Wk 7 - Cognitive Dev 2

Question 1

Piaget’s Concrete Operational Period…(x5)

Answer 1

7 to 11 yo
Mental operations applied to concrete events
Mastery of conservation
Hierarchical classification
Increasing ability to keep multiple possibilities in mind

Question 2

Concrete operation thought…

Answer 2

Allows logical operations with concrete objects and events, as long as there’s only two dimensions of a problem to consider

Question 3

Classification is…

Answer 3

The ability to group things in categories, develops as move into concrete operational

Question 4

Piaget’s Formal Operational Period… (x3)

Answer 4

11 yrs through adulthood
Mental operations applied to abstract ideas
Logical, systematic thinking

Question 5

Three key characteristics of formal operational thought…

Which may not be shown across all problems, even by…

Answer 5

Can be about abstract objects/events
Considers all logical relations in problem - more than 2 dimensions
Capacity for future-oriented thinking
Adulthood

Question 6

Deductive reasoning is… (x4)

Answer 6

Form of reasoning that moves from general premises, to a specific instance of that premise, followed by a conclusion.
If premises are true, conclusion must logically follow
Requires formal education
Around 11 years of age

Question 7

Logical syllogism is…

Answer 7

Logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true

Question 8

Inductive reasoning is… (x4)

Answer 8

Reasoning from a specific observation to a general rule
Ability to understand novel concepts and logical relationships
Piaget suggests emergence during concrete operational stage, but establishment under formal, around 11
Argued by others to emerge as young as 8 mo

Question 9

Scientific thinking relates to inductive reasoning, as it involves…(x2)

Answer 9

Discovering explanations for a set of facts by estimating the weight of evidence in favour of a hypothesis that asserts something about the entire set of facts
Creates a structured whole that takes account of all evidence

Question 10

Cattrell-Horn theory of intelligence…

Answer 10

That it’s made up of perhaps 100 different abilities working together

Question 11

Cattrell-Horn’s Fluid Intelligence… (x4)

Answer 11

Drive the individual’s ability to: think and act quickly; solve novel problems; and encode short-term memories, reasoning, abstract thinking
Grounded in physiological efficiency, independent of education and acculturation
Eg inductive reasoning, such as in the letter series test
Decreases with age

Question 12

Cattrell-Horn’s Crystallised Intelligence… (x5)

Answer 12

Stems from learning and acculturation
Reflected in: tests of knowledge; general information, use of language and a wide variety of acquired skills
Personality factores, motivation, educational/cultural opportunities are central
Only indirectly dependent on the physiological influences
Increases slowly with age

Question 13

Four possible problem-solving strategies…

Answer 13

Problem-focused action - Obtain more info
Cognitive problem analysis - Figure it out on own
Passive-dependent behaviour - Ask someone else to solve
Avoidant thinking/denial - Blame another for problem creation

Question 14

Training cognitive skills in the elderly has shown that…

Answer 14

Results showed that the training only improved that specific area

Question 15

Beyond general intelligence, we need to consider… (x2)

Answer 15

Encapsulation: info processing and fluid thinking that becomes dedicated to specific knowledge systems
Expertise: Existing knowledge is refined and broadened, can be applied in flexible/open-ended ways to ill-defined/multifaceted real-life situations – often seems automatic

Question 16

Research on cognitive fluctuations in young/older people has shown that… (x2)

Answer 16

Despite lower average performance, elders maintain stabler day-to-day performance
Possibly advantageous in many vocational/voluntary/leisure settings through positively contributing to their productivity

Question 17

Post-formal thought is… (x5)

Answer 17

Flexible, open, adaptive, individualistic, reliant on intuition as well as logic
Able to deal with uncertainty, inconsistency, contradiction, imperfection, compromise
Often stimulated by experiences that open up looking at things in unaccustomed ways
Maybe late adolescence/early adulthood, but not necessarily by 40
Not polarised, as formal is - multiple possible solutions

Question 18

Wisdom is… (x7)

Answer 18

Capacity for acknowledging other’s view-points
Appreciating broader contexts
Sensitivity to possibility of change in social relations
Acknowledgement of likelihood of multiple outcomes of social conflict
Concern with conflict resolution
Preference for compromise
Knowledge useful for dealing with life problems
Develops earlier in interdependent cultures