Theorists Flashcards
Piaget
What is his theory called and details about it
Cognitive Theory of Development
- it is a dual theory; constructivism and structuralism
Piaget Constructivism (explain it)
o Infants have schemas (basic building blocks of knowledge, defined as ‘a cohesive, repeatable action sequence possessing component actions that are tightly interconnected and governed by a core meaning’)
o He viewed intellectual growth as a process of adaptation (adjustment) to the world
o This happens through accommodation and assimilation
o Accommodation- adjusting an existing schema
o Assimilation- using an existing schema to deal with a new object or situation
Piaget
Explain Strucuralism
o The stages to which intellectual development occurs, characterised by cognitive structures
o Believed learning stages are universal regardless of culture
The four stages are Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational and Formal Operations
Piaget
Sensorimotor
(0-2)
Children learn through motor activity and sensory play
Develop a basic understanding of object permanence and representation thinking
Ball and blanket study (looks at object permanence)
- 6 sub stages
Piaget
Sensorimotor
What are the 6 sub stages?
- Simple reflexes (0-1 months)
- Primary circular reactions (1-4 months)
- Secondary circular reactions (4-8 months)
- Coordination of secondary reactions (8-12 months)
- Tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months)
- Internalisation of schemas (18-24 months)
Piaget Sensorimotor substages
READ SUBSTAGES DESCRIPTION ON EXAM NOTES
Piaget
Preoperational Stage
(2-7)
Believe in magic
Egocentric
Tends to judge situations on appearance alone, without logical reasoning
Logical reasoning not yet developed
Develops language and symbolic play
Centration (only focusing on one thing at a time), animism (inanimate objects=alive), irreversibility, symbolic play
Three mountains task (measure of egocentrism)
Piaget
Preoperational (2-7yrs)
What are the substages
- Preconceptual thinking (2-4 years)
2. Perceptual/intuitive thinking (4-7 years)
Piaget
Concrete Operational
7-11 yrs
Can think relatively logically but not yet capable of abstract thought
Conservation tests: conservation of volume/liquids (taller glass=more water), conservation of number and conservation of length
Goes through a process of decentring (no longer egocentric)
Can take into account more than one feature at a time
Can arrange in ascending or descending order (seriation)
Understand reversibility
Piaget
Formal Operational
11+ years
Capable of abstract thought
Hypothetical thinking
The pendulum task
Evaluation of Piaget
- Too much emphasis on individual discovery, ignores the roles of others
- The stages may not be as distinct as he proposed, more of a continuum
- Failed to consider the effect that the social setting and culture may have on cognitive development
- Only research he did was based on his children
Erikson
overview of theory
• Psychosocial Theory of Development
• Children form a series of psychosocial conflicts on a continuum, how well they face/solve them shapes their outcome
• Aware of the influence of culture on behaviour, emphasising its role
• Behaviour is based on cultural experience
• Shows impact of social experiences across a lifespan
•
Erikson
Psychosocial Theory of Development
- some of his beliefs
Erikson firmly believed that the stages are biologically determined, occurring in a fixed order, each with an optimal timeframe. In other words, it is not advisable to push children to achieve adult personalities at an early age, nor to keep them protected from their natural course of development into maturity.
• Regarded play as the means for a child to find out about themselves socially
• The stages are universal, ages at which they pass through stages is fairly universal
What are the 8 stages is Eriksons Psychosocial Theory of Development
Trust vs Mistrust (0-1) Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt (1-3) Initiative vs Guilt (3-6) Industry vs Inferiority (6-12) Identity vs Role Confusion (12-19) Intimacy vs Isolation (18-40) Generativity vs Stagnation (40-65) Ego Integrity vs Despair (65+)
Erikson
Trust vs Mistrust
0-1 years
- infants learn to have confidence that the adults will meet their needs (responsive parenting)
- infants learn to signal and need to trust that an adult will read th eisgnal and respond appropriately eg a cry with no response-increases intensity-no response-eventually stop trying to communicate
- to resolve these feelings of uncertainty the infant looks towards their primary caregiver for stability and consistency of care
- if the care the infant receives is consistent, predictable and reliable, they will develop a sense of trust which they will carry with them to other relationships, and they will be able to feel secure even when threatended
- success at this stage leads to the virtue of hope
Erikson
Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt
1-3 years
Children begin to assert their independence, by walking away from their mother, picking which toy to play with, and making choices about what they like to wear, to eat, etc.
The child is discovering that he or she has many skills and abilities, such as putting on clothes and shoes, playing with toys, etc. Such skills illustrate the child’s growing sense of independence and autonomy.
Erikson states it is critical that parents allow their children to explore the limits of their abilities within an encouraging environment which is tolerant of failure.
For example, rather than put on a child’s clothes a supportive parent should have the patience to allow the child to try until they succeed or ask for assistance. So, the parents need to encourage child to become more independent whilst at the same time protecting the child so that constant failure is avoided
If children in this stage are encouraged and supported in their increased independence, they become more confident and secure in their own ability to survive in the world.
If children are criticized, overly controlled, or not given the opportunity to assert themselves, they begin to feel inadequate in their ability to survive, and may then become overly dependent upon others, lack self-esteem, and feel a sense of shame or doubt in their own abilities