Cognitive Development in Infants &
Toddlers
Chapter 5
Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology
• Child is an active seeker of information
• Major Themes
– Method Clinique (clinical method)
– Constructivism
– Schemes (Schemata)
– Organization
– Adaptation
– Reflective Abstraction
Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology
• Method Clinique
– Pose problem to the child
– Observe child’s attempt to solve the problem
– Probe with questions to determine underlying
strategy and information needed to solve the
problem
– Problems:
• With prelinguistic infants, inferences must be
made
Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology
• Constructivism
– Each experience is represented in a unique way by
each individual
– Construction of representation is based on:
• History
• Strategy
• Social/Environmental support
Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology
• Scheme (Schemata)
– Organized representation of
• Actions (e.g. reflexes)
• Thoughts (e.g. concepts)
• Processes (e.g. problem solving strategies)
– Schemata provide the framework with which we
interpret new experiences and construct new
schemata or integrate new information into
existing schemata
Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology
• Organization
– Across development Schemata are constantly
differentiated and integrated
– Schemata are organized into increasingly complex
systems
– Organizations may reflect hierarchical or network
organizations
Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology
• Adaptation
– Tendency of the organism to modify itself to meet
environmental demands
– System seeks equilibrium with its environment
through two processes
• Assimilation
• Accommodation
– Process of reaching equilibrium is termed
equilibration
Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology
• Reflective Abstraction
– Process of construction of an internal
representation from external stimuli
• Recognition or awareness of some external stimulus
• Processing the stimulus in one’s working memory
(controlled)
• Modification (accommodation) of cognitive structures
(schemata) to form a representation of experience
Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology
• Stages of Cognitive Development
– Qualitatively different ways of knowing the world
– Sequence is universal
– Timing of onset of each stage is unique and
depends on
• Neurological maturation
• Experience with others and the outside world
Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology
•
•
•
•
Sensorimotor (Infancy-Early toddlerhood)
Preoperational (Early childhood)
Concrete Operational (Middle childhood)
Formal Operational (Adolescence)
Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology
• Characteristics of Sensorimotor Thought
– Knowledge is based on direct sensory and motor
experience
– Mental representation is based on direct
representation of sensory and motor experience
– Symbolic representation emerges late in the stage
– Key accomplishments:
• Person permanence
• Object permanence
• Symbolic representation
• Sense of intentionality and primitive cause-effect
Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology
• Stages of Sensorimotor Thought
– Primary Reflexes
– Primary Circular Reactions
– Secondary Circular Reactions
– Coordination of Secondary Schemes
– Tertiary Circular Reactions
– Transition to Symbolic Thought
Language Development in Infancy &
Toddlers
• What is language?
– Semanticity—symbolic representation of object, actions,
events, concepts
– Productive—seemingly infinite combinations of words that
lead to utterances that can be understood
– Displacement—allows reference to objects, actions,
events, and concepts in their absence
– Arbitrary—no direct relationship between the sound and
structure of a word and the object, action, event, or
concept it represents
Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers
• Structures of Language
– Phonology/Grapheme
– Morphology
– Syntax
– Semantics
– Pragmatics
Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers
• Theories of Language Development
– Learning/Environmental Theories
• Skinner—Operant Conditioning
• Bandura—Vicarious Learning (modeling and imitation)
– Nativist Theory
• Chomsky—Language Acquisition Device (innate
structure containing universals of language)
Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers
• Nativist Theory
– All physiologically intact humans have capacity to
develop language
– Unclear whether non-human animals develop
language
– Physical structures specialized for language
• Wernicke’s area—comprehending words and producing
spoken and written langauge
• Broca’s area—production of speech
– Sensitive periods render the young child at an
advantage in learning language
Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers
• Nativists critiqued based on
– Lack of evidence of innate knowledge of
“universals of language”
– Lack of experimental studies to refute nativists’
assumptions (depravation studies)
Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers
• Interaction Theories:
– Cognitive:
• Language and cognition are directly linked
• As cognitive development proceeds, children move
through increasingly complex representational systems
(e.g. object permanence to utterances)
• Connectionist or Network models seem to be most
persuasive for the cognitive approach; increased
complexity of networks are linked to increased facility
with language (support from empirical rsch and
computer simulations
Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers
• Social Interactionist
– Biopsychosocial Model of language development
• Interactions with others in the environment (ala
Vygotsky’s ideas)
• Appropriate stimulation during sensitive periods
• Corrections provide feedback and expansion without
negative demeanor
• Child’s gestures coupled with words are accepted and
recast
• Code-switching
Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers
• Precursors to Language Development in Infancy
– Perceptual skills—auditory acuity and
discrimination
– Social interactions—opportunities to hear the
native language
– Shared attention to distinctive features [directed
by competent language user]
Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers
• Development of Language through Infancy
and Toddlerhood
• Prelinguistic
– Neonates: reflexive, non-intentional sounds
– Young infants (roughly the first 2-4 months)
• Variation in cries
• Distinctive sounds indicating pleasure
• Gazing with apparent intent
Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers
• Development of Language through Infancy
and Toddlerhood
• Linguistic/Comunicative
– Gestures coordinated with sounds (6 to 8months)
– Babbling with presence of syllables (consonantvowel repetitions; cross cultural)
– Echolalia (immediate repetition of words—8-12
months)
– Can begin to link gestures with one-word
utterances to establish communicative
competence
Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers
• http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/
speechandlanguage.asp#mychild