Psychology and Sociology: Cognitive Development

Question 1

Schemata

Answer 1

organized patterns of behavior and thought learned through instinctual interaction with the environment

Question 2

Assimilation

Answer 2

process of classifying new information into existing schemata

Question 3

Accommodation

Answer 3

process by which existing schemata are modified to encompass new information

Question 4

Sensorimotor stage (Piaget’s model)

Answer 4

-0 to 2 years
-child learns to manipulate environment
-learns to coordinate sensory input with motor actions
-primary and secondary circular reactions
-object permanence: gains the understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of view

Question 5

Preoperational stage (Piaget’s model)

Answer 5

-2 to 7 years
-Symbolic thinking: refers to the ability to pretend, play make-believe, and have an imagination
-Egocentrism: refers to the inability to imagine what another person may think or feel
-Inability to grasp the concept of conservation, which is the understanding that a physical amount remains the same, even if there is a change in shape or appearance

Question 6

Concrete Operational stage (Piaget’s model)

Answer 6

-7 to 11 years
-Children can understand conversation and consider the perspective of others; results in loss of egocentrism
-Able to engage in logical thought as long as they are working with concrete objects or information that is directly available

Question 7

Formal Operational stage (Piaget’s model)

Answer 7

-11 years and up
-marked by the ability to think logically about abstract ideas
-Hypothetical reasoning: the ability to mentally manipulate variables in a number of ways