Section II: Social Origins of Behaviour & Cognition Flashcards
(17 cards)
What was Vygotsky’s theory of how we learn?
Ideal social influence = more advanced partner
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
- distance b/w independent problem-solving ability & ability with help of others
- only interactions within this zone –> cognitive change
- activity slightly beyond present level of competence & assisted by more skilled peers / adults
What do more recent theorists posit about children’s learning?
Child = apprentice: active in efforts to learn by observing & participating with more skilled others
Guided participation
- help within ZPD known as “scaffolding”
What is scaffolding?
a) Structure children’s activity participation; build bridges from current level of understanding to new level & b) give children more responsibility for task over time
What is an example of early predisposition & parental sensitivity?
Visual cliff task
Children look to mothers’ expressions to determine whether to cross (social referencing)
What are some examples revealing that children are active agents in their learning?
Rogoff et al. (1999)
- 9 month old indicate desires to work jack-in-the-box through behaviours directed to the adult
(1990)
- mothers accept burps, yawns from babies, then progress to being selective (respond only to vocalic babbles)
Rheingold (1982)
- 18 to 30-month olds spontaneously try helping parent / stranger in household chores
Carew (1980)
- Toddler initiates 82% of home interactions; adults adapt
What did Azmitia & Hessier (1993) reveal about how younger siblings learn with older siblings vs peers?
Younger siblings look to older siblings more than peers for assistance. They also perform better after being taught by OS, rather than peers.
Older siblings intervene more than peers do.
How do older siblings influence younger siblings’ false belief understanding?
Facilitate through assistance, pretence (role-playing), and talk (tell younger siblings about their own internal states)
How do mothers facilitate children’s ToM?
Talking about mental states at
15 months: focus on child’s desires
24 months: personal cognitions (what they know and think) –> better ToM at 33 months
How do one-child households benefit?
Their children receive more parental attention = boosted IQ
What did a Norwegian study find about the death of older siblings and IQ?
The IQ of younger males increased after their older siblings died (scores adjusted for parental education level, maternal age at birth, birth weight, year of conscription, etc.)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being an only child?
Advantages:
- better verbal, creative skills
- more likely to go to college
Disadvantages:
- lower emotional intelligence
Do the number of parents in a household impact children’s risk of vulnerability?
Yes. Higher % of kids are at high risk of vulnerability when they only have one parent.
One source of income = financial strain
Are there cultural differences in how children learn ToM?
Western: children are taught directly
Developing cultures: parents model behaviour, kids imitate
What was Albert Bandura’s theory on how children learn?
Through observation and imitation; personality is formed through social learning
What is the result of Bandura’s experiment on observational learning?
Group 1 (no punishment for violence to doll): imitate aggressor
Group 2 (punishment): more passive
How is our observational learning gendered?
Boys likely to imitate aggressive models (innate aggressive tendencies from testosterone / social roles)
Girls imitate other girls more, or when model is rewarded.
