Cognition and Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of schemas in Piaget's cognitive theory?

To organize and represent knowledge (correct)

To promote egocentrism in children

To facilitate adaptation processes

To induce disequilibrium in learners

According to Piaget, what happens when there is an inconsistency between a learner's cognitive structure and the thing being learned?

Accommodation occurs (correct)

Equilibrium is achieved

Egocentrism is developed

Assimilation occurs

What is the main characteristic of children in the sensorimotor stage, according to Piaget?

They understand abstract concepts

They possess logical thought

They explore the world through senses and motor activity (correct)

They can take another person's perspective

What is the term for the process of reorganizing thoughts when new information does not fit the schema?

Accommodation Signup and view all the answers

According to Piaget, what is the primary limitation of children in the preoperational stage?

They are unable to take another person's perspective Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the state where existing schemas can explain what has been perceived?

Equilibrium Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of adaptation processes in Piaget's cognitive theory?

To enable the transition from one stage to another Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process of adding new experience or information to an existing cognitive structure?

Assimilation Signup and view all the answers

What is the age range when children can recognize themselves in a mirror?

15-18 months Signup and view all the answers

According to the content, what is a characteristic of self-concept in early childhood?

Overestimation of abilities Signup and view all the answers

What is the opposite of egocentrism?

Perspective taking Signup and view all the answers

At what age can almost all children recognize their own photograph?

18-20 months Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of self-concept in middle and late childhood?

Shift to internal traits and abilities Signup and view all the answers

What is an indicator of self-awareness in children around 2 years old?

Exhibition of embarrassment and shame Signup and view all the answers

What is an aspect of self-concept, according to Bandura, Erikson, and Rogers?

Self-worth Signup and view all the answers

At what age do infants develop a basic sense of self?

First few months of life Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of the self deals with one's emotions and self-esteem?

Emotional Self Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of Self-Efficacy?

Confidence in controlling one's motivation, behavior, and social environment Signup and view all the answers

At what age does an individual typically reach the Social Contract Orientation stage of moral development?

12-18 years old Signup and view all the answers

What motivates moral behavior, according to the concept of morality?

Force that motivates our behavior Signup and view all the answers

In Kohlberg's Theory, what is the primary orientation of the Good Boy – Nice Girl stage?

Ethical decisions based on concern for others' opinions Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of the Universal Ethical Principle Orientation stage?

Judgments influenced by universal moral principles Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the Ideal Self?

The kind of person you would like to be Signup and view all the answers

What is a Moral Dilemma, according to the concept of morality?

An ambiguous situation requiring a moral decision Signup and view all the answers

According to Kohlberg's theory, what percentage of adults attain the post-conventional level of morality?

20-25% Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason human babies need caregivers?

They are relatively helpless and need others to survive Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the break in an infant's attachment?

Deprivation Signup and view all the answers

In Bowlby's phases of attachment formation, what occurs during the 'attachments in the making' phase?

Increasing preference for most familiar and responsive individuals Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of infants exhibit Type B attachment, characterized by upset when the mother leaves and okay with the stranger?

66% Signup and view all the answers

According to Harlow's work, what drives the development of a child's love for their caregiver?

Emotional connection Signup and view all the answers

In Bowlby's phases of attachment formation, during what phase do infants display separation anxiety and stranger anxiety?

Specific, clear-cut attachments Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome of the Czech twins studied by Koluchova (1972)?

They exhibited delayed but normal speech and IQ development Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of a child in the Preoperational Stage?

Has difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality Signup and view all the answers

According to Piaget's theory, what is the age range for the Concrete Operational Stage?

7-11 years old Signup and view all the answers

What is a criticism of Piaget's theory?

Underestimated the impact of culture Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of language in Lev Vygotsky's social constructivist theory?

To represent reality and to distance the individual in relation to the here and now Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the level of potential skill that a child can reach with the assistance of a more knowledgeable other?

Upper limit of the ZPD Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of scaffolding as an instructional technique?

To provide individualized support to learners Signup and view all the answers

Who introduced the concept of scaffolding?

Jerome Bruner Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the stage of cognitive development characterized by adult thinking and the ability to think about hypothetical situations?

Formal Operations Stage Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Cognition

Cognition is the mental process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.
Piaget's theory of cognitive development views children as "scientists" who test and explore hypotheses about the world by reflecting on their experiences.

Piaget's Cognitive Theory

Three basic components: schemas, adaptation processes, and stages of development.
Schemas: how knowledge is organized and represented, enabling the formation of a mental representation.
Adaptation processes: enable learning and the transition from one stage to another.
Stages of development: characterized by equilibrium and disequilibrium, where existing schemas can or cannot explain what has been perceived.
Assimilation: adding new experience or information to an existing cognitive structure.
Accommodation: reorganizing thoughts when new information does not fit the schema.

Stages of Cognitive Development

Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years): exploring the world through senses and motor activity, understanding cause and effect, and developing object permanence.
Preoperational Stage (2-7 years): developing language and communication, imagining the future, and reflecting on the past, but with difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality.
Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years): developing abstract reasoning ability, understanding conservation of matter, and understanding hierarchic categories.
Formal Operations (12-15 years): developing adult thinking, thinking about hypothetical situations, forming and testing hypotheses, and organizing information.

Criticisms of Piaget

Tasks were methodologically flawed.
Underestimated the impact of culture.

Lev Vygotsky

Social constructivist theory of cognitive development: highlighting the role of social and cultural interactions.
Importance of language: learning happens through interactions with others, allowing us to represent reality and distance ourselves from the present.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Lower limit: child working independently.
Upper limit: the level of potential skill that the child can reach with assistance.

Scaffolding

Instructional technique: providing individualized support to gradually improve a learner's ability to the next level based on prior knowledge.

Self-Concept

Perception about oneself, including traits, preferences, social roles, values, beliefs, interests, and self-categorization.
Develops throughout the lifespan.

Stages of Self-Development

Infancy: basic sense of self, recognizing themselves in the mirror, and developing self-awareness.
Early Childhood: concrete descriptions, physical descriptions, and overestimation of abilities.
Middle and Late Childhood: shift to internal traits and abilities, social role descriptions, and more realistic about abilities.

Perspective Taking

Ability to assume another's perspective.
Develops through stages (Selman).

Self-Concept (Bandura, Erikson, Rogers)

Self-worth.
Ideal self: the kind of person you would like to be.
Self-efficacy: confidence in the ability to exert control over one's own motivation, behavior, and social environment.

Morality

Understanding of the difference between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.
Motivates our behavior.

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development

Describes how one's sense of right and wrong changes with age.
Three levels: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional morality.

Levels of Moral Development

Pre-conventional Morality: stages 1-2, focusing on punishment, obedience, and self-interest.
Conventional Morality: stages 3-4, focusing on concern for others, duty, and respect for authority.
Post-conventional Morality: stages 5-6, focusing on social contracts, universal moral principles, and individual judgments.

Attachment

First social relationship, strong emotional bond between infant and caregiver.
Infants show attachment through proximity-seeking behaviors.

Phases of Attachment Formation (Bowlby)

Phase 1: Indiscriminant Sociability (0-2 months): no preference among caregivers.
Phase 2: Attachments in the Making (2-7 months): increasing preference for most familiar and responsive individuals.
Phase 3: Specific, Clear-Cut Attachments (7-24 months): separation anxiety and stranger anxiety.
Phase 4: Goal-Coordinated Partnerships (24 months): infants can tolerate short parental absences.

Types of Attachment

Type A: didn't care, okay.
Type B: upset when mother goes, okay with stranger.
Type C: scared without mother.
Type D: random.

Emotional Attachment

Innate.
Deprivation: break in an infant's attachment.
Separation: when an infant is no longer with its main caregiver.

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Description

Learn about cognition, the mental process of acquiring knowledge and understanding, and Piaget's theory of cognitive development, including schemas, adaptation processes, and stages of development.