quant and qual changes

Question 1

what is evidence for para 1

Answer 1

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, for instance, proposes that children move through qualitatively distinct stages - such as from concrete operational to formal operational thinking - each characterised by different cognitive capabilities

Question 2

what is evidence 1 for para 2

Answer 2

working memory capacity

this refers to the amount of info that a child can hold and manipulate at any one time. research shows that this capacity increases steadily with age, allowing children to engage in more complex tasks

Question 3

what is evidence 3 for para 2

Answer 3

executive functions

improvements in executive functions allow children to better plan, switch strategies, and inhibit impulsive responses (Diamond, 2013)

Question 4

what is evidence 1 for para 4

Answer 4

However, some researchers suggest that children might possess a rudimentary theory of mind earlier but lack the working memory or inhibitory control required to manage conflicting representations (Carlson & Moses, 2001). as these executive capacities develop, children gain the cognitive flexibility needed to reflect on both their own and others’ mental states, resulting in what appears to be a qualitative shift

Question 5

what is evidence 2 for para 4

Answer 5

Siegler’s (1996) ‘overlapping waves’ model

mathematical problem-solving

shows that children progress from using simple strategies like counting on fingers to more advanced techniques like retrieval and decomposition. although this progression reflects strategy change (a qualitative shift), it is driven in part by increased processing speed and memory.