Cognitive Development

Question 1

Jean Piaget

Answer 1

• Contructive theory - Children develop knowledge through exploration and manipulation of environment
• Children learn by doing/experiencing

Question 2

Cognitive Development (4 stages)

Answer 2

1. Sensorimotor stage (birth-2yrs): Senses and actions.
2. Pre-operational stage (2-7yrs): Developing language/symbolic thinking but limited logical reasoning.
3. Concrete operational stage (7-11yrs): Start logical thinking about events.
4. Formal operational stage (around 11+ years): Abstract and hypothetical thinking develops.

Question 3

Disequilibrium

Answer 3

• When new experiences don’t fit with existing schemas (our knowledge/concept of world), causing confusion in understanding

Question 4

How we respond to disequilibrium

Answer 4

1. Assimilation: fit new info into what we already know
2. Accommodation: change/create new schema

E.g. Child sees new bird. Assimilate - This fits my bird idea. ACCOMODATE - It’s an alien.

Question 5

1st STAGE - SENSORIMOTOR (0-2)

Answer 5

Action-based
- Acting on own bodies, explore through senses and movement

Question 6

Object Permanence

Answer 6

Understanding that objects still exist even when out of sight (phone is in other room)
- Child would think it is vanished (8-12 months)

Question 7

2nd STAGE - Pre-operational (2-7)

Answer 7

• How things look
• “Taller = more”, even if amount is the same
• Struggle with perspective taking

Question 8

3rd STAGE - CONCRETE OPERATIONAL (7-11)

Answer 8

• Reality-based
• Language/Symbolic thinking, e.g. “Desk” = object
• See and touch (concrete)
• Struggle with abstract/hypothetical ideas

Question 9

Limitations of pre-operational thought (CCTE)

Answer 9

1. Egocentrism (think others know the same as them)
2. Theory of mind (don’t understand that others have thoughts, beliefs, knowledge different to them)
3. Cognitive limitation (struggle to understand two different perspectives)
4. Centration (child can only focus on one aspect of a situation)

Question 10

4th STAGE - Formal Operational Stage (11+)

Answer 10

• Think abstractly, scientifically
• Can create hypotheses

Question 11

Baillargeon and DeVos - Against Piaget’s Theory

Answer 11

• “Violation of expectation”
• Infants look longer when they don’t see carrot through window, “impossible event”
• Suggests at 3.5 months, infants have basic object permanence

Question 12

Judith Kearins (Against Piaget’s Theory)

Answer 12

• Indigenous children outperformed in memorizing compared to non-indigenous