Theories Of Cognitive Development Flashcards

Question

Centration

Answer 1

the tendency to focus on a single, perceptually striking feature of an object or event (shown in the balance scale problem) Conversion problem

Answer 2

Reason logically - solve conversion problems Limited by reasoning about hypothetical situations and thinking systematically as shown in Inhelder and Piagets pendulum problem

Answer 3

Think abstractly Reason hypothetically Not universal

Answer 4

Focus on the structure of the cognitive system and mental activities used to deploy attention and memory to solve problems Emphasis on process involved in children’s thinking and thinking as a process that occurs over time Child is limited by their memory capacity and speed of processing which both increase over time

Answer 5

Working memory capacity is limited but increases through childhood LTM is unlimited Memory is key to identity

Answer 6

Inhibiting inadvisable actions, enhancing WM and being cognitively flexible 3yo have trouble switching goals whereas 5yo don’t Simon says - inhibition Quality of EF enhances academic success

Answer 7

IPT refers to using a variety of strategies to solve problems, with the strategies becoming more advances with age and experience

Answer 8

View that children have some innate knowledge domains of special evolutionary importance and domain-specific learning mechanisms for rapidly and effortlessly acquiring additional information in those domains Tendency to deceive increases (they understand people don’t have access to same knowledge as them) - contradicts Piaget’s egocentrism ToMM

Answer 9

Nativism: the theory that infants have substantial innate knowledge of evolutionary important domains as well as the ability to quickly and easily acquire more knowledge in these domains Constructivism: the theory that infants build increasingly advanced understanding by combining rudimentary innate knowledge with subsequent experiences

Answer 10

Inanimate objects and their mechanical interactions Minds of people and other animals capable of goal directed actions Numbers Spatial layouts and geometric relations (Language is another core knowledge believed to be innate)

Answer 11

Emphasise that other people and the surrounding culture contribute greatly to children’s development. It’s suggested that its others that are motivated by watching you learn and develop through guided participation which is a process in which more knowledgeable individuals organise activities in ways that allow less knowledgeable people to learn

Answer 12

Behaviour controlled by other peoples statements Private speech – children develop self-regulation and problem solving abilities by telling themselves aloud what to do Internalised private speech

Answer 13

Conducted a study with uni students in US and China and asked them to solve two problems, one related to a fairy tale of each culture e.g Hansel and Gretel for US and they found that if the problem was related to a fairy tale from their culture they were superior in solving it

Answer 14

Asked 4-8 year olds about earliest memories in China and US they found correlation with the cultures values and attitudes i.e independence v interdependence

Answer 15

The mutual understanding that people share during communication, by focussing on the same topic as well as the other persons reaction. Joint attention is at the heart of intersubjectivity, a process in which social partners internationally focus on a common referent in the external environment - children start this at age 1

Answer 16

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 It involves explaining the goal of the task, demonstrating how the task can be done and helping with the most difficult parts, until they gradually need less and less support. Social scaffolding helps process of forming autobiographical memories as children are encouraged to expand on their statements, improving encoding of key information.

Answer 17

Focus on how change occurs over time in complex systems. Integrative of all theories Thinking serves an adaptive process as it helps attain goals but also requires action. Centrality of action - how specific actions shape development e.g walking or imitating others

Answer 18

Conducted a longitudinal study on the reaching efforts of 4 infants during their first year. A computer analysed the infants muscle movements, and found that because of individual differences in the infants physiology, activity level, arousal, motivation and experience, each child faced different challenges in attempts to master reaching. Infants varied in age that they reached the milestone, reaching speeds and typical motions. Smith et al (1999) - A not B error as motor habit

Answer 19

Development is a process of integrating attention, memory, emotions and actions as needed to adapt to a continuously changing environment. The organisational process is sometimes called soft assembly, because the components and their organisation change from moment to moment and situation to situations.

Answer 20

Neonatal reflex in which an infant lifts one leg and then the other in a coordinated pattern like walking. Disappears around 2 months due to rapid weight gain If you place babies legs in water it comes back and attach weights to newborns ankles and disappears