Module 4 - Other Theories of Cognitive Development

Question 1

define the information-processing theories

Answer 1

a class of theories that focus on the structure of the cognitive system and the mental activities used to deploy attention and memory to solve problems
- underlying cognitive skills that allow kids to manage and manipulate information and how they develop over time
- even the simplest activity still involves a chain of mini cognitive tasks that build on each other

Question 2

define task analysis

Answer 2

the research technique of specifying the goals, obstacles to their realization, and potential solution strategies involved in problem solving

Question 3

what are the different views on children’s nature?

Answer 3

limited-capacity processing system: through learning and maturation, children expand the amount of info they can process at one
problem solver: children are active problem solvers, strategies are used to overcome obstacles and obtain goals

Question 4

define working memory

Answer 4

• actively attending to, maintaining and processing information, all occurring in less than a second
• limited in both capacity and the length of time for which it can maintain info in an active state
• subset of long-term memory knowledge that is attended to at a given time
• improves dramatically across childhood

Question 5

define long term memory

Answer 5

• system that can store info for retrieval long after it was initially left your working memory
• consists of knowledge that people accumulate over their lifetime
• factual knowledge, conceptual, procedural, attitudes, etc.
• unlimited amount of info for unlimited periods of time

Question 6

define executive functioning

Answer 6

• set of cogntive processes assoicated wiht the intentional regulation of ones behaviuor
• control behaviour and thought processes
• inhibition, enhancement of working memory, cognitive flexibility
• The prefrontal cortex plays a huge role (continues to improve until early 20’s)

Question 7

what are the 3 explanations for memory development?

Answer 7

basic processes, strategies, and content knowledge

Question 8

define basic porcesses

Answer 8

• simplest and most frequently used mental activities
• associating events, recognizing objects, recalling facts, encoding and generalizing

Question 9

define encoding

Answer 9

process of representing in memory information that draws attention or is considered important. representing specific features of objects and events.

Question 10

define strategies

Answer 10

children g=begin to use a number of broadly useful memory strategies such as rehearsal and selective attention

Question 11

define rehearsal

Answer 11

repeating of info multiple times in order to remember it

Question 12

define selective attention

Answer 12

process of intentionally focusing on the information that is most relevant to the current goal
- equally important is ignoring irrelevant info (young children struggle with this)

Question 13

define content knowledge

Answer 13

• with age and experience, knowledge about everything increases making it easier to recall new material and mix it with the preexisting info

Question 14

define overlapping waves theory

Answer 14

• theory on the development of problem-solving
• information-processing approach that emphasizes the variability of children’s thinking
• this definition comes from the diagram where there are a number of strategies used but when you sue then flows throughout your life, you don’t just grow and not use the strategy again

Question 15

what is planning difficult for children?

Answer 15

1. that it requires inhibiting the desire to solve the problem immediately in favor of first trying to chose the best strategy
2. they tend to be overly optimistic about their abilities and believe they can solve it without planning

Question 16

define core-knowledge theories

Answer 16

approaches that view children as having some innate knowledge in domains of special evolutionary importance and domain-specific learning mechanisms for rapidly and effortlessly acquiring additional info in those domains
- innate knowledge
- domain-specific learning mechanism for learning info in those domains

Question 17

how do core-knowledge theorist view children?

Answer 17

they view children as entering the world equipped not only with general learning abilities but also with specialized learning mechanisms, or mental structures, that allow them to quickly and effortlessly acquire info of evolutionary importance

Question 18

define nativism

Answer 18

the theory that infants have a substantial innate knowledge of evolutionarily important domains
- doesn’t need to be taught or learned from experience
- 4 core knowledge systems

Question 19

define constructivism

Answer 19

the theory that infants build increasingly advanced understanding by combining rudimentary innate knowledge with subsequent experiences
- children still have innate knowledge (but its very basic)
- use innate knowledge to construct more complex knowledge
- form naive theories

Question 20

define sociocultural theories

Answer 20

approaches that emphasize that other people adn the surrounding culture contribute greatly to children’s development

Question 21

define guided participation

Answer 21

a process in which more knowledgeable people organize activities in ways that allow less knowledgeable people to learn

Question 22

define social scaffolding

Answer 22

process in which more competent people provide a temporary framework that supports children’s thinking at a higher level than children could manage on their own
- zone of proximal development (Vygotsky): just going past of where a child is being pushed by still within their grasps of understaning

Question 23

what was Vygotsky’s theory?

Answer 23

• portray children as social learners, intertwined with other people who help them gain skills and understanding
• intent on participating in activities that are prevalent in the specific time and place in wich they live

Question 24

what were the 3 stages of growth from Vygotskys view?

Answer 24

1. children behviour is controlled by other people statements
2. children behaviour is controlled by their own private speech (where they tell themselves aloud what to do)
3. behaviour is then controlled by internalized private speech (think to them selves what they need to do)

Question 25

define intersubjectivity

Answer 25

the mutual understanding that people share during communication
- everyone trying to get on the same page

Question 26

define joint attention

Answer 26

process in which social partners intentionally focus on a common referent in the external environment
- pointing, vocalizations, exchanging looks, etc.

Question 27

how do we see children as ‘little computers’?

Answer 27

• trying to break down children’s thinking and behaviour into a series of hierarchical structures and operations
• what are the components?
• how do they fit together?
• how much info can they juggle at once?
• how quickly can they complete operations?

Question 28

define memory

Answer 28

ability to acquire, store, maintain, and alter retrieve information when you need it

Question 29

define attention

Answer 29

focusing your awareness on a particular range of stimuli or events you experience

Question 30

define encoding

Answer 30

taking in info from the world and putting it into a form that can be stored in memory
- requires some level of attention
- selectively attend to certain stimuli you sense
- once encoded you can use other basic process (association, recognition and recall)

Question 31

define inhibition

Answer 31

• ability to override reactive or tempting behaviour to facilitate more deliberate actions
• Day-night task: see sun, say night and vice versa (young children)
• Eriksen Flanker tasks: if arrow in center is pointing left, tap left hand, and vice versa (middle-aged children to adults)

Question 32

define cognitive flexibility

Answer 32

• able to adjust your thinking, and consider multiple perspectives, reinterpret events or stimuli
• dimensional change card sort (DCCS): either match by colour or shape with an image at the bottom of the screen and making associated hand movements

Question 33

what are the 4 core knowledge systems of nativism?

Answer 33

created by Spelk
1. properties of inanimate objects and their interactions
2. minds and intentional behaviours
3. numbers and counting
4. geometry and spatial knowledge

Question 34

how is language related to nativism?

Answer 34

• Chomsky
• language varies in surface features but all follow grammatical rules (mastered early and effortlessly)
• language acquisition device: specialized learning mechanism for mastering grammar (domain-specific learning mechanisms)

Question 35

explain the view of children as social learner

Answer 35

• childnres cognitive developmetn is guided by communication and interactions with others
• cultures plays a huge rule
• guided participation

Question 36

define social reference

Answer 36

using another person reactions to guide their own learning and behaviuors