Information Processing Framework and the Neo-Piagetians

1. Information Processing Framework and the Neo-Piagetians Basic tenet Infant memory Infant imitation Memory in early childhood Changes in the knowledge base Changes in strategies: balance beam Neo-Piagetians

4. II. Information Processing in Infancy Infants� memory Many aspects of infant cognitive development depend on memory Memory improves dramatically between 2-6 months of age and again by 12 months Carolyn Rovee-Collier: Tied a ribbon to the infant�s ankle and tied other end to a mobile. When the infant kicked, the mobile moved. More kicking = more movement in mobile. 2-month-olds remembered how to make mobile move after delay of 3 days 3-month-olds remembered how to make it move after a week

5. III. Imitation in infancy Studies at birth: Meltzoff and Moore (1977) Made faces at newborns such as �O� shape of mouth and sticking out his tongue Infants less than one hour old reliably imitated these facial expressions

6. IIIa. Deferred imitation in infancy Deferred imitation Imitation of events that occurred hours, days, or weeks in the past Piaget thought it happened at 18 months Meltzoff (1988) finds it may happen at 9 months 9-month-old infants watched adults perform new actions, such as pushing a button on a box to make a beeping sound When given a chance to play with the box 24 hours later, many of the infants reproduced the action they had seen the adult perform

7. IV. Memory in middle childhood Dramatic increases in the speed and capacity of memory processing Case, a neo-Piagetian Borrrows from information processing Memory and fluency What Brings about Developmental Changes in Reasoning?What Brings about Developmental Changes in Reasoning?

8. Relationship between memory span and speed of naming. Note that as children grow older in grades kindergarten (K) through 6, their counting span increases accordingly. (From Case et al., 1982.)Relationship between memory span and speed of naming. Note that as children grow older in grades kindergarten (K) through 6, their counting span increases accordingly. (From Case et al., 1982.)

9. V. Changes in the knowledge base Expertise Chi�s memory study children who were chess experts adults who were not chess experts Asked to examine chess pieces on a board

11. Findings from the Chi Chess Study Children�s advantage? Adults� advantage? Children�s advantage only when possible chess moves Adults advantage for random arrangemtns.Children�s advantage only when possible chess moves Adults advantage for random arrangemtns.

12. VI. Changes in Strategies Balance beam problem Siegler (1976)

13. A balance beam of the kind used by Piaget and Siegler to evaluate the development of logical reasoning. development; logical reasA balance beam of the kind used by Piaget and Siegler to evaluate the development of logical reasoning. development; logical reas

14. VII. Neo-Piagetian Theorists Robbie Case Still a stage theorist Executive processing space is necessary for problem solving. Development happens because of increases in the capacity of this space. Capacity increases with practice and fluency or with maturation.

15. VII. Neo-Piagetian Theorists Kurt Fischer Somewhat of a stage theorist, but focuses on integration of early skills into later ones. Dynamic skill theory Addresses the variability in children�s abilities