Cognitive Development
Q1: Evaluate theories of cognitive development
Approach
Intro
 Background- cognitive development
 Thesis- evaluate command term
Body- strengths and limitations of each theory
 Piaget- stages
 Vygotsky- social and cultural factors
 Neuroscience- biological factors
Conclusion- summarize key points
Introduction
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Cognitive development-social, environmental and genetic
influence
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Maturation- the unfolding of behaviors that are genetically
programmed
Learning-changes in behavior, thoughts, and feelings as a result of
experience
Main debate- how these changes occur over time
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Nature- effects of maturation
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Nurture- effects of the environment
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The unfolding of behaviors under the influence of genetic predisposition
Diet, parenting styles, culture, education
Thesis: Constructivist, social constructivist, and neuroscientific
theories all contribute to the understanding of cognitive
development
Jean Piaget’s theory (Constructivist)
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Knowledge develops through schemas
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Assimilation- new events fit existing schemas (doggie- poodle
to doggie- terrier)
Accommodation-new events do not fit existing schemas and
new knowledge is created (doggie to horse)
Born with innate schemas which are modifies through
adaptation
Stages of development (universal)
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Sensorimotor stage (0-2)
Pre-operational stage (2-7)
Concrete operational stage (7-11)
Formal operational stage (11+)
Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years)
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Lack of object permanence
Object permanence develops around 8 months, but
incomplete
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4 months- child will not look for object
8 months-child will look for object in the last place found even
if hidden somewhere else
Development of full object permanence at around ages
18-24 months
Pre-operational Stage (age 2-7)
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Operations- logical mental rules but this stage, children
can’t internalize these rules and still rely on appearances
Egocentrism – child can only see the world from own
point of view (Mountain task)
Children lack conservation- the realization that objects
can remain the same despite a change in appearance
(demonstrated through conservation tasks of
reversibility)
Classification limitation- inability to classify objects
into the same groups (begins around age 4)
Elementary (gr. 2)- High School
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Concrete operational stage (7-11)
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Development of rules and schemas (operations) for how the
(concrete) world is ordered
Development of conservation
Formal operational stages (11+)
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Ideas and problems can be manipulated without concrete
objects (abstract reasoning)
Imagination and role play
Reasoning
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If A > B > C; A > C
Evaluation of Piaget
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Strengths
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1st comprehensive theory of cognitive development
Evidence
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Egocentrism: Mountain task and Policeman view experiment
Lack of Conservation : Conservation tasks
Application: Education and constructivism- children as actively
engaged in understanding their world
Limitations
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Criticism of ‘ages and stages’- findings based on interviews and
observations
Less focus on social and cultural factors
Object permanence is more flexible than Piaget argued (Bower,
1982) and criticism of some conservation tasks (McGarrigle &
Donaldson (1974)- may be demand characteristics)
Lev Vygotsky - Social Constructivist
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Importance of social interaction, culture, language, instruction,
and play in cognitive development
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Strengths
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Children make sense of the world through shared meaning and
language contributes to thought & understanding
Zone of proximal development- instruction from one more skilled in
the task provided by scaffolding to bridge the gap between what one
can do alone and what one can do with assitance
Some evidence for the role of language in thought
Application in education (ZPD)
Limitations
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Not all aspects of the theory are supported
Piaget- Innate maturation processes that drive cognitive development
Vygotsky-Shared meaning with others communicated through language and
interaction
Neuroscience and neuroplasticity
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Synaptic growth most significant in the first year and growth
continues throughout adolescence
Changes in brain structure
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Strengths
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Chugani, 1999)- PET scans of newborns showed increased glucose
metabolism in different regions over time-from brain stem and
thalamus (reflexes) to higher level functioning such as frontal lobe
development
Doubles in size from birth to young adulthood
Similar to animal research (Rosensweig, 1972)
Application- importance of a healthy environment
Limitations
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Correlational research- no cause and effect
Still many unanswered questions about cognition