necessary
Rich interpretations
Criticism of Piaget
Horizontal decalage=inconsistency in stages of reasoning (ex: conservation of substance, weight and volume all at diff ages) and it shouldn’t be like that because it’s the same concept though Piaget claims this is EXPECTED