Cognition and
Development
Unit 3
What you need to know

Development of thinking
1. Theories of Cognitive Development
- Piaget
- Vygotsky
2.Application of theories to education

Development of Social Cognition
1. Development of the child’s sense of
self
- Theory of mind
2. Development of children’s
understanding of others
- Perspective taking (Selman)

Development of moral
understanding
1. Kohlberg’s theory of moral
understanding
3. Biological explanations of social
cognition
-The role of the mirror neurone system
Cognitive Development

The mental changes that occur during an individual's lifetime.

The development of “thinking skills”

For example, reasoning and problem solving
Theories of Cognitive Development

Piaget – stages at when thinking changes, loosely based on age

Vygotsky – emphasis on social interaction in learning and thinking
Piaget’s Theory

Schema – mental ideas about actions, objects and situations (e.g. restaurant
schema)

Assimilation – using existing schema to deal with new information (e.g. A
child seeing a zebra for the first time and calling it a horse)

Accommodation – changing an existing schema to deal with new information
(takes into consideration the different properties of a zebra compared to a
horse, perhaps calling a zebra a horse with stripes. Then eventually learns
name for zebra)
Piaget’s stages – Pages 272-275
Stage of Development
Key Feature
Research Study
Sensorimotor
0 - 2 yrs.
Object
Permanence
Blanket & Ball Study
Preoperational
2 - 7 yrs.
Egocentrism
Three Mountains
Concrete Operational
7 – 11 yrs.
Conservation
Conservation of
Number
Formal Operational
11yrs +
Manipulate ideas in
head, e.g. Abstract Pendulum Task
Reasoning
Conservation

Understanding that when the shape or appearance of an object changes, the
overall quantity still remains the same if nothing is added or taken away
TASK 1
Which line has more counters?
TASK 1
Which line has more counters?
Piaget’s stages – Pages 272-275
Stage of Development
Key Feature
Research Study
Sensorimotor
0 - 2 yrs.
Object
Permanence
Blanket & Ball Study
Preoperational
2 - 7 yrs.
Egocentrism
Three Mountains
Concrete Operational
7 – 11 yrs.
Conservation
Conservation of
Number
Formal Operational
11yrs +
Manipulate ideas in
head, e.g. Abstract Pendulum Task
Reasoning
Evaluation of Piaget

Strengths

Weaknesses

IDA

Complete the cut and stick and add your own IDA