Psych2400 chapter 4

Question 1

why should we care about theories?

Answer 1

1. provide a framework for understanding important phenomena
2. raise crucial questions about human nature
3. lead to a better understanding of children

Question 2

epigenesis

Answer 2

development = change or differentiation from general to specific.
example: chick embryo development

Question 3

C.F. Wolff

Answer 3

Theoria Generationis (1759)

Question 4

Karl von Baer

Answer 4

the Laws of von Baer (1828): general to specific, development is differentiation

Question 5

developmental science’s explanatory task

Answer 5

Combination of 1. changes in form and function, 2. origin of form & function, 3. Preservation of Form & function

Question 6

Piaget’s theory

Answer 6

1. cognitive development is the refinement and activity of an existing structure
   Includes: Assimilation, accommodation, equilibration

Question 7

1. assimilation

Answer 7

process of incorporating experiences into existing cognitive structure.

Question 8

2. accommodation

Answer 8

process by which cognitive structure is modified to fit new experience

Question 9

3. equilibration

Answer 9

maintaining the coherence of cognitive structure in the midst of change.

Question 10

Piaget’s stages

Answer 10

1. sensorimotor: birth of 2 years
2. pre-operational: 2 to 7 years
3. concrete operational: 7 to 12 years
4. formal operational: 12 and older

Question 11

1. sensorimotor stage (birth - 2 years)

Answer 11

infant experiences world through movement and senses, develops schemas, begins to act intentionally, and shows evidence of understanding object permanence.
infants acquire information about the world by sensing it and moving around within it.
objects are just what is experienced through senses and actions (looking, hearing, touching, grasping)
“object permanence”: the idea that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible

Question 12

2. Pre-operational (2-7 years)

Answer 12

child acquires motor skills but does not understand conservation of physical properties. Child begins this stage by thinking egocentrically but ends with a basic understanding of other minds.
child have a preliminary understanding of the physical world
“Theory of mind”: people’s ideas about their own and others’ mental states – about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict.
Piaget would point out that preschool children (who are pre-operational) focus on appearance and static conditions; also, that everyone shares their perspective!

Question 13

3. Concrete operational (7-12 years)

Answer 13

child can think logically about physical objects and events and understands conservation of physical properties.
children learn how various actions or “operations” can affect or transform “concrete” objects
“CONSERVATION”: the notion that properties such as a mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects.

Question 14

4. formal operational (12+)

Answer 14

child can think logically about abstract propositions and hypotheticals.
people can solve nonphysical problems; they can think logically about abstract concepts
especially in adolescence but continuing into adulthood, formal operational thinking may be limited to domains or areas of special interest or expertise.
During the formal operational stage, people have the capability of solving hypothetical problems and deducing consequences. They also are mature enough for moral reasoning.

Question 15

Summary of Piaget’s cognitive development

Answer 15

1. goal: determine the logical sequence in which cognition must develop
2. defined stages by abilities in tasks that demonstrated specific capacities that were required to enter next stage
3. cognition is at first sensory-motor experience and is shaped by action

Question 16

core-knowledge theories

Answer 16

build specific knowledge into the newborn and focuses on what children know (not how)

1. evolved to know
2. newborns know about objects and their physics
3. newborns know about language

Question 17

information processing

Answer 17

1. Task analysis: focus on the structure of the task (goals, relevant information in context, and potential strategies)
2. Limited-capacity: Cognitive development proceeds through expansion of memory, attentional capacities, increased efficiency and new strategy based on knowledge.
3. Problem solving: A goal, and obstacle and a strategy (overlapping-waves theory)

Question 18

Sociocultural Theories

Answer 18

development takes place through direct interaction between children and adults (and other children)

1. guided participation
2. cultural tools (symbol systems)
3. private speech

Question 19

Dynamic-system theories

Answer 19

Focuses on the process of developmental change and the ways that outcome scan be achieved

1. change is self-generated
2. how does behavior become coordinated
3. influences on development are not always obvious.