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Cognitive Development across the Adolescent Years. Samuel Mathews, Ph.D. School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences The University of West Florida. Constructive Nature of Cognition. The human mind incorporates experiences into a unique interpretation based on : Goals and motives
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Cognitive Development across the Adolescent Years Samuel Mathews, Ph.D. School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences The University of West Florida
Constructive Nature of Cognition • The human mind incorporates experiences into a unique interpretation based on: • Goals and motives • Perspective on the experience • Prior knowledge and experiences • Strategies and processes of thinking
Major Perspectives on Cognitive Development • Piaget’s Theory of “Genetic Epistemology” • Stages of Development • Constructive • Equilibration (reaching equilibrium between individual and demands of a task) • Information Processing Theory • Active search for information • Constructive • Continuous development • Transformation, storage, and retrieval of information
Piagetian Perspective • Concrete operations • Late childhood • Reasoning with concrete experiences, objects and events
Piagetian—Concrete Operations • Reversible operations • Conservation (number, mass, volume) • Decentration (>1 attribute considered) • Release from egocentrism(others’ perspectives considered)
Piagetian—Formal Operational Thought • Abstract—analyze experience for core structure • Hypothetical—make predictions beyond concrete experiences (moving to true scientific reasoning) • Logical—can extract logical relations and test the validity of the logic regardless of the premise (A=B, B=C, therefore A=C) • Complex—use of metaphor and sarcasm • Metacognition—knowing, knowing about knowing, and thinking about thinking
Piagetian—Formal Operations • Context dependent—context can create difficulty in formal operational thought throughout adulthood • Achievement based on need for formal operational thought within a setting • Cultural differences typically based on cultural bounds of the assessment and opportunities for formal thought
Post-Formal Thought in Emerging Adulthood • Pragmatism—consideration of social and contextual factors in decision-making • Dialectical Thought—examining oppositional perspectives simultaneously (thesis-antithesis) • Reflective Judgment—Perry’s work: • Dualism • Relativism • Commitment in relativism
Information Processing and Cognitive Development • Active search for information in our environment to meet needs • Constructive—creates unique representations of information • Flexible—multiple representations of the same information are possible
Information Processing and Cognitive Development • Strategic—can function using intentional strategies • Limited capacity—system has limits in duration and capacity without conscious use of strategies
Key Developments across Adolescence • Executive Functions and Metacognition • Monitoring—maintaining vigilance for “breakdowns” or errors in cognitive tasks; usually based on: • Prior knowledge • Predictions about “what comes next” • Control—intentional acts to initiate, modify, and terminate cognitive tasks and strategies • Controlled/Automatic Processing—tasks that are first effortful become automatic and occur frequently without awareness
Knowledge base • Declarative/Factual—knowing “what” • Procedural/Strategic—knowing “how” • Organization • Schematic structures • Association networks • Flexible organizational schemes • Expert/novice distinction(organization of knowledge, representation of knowledge)
Executive Functions and Metacognition • Strategic thought—the intentional use of planned and controlled procedures to accomplish cognitive tasks (making outlines, taking notes, highlighting and making notes in the margins of texts, self-testing)
Executive Functions and Metacognition • Critical thought—mental strategies in which the goals are to • analyze arguments and assertions for logical consistency and false premises • maintain vigilance for bias in thinking • critically consider the source of knowledge (authority, faith, common sense, etc., vs. scientific thought)
Vygotsky: Contextual Cognition • Focused on collective and social approach • Individual develops knowledge, skills and strategies through: • first interacting with other more skilled individuals • Transferring the knowledge, skills, and strategies from intermental to intramental • Language is the medium of transfer
Vygotsky: Contextual Cognition • Strategies in educational contexts: • Cooperative learning • Guided practice • Reciprocal teaching • Reflection • Zone of Proximal Development • Distance between independent work and work needing support of others • Scaffolding provided by others
Decision Making • Neurological Limitations—prefrontal and frontal lobes • Peer Influence—presence of peers is related to risky decisions • Behavioral Decision Theory: • Identify choices; identify consequences; evaluate each consequence; assess likelihood; integrate information into a decision • Tendency to use the decision tree varies with age, experience, and psychosocial context
Behavioral Changes and Cognitive Development across Adolescence • Question Authority based on equal treatment, and social comparisons • Express difficulty with arguments based only on authoritarian power • Question long standing ideology, religious affiliation, and relationships
Behavioral Changes and Cognitive Development across Adolescence • Express and act on interests in broader peer groups, wider range of activities • Many join social causes and movements • Focus in early adolescence is on personal decision making in school and home environments
Behavioral Changes and Cognitive Development across Adolescence • Pseudostupidity • Perceived levels of complexity beyond that that will lead to solutions • Exploration of solution paths outside of logical or pragmatic boundaries • Perception of complex and malevolent motives when none exist • Attempts to narrow adolescents’ explorations to plausible or feasible solutions seen as over controlling
Behavioral Changes and Cognitive Development across Adolescence • Experience a new form of egocentrism (focus on self) • Imaginary Audience • “everyone is looking at me and thinking about me” • importance on personal appearance and merging with the group • Personal Fable • Sense of uniqueness • Sense of invulnerability or being invincible • Heightened willingness to take risks
Critical Thinking in Adolescence • Critical thinking: • Volitional • Goal directed • Analytical • Disposition • Inclination • Sensitivity • Ability
In the discussion questions that follow, in small groups decide on two responses for each item to share. • In the final item, report the group’s consensus.
Discussion Questions • Identify one way in which critical thinking was encouraged and one situation in which CT was discouraged in your high school experience. • Think about your current experience at UWF and identify one way CT is encouraged and one way it is discouraged. • Think about the information processing and decision-making sections of the chapter. How might CT be explained from those perspectives.