Cognitive development

1. Cognitive development • What do babies perceive? • Do babies have memory? For what? • Can babies problem solve? When? • Do babies think in the same way as adults?

2. Methodology: Design • Longitudinal design • Same individual; multiple test times • Investigate how individual CHANGES over time • Cross-sectional design • Different individuals at different ages • Investigate age DIFFERENCES

3. Development research question • How can you find out when infants can distinguish different colors? • What sort of methods can you use?

4. Infant Cognition Methods • Preference technique • “Look longer technique” • Infer capability to differentiate

5. Infant Cognition Methods • Habituation technique • - Decline in response to repeated stimulus • - Measure novelty to infer perception and memory

6. Infant Cognition Methods • Preference technique • “Look longer technique” • Infer capability to differentiate • Habituation technique • Decline in response to repeated stimulus • Measure novelty to infer perception and memory • Reward technique • Rewarded if performs action in specific situations • Study memory and learning

7. Rovee-Collier (1993)

8. Piaget’s theory • How do children think? • Construct knowledge through activity • Schemata • Assimilation • Fit experience into what we already know • Accommodation • Change schema for new experience • Four stages of development • Sensorimotor (birth – 2yrs) • Preoperational (2 – 7 yrs) • Concrete operational (7 – 11 yrs) • Formal operational (11+ yrs)

9. Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory • Sensorimotor (birth-2yrs) • Sensory and motor reflexes and abilities • Develop object permanence • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjBh9ld_yIo

10. Sensorimotor stage

11. Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory • Sensorimotor (birth-2yrs) • Sensory and motor reflexes and abilities • Develop object permanence • Preoperational (2-7yr) • Practice and learn mental representations • Fail conservation tasks and show egocentrism • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtLEWVu815o&feature=related

12. Conservation task

13. Egocentrism • Ask child what the object looks like from other person’s point of view

14. Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory • Sensorimotor (birth-2yrs) • Sensory and motor reflexes and abilities • Develop object permanence • Preoperational (2-7yr) • Practice and learn mental representations • Fail conservation tasks and show egocentrism • Concrete operational (7-11yr) • Gain logical reasoning about concrete objects • Formal operational (11+) • Scientific reasoning • Capacity for abstract thinking and reasoning

15. Concrete operational and formal operational stage tasks

16. Challenges to Piaget • Children capable of more if use different methodology • Object permanence • Symbolic thought • Discontinuous vs. continuous debate • e.g. Conservation tasks • Role of culture • One course v. many courses debate • Cognitive abilities develop from social interaction

17. Challenges to Piagetian theory • New object permanence studies • Method: Look longer paradigm

18. Thought paper • How could you use each of the following methodologies to study color perception in infants? • Preference technique • Habituation technique • Reward technique

19. How test if infants can differentiate colors • Preference technique • Red and green screens side by side • Switch which side red and green screen is on • IF one is preferred then assume they can tell difference between colors • Habituation technique • Show red screen until bored of it • Show green screen and see if there is renewed interest. • IF interested, assume they can tell difference between colors • Reward technique • Learn how to change sucking pattern to see red or green slide • Or If infant looks at green, rather than red screen, provide nutrient pacifier. Then change sides of colors. If infant looks at green again, infer they can differentiate colors