Theories of Cognitive Development (1)

Question 1

Piaget’s Theory: 2 points from constructivism

Answer 1

1. Children construct knowledge on the basis of experiences in the world
2. children proceed stages of development DISCONTINUOUS

Question 2

Piaget’s Theory: what are the 3 factors of constructivist theory building

Answer 2

Assimilation: children translate info into a form they can understand (child with a dog will associate other dogs to be a dog)

Accommodation: children revise current knowledge structures due to new experiences (child sees 3 legged dog)

Equilibration: balances assimilation and accommodation

Question 3

Stages of Development in Piaget’s Theory

Answer 3

1. Sensorimotor (0-2)
2. Pre-operational (2-7)
3. Concrete operational (7-12)
4. Formal operational (12+)

Question 4

What do children fail to do during sensorimotor stage

Answer 4

Failures of object permanence: if it’s not in front of them, it does not exist

Question 5

What do children fail to do during pre-operational stage

Answer 5

Failures of conservation: solid, liquid quantities and numbers

Failures of egocentricity: blue&pink communicating, mountain problem, FALSE BELIEF (vodka e.x)

Failures of appearance vs. reality: sponge that looks like a rock

Question 6

What do children fail to do during concrete operational stage

Answer 6

Deductive reasoning: logical approach from general to specific conclusions (hitting the glass with a hammer vs feather ex)

Failures of systematic testing: pendulum –> different lengths (which one will touch the platform first?)

Question 7

What are the problems with constructivism

Answer 7

Poverty of experience: children are able to understand stuff even without having that experience

Question 8

Problems with Piaget’s stages

Answer 8

Inconsistency of timeline: discontinuous seems inaccurate

Question 9

What is argument for Competence/performance distinction (Liz Spelke & Renee Baillargeon)

Answer 9

Explained how Piaget’s tests were inaccurate due to the specific situation the children were in.

They understand continuity (line moving behind box), coherence (ball behind falling board) and contact (blue and green ball will bounce)

e.x: object permanence: baby shocked to see that the object was gone after paper is moved

Question 10

What is argument for pre-operational failures of conservation

Answer 10

Liquid, solid and number problem
Found out that children can actually understand this problem if shown M&M instead of quarters

Question 11

What is argument for adult errors of egocentricity

Answer 11

Consensus effect: a lot of adults actually think that others think the same was as they do

Question 12

What is the Piagetian theory

Answer 12

That sensory experience is important –> children learn from the environment through stages

Question 13

What does the evolutionary theory says

Answer 13

ETHOLOGY: we learn about human development from what we know from animal behaviour

• reproduction and survival
• parental investment theory
• core knowledge theory: children have innate cognitive capabilities

Question 14

What does the social learning theory say

Answer 14

People in our lives play a large role in the development.

• experience is key for personal and social development
• behaviourist view: learn through conditioning and reinforcement
• learn through observation and imitation
• adults play an important rule

Question 15

In social learning theory, what does Vygotsky say when it comes to children’s interaction with people around them

Answer 15

Zone proximal development: limit to what a child can do without social support

Social scaffolding: adults can help create a framework when teaching (BEDMAS) –> need joint attention –> reaches subjectivity

Social referencing: children look at social partners when confused or unfamiliar

Question 16

In social learning theory, what are the social constraints

Answer 16

physical, social, economic, cultural, history

Question 17

In social learning theory, what is Bronfenbrenner’s Biological Mode

Answer 17

Circle diagram

1. Microsystem (inner): child and direct interactions
2. Mesosystem (2nd): relationship microsystem interacts with (e.x: school)
3. Exosystem: systems that affects child (e.x: workplace)
4. Macrosystem: law
5. Chronosystem: history

Question 18

What do the information processing theories say

Answer 18

GRADUAL CHANGES –> constantly changing
children are problem solvers, child’s capacity depends on how they overcome the obstacle

Question 19

What do information processing theories say about Limited-Capacity Processing System

Answer 19

1. Increasing efficient execution of basic processes: associating events with one another, recognizing familiar objects, recalling facts and procedures, generalizing one instance to another, encoding, processing speeds (myelination & increased connectivity)
2. Expanding memory capacity: sensory, working and long term capacity
3. acquisition of new strategies and knowledge: rehearsal and selective attention (usually emerge between 5-8)

Question 20

What are sources of learning and memory development

Answer 20

1. processing speed
2. mental strategies
3. content knowledge (the ones they know already that helps with learning new knowledge)