Unit 3 - Theories of Cognitive Development
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Questions and Answers

What is the state of cognitive balance or stability called?

  • Equilibrium (correct)
  • Accommodation
  • Disequilibrium
  • Assimilation

    • What is the term for the process of adjusting existing schemas to incorporate new information?

  • Disequilibrium
  • Accommodation (correct)
  • Assimilation
  • Equilibrium

    • Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the sensorimotor stage?

  • Object permanence
  • Deferred imitation
  • Learning through sensory experiences and motor actions
  • Development of symbolic thought and imagination (correct)

    • What is the 'A not B error' used to study?

    <p>Object permanence (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At what age does the sensorimotor stage typically occur?

    <p>Birth to 2 years (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main characteristic of the preoperational stage?

    <p>The development of symbolic thought and imagination (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is egocentrism?

    <p>The inability to understand that others have different thoughts and feelings (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the term for the tendency to focus on a single feature of an object to the exclusion of other relevant features?

    <p>Centration (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of Piaget's fundamental assumptions states that children are not born with pre-existing knowledge?

    <p>Children are not pre-wired to know things, they come to understand and develop. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Piaget's theory, which process involves modifying existing knowledge to accommodate new information?

    <p>Accommodation (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT considered an enduring theme addressed by theories of cognitive development?

    <p>Information processing (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of these is a key element of Piaget's constructivist approach?

    <p>Children actively construct knowledge based on their experiences. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of these is NOT a key element of Piaget's theory of cognitive development?

    <p>Cognitive development is a continuous process. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the core idea behind information-processing theories?

    <p>Explores how individuals mentally represent and process information. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of assimilation?

    <p>A child learns that a dog is a four-legged animal and then sees a cat and calls it a dog. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of accommodation?

    <p>A child learns that a bird can fly and then sees a bat and realizes that it can fly too. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the context of information-processing theories, how is the mind often compared?

    <p>A sophisticated computer processing information bit by bit (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of computer simulation in understanding human cognition?

    <p>To test and refine theories about information processing in humans. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements BEST describes the relationship between assimilation and accommodation in Piaget's theory?

    <p>Assimilation and accommodation work together to help children build a more sophisticated understanding of the world. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do information-processing theories view the development of cognitive abilities in children?

    <p>As a process of overcoming limitations in processing capacity and acquiring new strategies. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a central developmental issue explored by information-processing theories?

    <p>The role of social interactions in shaping cognitive development. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is task analysis within the framework of information-processing theories?

    <p>Identifying the steps involved in completing a task. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a key executive function?

    <p>Regulating emotions and impulses. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do information-processing theories contribute to our understanding of development?

    <p>By offering a framework for understanding and analyzing cognitive changes. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a cultural tool that can be used to teach bread making?

    <p>Child's favorite toy (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Vygotsky's theory, what is the role of the 'more knowledgeable other'?

    <p>To guide and support the child in learning new skills (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of these is NOT considered a phase of internalized speech, according to Vygotsky?

    <p>The child uses private speech to communicate with others (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In the scenario of learning to make bread, how does 'social scaffolding' manifest?

    <p>The adult guides the child's hand as they knead the dough, providing feedback and support (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of these statements best describes the concept of intersubjectivity?

    <p>Two people with different perspectives converge on a shared understanding (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main point highlighted by the concept of 'children as products of their culture'?

    <p>Children's learning and development are shaped by the specific cultural context they are exposed to (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of these is NOT a key characteristic that makes humans unique in their capacity for complex culture construction?

    <p>Inheriting complex cultural knowledge through biological transmission (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the zone of proximal development, as defined by Vygotsky?

    <p>The range of tasks a child can perform with the help of a more knowledgeable other (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a domain that nativists believe infants have innate knowledge of?

    <p>Social norms and cultural traditions (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following best describes Chomsky's concept of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD)?

    <p>An innate biological mechanism that enables children to learn language. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is a key difference between nativist and constructivist perspectives on cognitive development?

    <p>Nativists believe that all knowledge is innate, while constructivists believe that all knowledge is learned. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is an example of a domain-specific learning mechanism, according to nativist theories?

    <p>The ability to understand the mental states of others. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements best represents the relationship between nativist and constructivist theories of cognitive development?

    <p>Nativist and constructivist theories are two sides of the same coin, both playing crucial roles in development. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason children struggle with planning and organization?

    <p>Underdeveloped executive functions (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the Overlapping Waves Theory?

    <p>Children consistently use the most efficient strategy for each problem (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary difference between Piaget's theory and Core-Knowledge Theories?

    <p>Piaget emphasizes active constructivism, while Core-Knowledge Theories emphasize evolutionary pre-wiring. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does increased knowledge impact memory development?

    <p>It improves recall and integration of new information by providing associations and guiding memory processes. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which brain region is primarily responsible for the development of planning skills in children?

    <p>Prefrontal cortex (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary benefit of using multiple strategies for problem solving?

    <p>It increases the likelihood of finding a solution that works. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What role does optimism play in a child's lack of planning abilities?

    <p>Optimistic children tend to underestimate the complexity of tasks. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which statement BEST describes the relationship between increased knowledge and memory development?

    <p>Increased knowledge leads to more efficient encoding and better recall of new information. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Cognitive vs. Social Development

    • Cognitive development refers to mental processes like thinking, reasoning, problem-solving, memory, and language. It focuses on how individuals learn, process information, and develop intellectual abilities.
    • Social development refers to how individuals form relationships, interact with others, and develop social skills and behaviors. It includes understanding emotions, building friendships, and navigating social norms.

    Enduring Themes Addressed by Theories of Cognitive Development

    • Piagetian: Nature and nurture, continuity/discontinuity, the active child.
    • Information-processing: Nature and nurture, how change occurs.
    • Core-knowledge: Nature and nurture, continuity/discontinuity.
    • Sociocultural: Nature and nurture, the influence of the social context, how change occurs.
    • Dynamic-systems: Nature and nurture, the active child, how change occurs.

    Jean Piaget's Constructivist Theory

    • Children are mentally active from birth.
    • Children are not born knowing things; they develop knowledge through experience.
    • Children's physical and mental activity contributes to their development.
    • Children construct knowledge for themselves in response to their experiences.

    Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

    • Children's constructive processes: Generating hypotheses, performing experiments, and drawing conclusions from observations.
    • Main Sources of Continuity: Assimilation (processing incoming information into existing schemas) and Accommodation (modifying schemas to fit new information).
    • Equilibrium: A state of cognitive balance or stability.
    • Disequilibrium: When new information doesn't fit existing schemas and the person feels confused; motivating the individual to adjust their thinking to restore equilibrium.
    • Properties of stages: Qualitative changes, broad applicability, brief transitions, and invariant sequences. The stages are universal (though not everyone reaches the later stages) and follow in order.
    • Stage 1 - Sensorimotor: Learning through sensory experiences and motor actions (birth to 2 years), object permanence, and understanding that things continue to exist even when they are out of sight.
    • Stage 2 - Preoperational: Development of symbolic thought and imagination, egocentrism (difficulty understanding other viewpoints).
    • Stage 3 - Concrete Operational: Logical thinking, with understanding of concepts and relationships.
    • Stage 4 - Formal Operational: Abstract thinking, hypothetical scenarios, and problem solving.

    Information-Processing Theories

    • Theories focus on cognitive systems and how mental processes are structured in order to solve problems.
    • The mind is like a computer; information is processed in bits and pieces, and knowledge is stored.
    • Task Analysis: identifying the goals of a situation, including the steps to achieve those goals.
    • Computer Simulation: is a way of mimicking human thinking using computer programs.

    View of Children's Nature

    • Child as a limited-capacity processing system.
    • Cognitive development arises from surmounting processing limitations.
    • Children as problem solvers use strategies to overcome obstacles
    • Central developmental Issues: How nature and nurture interact, how change occurs and the development of memory and problem solving.
    • Key Executive Functions: Inhibiting actions, enhancing working memory, being cognitively flexible.

    Development of Memory

    • Working memory: Limited capacity for actively processing, storing, and manipulating information.
    • Long-term memory: Stores information accumulated over a lifetime.
    • Executive functioning: Processes that control attention, working memory, and problem solving

    The Overlapping Waves Model

    • Children use multiple strategies to solve problems;
    • Strategies are not always used effectively.
    • Planning and organization as a strategy (children may need more experience and knowledge in order to plan effectively).

    Core-Knowledge Theories

    • Children are born with innate knowledge in certain domains (e.g., important evolutionary domains).
    • These domains may include inanimate objects & their interactions and understanding minds of other people/animals, and numbers/spatial layouts/languages.

    Sociocultural Theories

    • Emphasize other people and surrounding culture's contribution to children's development.
    • Guided participation: Activities are organized for the child to participate and learn more effectively (e.g., making bread).
    • Social scaffolding: A more knowledgeable individual provides support and guidance, and slowly withdraws as the child progresses.
    • Cultural tools: Tools, methods and concepts that help to structure thought and development (e.g., measuring spoons, baking recipes).
    • Vygotsky's Theory: Children are social learners, and internalization of speech and thinking is key to development.
    • Zone of Proximal Development: The range of tasks that a child cannot do alone but can accomplish with support from more knowledgeable others.
    • Intersubjectivity: Process in which two people start a task with different understandings and end with shared understandings.
    • Joint attention: When two people intentionally focus on the same thing, demonstrating a common point of reference.

    Children as Products of Their Culture

    • Many processes are similar across cultures; content of learning and thinking varies.

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    Lecture 3 - Cognitive and Social Development PDF

    Description

    Test your knowledge on Piaget's theory of cognitive development and the stages involved, including sensorimotor and preoperational stages. This quiz will challenge you on key concepts such as egocentrism, cognitive balance, and schema adjustment.

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