W2L1 - Cognitive Development Living Science

Question 1

How do we conceptualize cognitive development

Answer 1

1. Thinking
2. Reasoning
3. Problem-Solving

Question 2

What are the roots of cognitive development

Answer 2

1. Biological/Neurological
2. Social/Cultural
3. General/Specific (e.g. IQ)

Question 3

History of Cognitive Development. Plato & Aristotle

Answer 3

Plato: Children are born with innate knowledge

Aristotle: Children is a blackboard with nothing written on it

Question 4

Plagetian Theory: What are the 4 stages of development

Answer 4

1. Sensorimotor (0-2)
2. Pre-operational (2-5)
3. Concrete operational (5-12)
4. Formal operational

(Piaget - Operational, referring to mental operation)

Question 5

Plagetian Theory: 2 key ideas

Answer 5

1. Qualitative Changes in children’s thoughts
2. Invariant Sequence in patterns of thoughts (cannot skip stages)

All infants invariably pass through 4 qualitative stages

Question 6

Sensorimotor: What happens after 9 months

Answer 6

They obtain object permanence

Question 7

Preoperational: Brief

Answer 7

Child develop mental representations and operational thought

But they can’t manipulate them.

Question 8

Concrete Operational: Brief

Answer 8

Able to mentally manipulate internal representations formed in the preoperational period

(i.e. play with ideas)

Question 9

Criticism of Piaget: 5 problems

Answer 9

1. Focused on inabilities rather than abilities
   2.Focused on decontextualised context (not everyday problem solving)
   .
2. Ignored social context
3. Ignores language development

(Next 2 Lectures for point 5)

Question 10

Information Processing Account (Post-Piaget): 2 Key ideas Focus

Answer 10

1. Factors that support thinking (Memory, attention, language development, etc)
2. Quantitative changes with age (i.e. capacity limitation. thinking system capacity grows > can do more things)

Question 11

Culture & Thought Account (Vygotsky): What did he emphasize was important. MARXIST

Answer 11

Role of socialization of child’s intellectual development (peers, etc…) via language

Similar account to Ancient Greeks - one is a product of socialization

Keywords: Socio-Cultural; Linguistic Bases

Question 12

Vgotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development: What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). What does it emphasise

Answer 12

Children are in the zone: Relationship between self and other (receptive to input of others)

Emphasizes cultural practice, language, and cognition

Question 13

Vgotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development: What is the role of the more competent (adult/child)

Answer 13

Organise task > Provide social meaning

Question 14

Vgotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development: What is the role of the less competent (child/novice adult)

Answer 14

Benefits through proximity of task > internalize task and makes own meaning