developmental psychology Flashcards
(14 cards)
Development over the lifespan
Developmental psychology aims to determine how we develop and change over our lifespan – from birth to death
It is usually broken into three categories:
Cognitive
Biological
Psychosocial
Cognitive Development
Cognitive development refers to the construction of a thought process that includes problem solving, remembering and the ability to make decisions from childhood up to the adulthood stage.
Cognitive Development
Cognitive development focuses on how and when we develop and use these mental abilities, and the changes which occur in them throughout the lifespan
There are four major components that are discussed and tracked:
Reasoning
Intelligence
Language
Memory
Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development
Intellectual development occurs through active interaction with the world
Discovery, curiosity and self-motivation
Piaget looked at multiple different concepts to measure development, including egocentrism, conservation, assimilation and accommodation
Intellectual development occurs as a process in four universal stages
Sensori-motor stage (birth – 2 years)
Pre-operational stage (2 – 7 years)
Concrete-operational stage (7 – 11 years)
Formal-operational stage (from 12 years)
Egocentrism
The difficulty in understanding that others do not see, feel and see things like you do
Conservation
Lack of conservation – the inability to realise that some things remain constant or unchanged despite changes in visible appearance (linked to egocentrism)
Assimilation vs Accommodation
Assimilation: making new information fit in with the existing understanding of the world.
i.e. when you encounter something new, you process and make sense by relating to things you already know
E.g. child encounters a cat for the first time, and thinks it’s a dog because that’s what they already know
Accommodation: new information changes or replaces existing knowledge
i.e. new ideas and information are used to make more sense of the world in more detail
E.g. the child’s parent explains the difference between a cat and dog, so the child can learn and distinguish the difference between the two in the future
Theory of Mind
Theory of Mind (ToM) is another suggestion to explain the development of cognition (and thus the sense of self)
It is important as it provides the ability to predict and interpret the behaviour of others, and reflect on ourselves in comparison
ToM is the ability to attribute mental states to ourselves, and to others, as separate
Thus providing the foundation for our sense of self compared to others, and the ability to explain this
Play
Play is another measure to both build and measure cognitive development
It encourages a child’s ability to think, understand, communicate, remember, imagine and predict situations
While playing, children are solving problems, creating, experimenting, thinking and learning all the time
It also allows for play with others, helping to develop social skil
Play
Play can be measured in stages:
Infancy (0 – 2 years)
Picking things up and putting them down, curiosity about things, enjoy games like peekaboo
Early and Middle Childhood (3 – 7 years)
Enjoy labelling items and playing with complex toys such as puzzles, crafts, colours and shapes, reading, writing and counting, and planning and building things
Early Adolescence (8 – 11 years)
Understanding others’ perspectives, creating ideas and stories, describing experiences and emotions for themselves and others, and developing individualised interests and hobbies
Adolescence & Adulthood (12+ years)
Play becomes more nuanced but is still very important for continued cognition throughout the lifespan.
For example, hobbies, sport, social activities, art, puzzles, games
Measuring cognitive development
There are many different tests that can be used to measure cognitive development, with the purpose of determining whether a child is developing at a neurotypical rate, or whether some supports are needed.
Which Method to Use?
For young children → Piagetian tasks and observational methods.
For school-age children → IQ tests, cognitive processing tasks, and academic assessments.
For teens & adults → Abstract reasoning tests, problem-solving assessments, and neuropsychological evaluations.
Measuring cognitive development depends on the age, theoretical framework, and the specific cognitive abilities being assessed.
Measuring development of self
Children’s drawings are often used in clinical, forensic, education and therapeutic situations to gather information and supplement verbal communication
This can be helpful because unlike adolescents and adults, children do not sensor their artworks as much
One of the most consistent pictures children draw (both prompted and unprompted) is of their family and of themselves
Later on, they start including with their pet and house
A clear way of demonstrating their self-concept and cognitive development
Measuring development of self in comparison to others (i.e. social roles)
The way a child interprets their family can be identified in the details of their drawing e.g. proximity to parents, structure of family life
Children that draw every family member with slightly different characteristics also show signs of advanced intelligence with an understanding that every person in their family in a unique individual
Measuring development of self
There are highly evidenced stages of drawing to show cognitive development.
Basic Scribbles
Combined Scribbles
Suns
Sun Faces
Humans with Limbs
Humans with Torsos
Humans in Drawings with Context
