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Cognitive Development - Piaget. What is cognitive development? Definition of cognition The structural-functional approach The information processing approach Piaget’s theory of cognitive development Background Piaget’s theory Cognitive equilibrium Cognitive schemata
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Cognitive Development - Piaget • What is cognitive development? • Definition of cognition • The structural-functional approach • The information processing approach • Piaget’s theory of cognitive development • Background • Piaget’s theory • Cognitive equilibrium • Cognitive schemata • Behavioral (sensorimotor) schemata • Symbolic schemata • Operational schemata • How do schema develop? • Organization • Adaptation: Assimilation and accomodation • Piaget’s stages of cognitive development • Properties of stages • Invariant developmental sequences • Hierarchical relations among stages • Sensorimotor intgelligence • The six stages of sensorimotor intelligence • Imitation and object permanence • Preoperational period • Preconceptual period • Emergence of symbolic function • Animism, transductive reasoning, and egocentrism • Intuitive period • Concrete operational period • Formal operational period
Definition of cognition • Cognition: • Refers to act of knowing • Concerned with the mental processes by which knowledge is acquired, elaborated, stored, and retrieved • Attention to the world • Perception of the world • Learning, thinking, remembering, and so on • Cognitive development: • Changes that occur in mental skills and abilities over time
Perspectives on Cognitive Development • The structural-functional approach: • Emphasizes the biological functions and environmental influences that promote developmental changes in the organization and the structure of intelligence • The information-processing approach: • Focuses on the growth of specific cognitive processing mechanisms, such as perception, attention, memory, and so on
Piaget’s Theory • Cognitive equilibrium: • What is intelligence? • Basic life force that helps one adapt to environment • Type of equilibrium towards which all cognitive structures tend • Produce balanced relation between thought processes and environment • Balanced relation called “cognitive equilibrium” • Children as constructivists • Cognitive schema (or schemata): • Cognitive structure • Pattern of thought or action • Behavioral (sensorimotor) schemas • Organized pattern of behavivor used to represent objects of experience • First psychological structures to appear • Symbolic schemas • Ability to think about objects/events without actually having them present • Operational schemas • Cognitive operations applied to objects/events
Piaget’s Theory, con’t • How do schema change? • Organization • Combine existing schemas into new schema • Produces more complex intellectual structures • Adaptation • Two complementary processes: Assimilation and accomodation • Assimilation • The process by which children attempt to interpret new experiences in relation to previous experiences • Fit new information with existing schemas • Accomodation • The process by which children modify their existing cognitive structures to account for new experiences • Existing schemas undergo change • Two processes always occur together • End result is cognitive equilibrium
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development • Properties of stage theories: • Invariant developmental sequence • Constant, unchanging order • No skipping of stages • Indicates strong maturational component • Hierarchical relations among stages • Structures of earlier stages not lost • Incorporated into achievements of later stages • Stages of development:
Period of Sensorimotor Intelligence • Substages of the sensorimotor period: • Stage 1: The use of reflexes (0 – 1 mo) • Stage 2: Primary circular reactions (1 – 4 mos) • Stage 3: Secondary circular reactions (4 – 8 mos) • Stage 4: Coordination of secondary schemas (8 – 12 mos) • Stage 5: Tertiary circular reactions (12 – 18 mos) • Stage 6: Invention of new means through mental combinations (18 – 24 mos)
Period of Sensorimotor Intelligence • Specific developmental abilities in the sensorimotor period: • The development of intentional behavior • Piaget’s well-known object hiding task • Object permanence • The A-not-B Error • The development of mental representations • Hidden displacements • Imitation and deferred imitation
Preoperational Period • Symbolic function and pretend play • Egocentrism • Animism • Conservation Tasks
Concrete Operational Period • Conservation • Classification • Seriation • Conservation Tasks