CH 5 - Infant Cognition & Object Perception

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What does Piaget's theory emphasize about children's understanding of the world?

The passive role of children in constructing knowledge

The reliance solely on innate schemes

The importance of innate domain-specific constraints

The active role of children in constructing knowledge (correct)

Which term in Piaget's theory refers to patterns of behavior or thinking that individuals use to interpret and understand the world around them?

Schemes (correct)

Categorization

Spatial Knowledge

Assimilation

What does the process of adaptation involve according to Piaget's theory?

Avoiding any changes in behavior

Ignoring new experiences

Maintaining rigid schemes

Adjusting schemes in response to new experiences (correct)

Which of the following is NOT considered a category of infant cognition regarding physical objects?

Color perception of objects Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between assimilation and accommodation in Piaget's theory?

Assimilation involves changing schemes, accommodation involves interpreting new experiences. Signup and view all the answers

Which stage of cognitive development in Piaget's theory focuses on the active exploration and adaptation by infants?

Sensorimotor stage Signup and view all the answers

In Piaget's theory, what are schemes primarily responsible for in individuals?

Understanding and interpreting the environment Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of infant cognition is concerned with distinguishing between living and non-living objects?

Inanimate vs. Animate Objects Signup and view all the answers

What is the process through which individuals adjust their schemes in response to new experiences?

Adaptation Signup and view all the answers

What concept in Piaget's theory represents the basic building blocks of mental activity?

Schemes Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for modifying existing schemes or creating new ones to better fit new experiences or information?

Accommodation Signup and view all the answers

In Piaget's theory of cognitive development, at approximately what age does object permanence typically emerge during the sensorimotor stage?

8 to 12 months Signup and view all the answers

What is the A-not-B error primarily associated with in infant cognitive development?

Object permanence Signup and view all the answers

What does the A-not-B error in infants suggest about their cognitive abilities?

Difficulty with memory retention over short delays Signup and view all the answers

Which experiment involves a screen moving back and forth like a drawbridge and a box placed in its path to test infants' understanding of object permanence and solidity?

Drawbridge experiment Signup and view all the answers

What do infants expect about solid objects based on the findings from the Drawbridge experiment?

Solid objects cannot block or impede other objects' movement Signup and view all the answers

'Equilibration' in Piaget's theory can be described as a balance between which two processes?

'Assimilation and accommodation' Signup and view all the answers

'Object permanence' refers to which concept in developmental psychology?

'Objects continue to exist even when not directly perceived' Signup and view all the answers

'Accommodation' involves modifying existing schemes when individuals encounter information that does what?

'Challenges or doesn't fit in their current understanding' Signup and view all the answers

'Assimilation' occurs when individuals interpret new experiences or information in terms of what?

'Their existing schemes' Signup and view all the answers

What is one primary difference between egocentric and allocentric spatial representation?

Egocentric representation is based on objects' relation to oneself, while allocentric representation is based on objects' relation to other landmarks. Signup and view all the answers

Which cue for spatial representation do infants usually prioritize according to the text?

Beacons Signup and view all the answers

What do infants expect regarding object properties as mentioned in the text?

Infants expect objects to maintain stable properties over time. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key aspect of the nativist view of categorization?

Infants have innate biases guiding their categorization. Signup and view all the answers

What type of understanding do infants demonstrate by showing strong dishabituation when objects violate object solidity?

Understanding of object continuity and solidity Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes social agents from inanimate objects in infants' understanding?

Social agents are people and animals that are different from inanimate objects. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of infants' perception aligns with the empiricist view of categorization?

Infants develop categories through repeated experiences. Signup and view all the answers

What behavior did infants exhibit that indicated they anticipate objects following principles of continuity and solidity?

Showing strong dishabituation when objects violate object solidity. Signup and view all the answers

What role do beacons play in infants' spatial representation according to the text?

Beacons are the simplest cue for spatial representation understood by infants. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of understanding involves recognizing how social agents can influence each other from a distance without direct contact?

Action-at-a-Distance Signup and view all the answers

At what age have infants shown different reactions to events involving action-at-a-distance compared to events involving direct contact between objects?

7 months Signup and view all the answers

When social agents respond to stimuli in a dependent manner based on the actions of others, this is known as:

Contingent Responding Signup and view all the answers

What do infants interpret when an object makes sounds in apparent response to the infant's own sounds?

Interaction with a social agent Signup and view all the answers

Infants attribute goals and intentions to social agents based on their behavior through:

Goal Attribution Signup and view all the answers

At what age do infants demonstrate an understanding of goal-directed behavior by expecting a hand or a self-propelled block to have a goal when approaching an object?

5 months Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of understanding involves recognizing that social agents can respond contingently to stimuli?

Contingent Responding Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes the reactions of infants at 7 months old to events involving action-at-a-distance from those involving direct contact?

Cognitive responses Signup and view all the answers

When infants attribute goals and intentions to social agents, they are assuming that these agents have:

Specific intentions and goals Signup and view all the answers

How do infants demonstrate an understanding of goal-directed behavior when observing a hand or a self-propelled block approaching an object?

By expecting the hand or block to have a goal Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

Emphasizes that children actively construct their understanding of the world through exploration and interaction.
Patterns of behavior or thinking used to interpret experiences are known as schemes.
Adaptation involves adjusting thinking to fit new experiences through two main processes: assimilation and accommodation.

Cognitive Processes in Infants

Main difference between assimilation and accommodation: Assimilation involves fitting new information into existing schemes, while accommodation modifies schemes to incorporate new information.
The sensorimotor stage highlights active exploration and adaptation, primarily focused on how infants learn about their environment.
Schemes are crucial as they help individuals organize experiences and understand the world.

Object Cognition in Infants

Distinguishing between living and non-living objects is a key aspect of infant cognition.
The process of adjusting schemes in response to new experiences is termed adaptation.
Object permanence typically emerges around 8 to 12 months during the sensorimotor stage.

A-not-B Error and Experiments

The A-not-B error is an infant's tendency to search for an object in the original hiding place (A) rather than a new location (B), indicating limitations in cognitive development.
This error reflects infants' understanding of location and memory, suggesting that object permanence is still developing.
The Drawbridge experiment tests understanding of object permanence and solidity, showing how infants perceive continuous solid objects.

Key Concepts in Piaget's Theory

Equilibration describes the balance between assimilation and accommodation, essential for cognitive growth.
When encountering new information that contradicts existing schemes, individuals must accommodate by modifying their understanding.
Infants expect solid objects to maintain continuity and solidity, reflecting basic principles of physics.

Spatial Representation and Agents

Infants prioritize proximity cues for spatial understanding, learning to detect relationships between themselves and objects.
Understanding how social agents can influence each other at a distance relates to social cognition.
By around 7 months, infants begin to react differently to actions involving direct contact versus action-at-a-distance, signaling an understanding of object dynamics.

Goal-Directed Behavior

Infants attribute goals and intentions to social agents based on their behaviors, highlighting early social understanding.
By approximately 6 months, infants expect goal-directed actions from hands or self-propelled objects when approaching another object.
Infants demonstrate recognition of contingent responses from social agents, indicating early social interaction capabilities and cognitive sophistication.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

Explore the 6 categories of infant cognition related to physical objects, including concepts like physical properties, causal relationships, spatial knowledge, categorization, inanimate vs. animate objects, and the sensorimotor stage according to Piaget's view.