Theories of Cognitive Development PDF

THEORIES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT GROUP 4 1 GOALS: This chapter deals mainly with broader theories that have been devised as an explain how the mind grows and transforms. Discusses the relevant theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygo...

THEORIES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT GROUP 4 1 GOALS: This chapter deals mainly with broader theories that have been devised as an explain how the mind grows and transforms. Discusses the relevant theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky and the points of view they present in understanding human cognition. Develop cognitively stimulating learning materials and activities. 2 THE BRAIN CELLS AND REGIONS KINGSHIN 3 What Are the Regions of the Brain and What Do They Do? The brain is a complex organ with lobes that perform specific functions, such as controlling eyes, legs, arms, reading, writing, and memory. It is the control center for the body, running organs like the heart and lungs, and interacting with all senses like sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. The brain decodes sensory signals, ensuring that sensory information is accurate and meaningful. The brain plays a crucial role in our daily lives. 2  Frontal Lobe Movement of the body Personality Concentration, planning, problem solving Meaning of words Emotional reactions Speech Smell  Parietal Lobe Touch and pressure Taste Body awareness  Temporal Lobe Hearing Recognizing faces Emotion Long-term memory  Occipital Lobe Sight  Cerebellum Latin for little brain Fine motor (muscle) control Balance and coordination (avoid objects and keep from falling)  Limbic Lobe Controls emotions like happiness, sadness, and love  MYELINATION A process in which many cells of the brain and nervous system are Areas of the brain Brain areas that are covered with an insulating related to hand-eye important in focusing layer of fat cells. coordination is not attention is not complete until about complete until the end Increases the speed at four years of age. of the elementary which information travels school years. through the nervous system. 4  SYNAPSES Tiny gaps between These areas are critical In a recent sifdy that used neurons where connections to determine whether sophisticated brain- between neurons are made. synapses will be scanning techniques, strengthened or will children's brains were Connections that are used survive for higher-order shown to undergo will become strengthened cognitive functioning substantial anatomical and will survive, while the changes between the ages unused ones will be replaced such as learning, of three and fifteen (Brown by other pathways or will memory, and reasoning. & Jernigan, 2012). disappear. In the study, the overall size of the brain did not change from three to flfteen years of age (Lerner et al., 2005). 5 SYNAPSES  AMYGDALA region of the brain that handles the processing of information about emotion; prefrontal cortex is especially important in higher level functioning. 6 AMYGDALA  PREFRONTAL CORTEX - very last part of the brain to mature. -planning, setting priorities, suppressing impulses, and weighing the consequences of one's actions take place. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? This means that the brain region for putting brakes on risky, impulsive behavior and thinking before acting is still under construction during adolescence. 7 PREFRONTAL CORTEX QUESTIONS? 8  Two theories in Understanding Cognition EDSHIELD 9 Jean Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory Lev Vygotsky's Socio-historical Theory of Cognitive Development. 10  PIAGET'S BACKGROUND Jean Piaget was a psychologist renowned for his research on children's intellectual development. He initially gained recognition for his studies on mollusks but became widely known for his work in epistemology, exploring how we acquire knowledge. Piaget introduced the concept of "genetic epistemology," proposing that human knowledge is constructed through interactions with the world. His influential publications include The Origin of Intelligence in Children (1954). 11 PIAGET'S THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT KEY CONCEPT 12  PIAGET'S THEORY OF COGNITIVE PIAGET'S THEORY DEVELOPMENT OF COGNITIVE Describes the cognitive development of children. Early cognitive development involves processes DEVELOPMENT based upon actions and later progresses into changes in mental operations. 13 SCHEMAS Describes both the mental and physical actions involved in understanding and knowing. Piaget's view, a schema includes both a category of knowledge and the process of obtaining that knowledge. 14 ASSIMILATION Process of taking in new information into our previously existing schemas is known as assimilation. 15 ACCOMODATION Involves altering existing schemas, or ideas, as a result of new information or new experiences. New schemas may also be developed during this process. 16 ORGANIZATION Piaget's concept of grouping isolated behaviors into a higher-order, more smoothly functioning cognitive system. -the grouping or arranging of items into categories -The use of organization improves long-term memory. - Continual refIlnement of the organization is an inherent part of development. 17 EQUILIBRATION Piaget believed that all children try to strike a balance between assimilation and accommodation 18 Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development CHRISTIAN 19 Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development Piaget’s theory emphasizes the idea that children actively construct their understanding of the world as they progress through these stages. The stages build upon each other and reflect increasing complexity in children's thinking abilities. 20 1. Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 years) The first stage of Piaget's theory, from birth to about two years old, is when babies use simple actions like looking, sucking, and grabbing to learn about the world through their senses and movements. 21  Substages of the Sensorimotor Stage Coordination of Reactions (8-12 months): a child 1. Reflexes (0-1 month): During this substage, the child understands the environment purely through inborn reflexes such as 4. starts to perform actions on purpose, combines different actions to get results, explores the sucking and looking. environment by copying others, and begins to understand that objects have specific qualities. 2. Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months): This substage involves coordinating sensation and new schemas. 5. Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months): Children begin a period of trial-and-error experimentation during the flfth substage. A.)Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months): 3. During this substage, the child becomes more focused on the world and begins to 6. Early Representational Thought (18-24 months): children start using symbols to represent objects or 22 intentionally repeat an action in order to events and begin to understand the world through trigger a response in the environment. thinking rather than just physical actions.  Piaget believed in Object permanence- is that an important cognitive accomplishment in infancy. This involves understanding that objects and events continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard or touched. A second accomplishment is the gradual realization that there is a difference or boundary between oneself and the surrounding environment. The young infant does not differentiate between self and the world and has no sense of object permanence. By the end of the sensorimotor period, the child can differentiate 23 between self and the world and is aware that objects continue to exist over time.  The Preoperational Stage from ages two to six, is marked by the development of language and increasing use of symbols, though children at this stage struggle with logical thinking, can't manipulate information mentally, and tend to see things only from their own perspective, known as egocentrism. 24  EGOCENTRISM Piaget studied how children think using creative methods, like showing them a 3D mountain scene. When asked to pick a picture of what they saw, most children had no problem. But when asked to pick a picture of what someone else would see from a different angle, children often chose their own view. Piaget believed this happened because young children can't understand another person's point of view yet. 25  CONSERVATION Piaget studied children's understanding of conservation with simple experiments. In one, he poured equal amounts of liquid into two identical containers, then poured one into a different-shaped cup (tall and thin, or short and wide). When asked which cup had more liquid, children usually picked the one that looked fuller, even though they saw the amounts were the same. Piaget found that children under five generally don't understand conservation. This happens because of centration, where children focus on one feature, like height, and ignore others, like the actual amount staying the same. 26  The Concrete Operational Stage The concrete operational stage lasts from about age 7 to 11, where children start thinking logically about concrete events but struggle with abstract ideas. They can mentally reverse actions, coordinate multiple characteristics of objects, and use inductive logic (specific to general). However, they have difficulty with deductive logic (general to specific). 27  The Concrete Operational Stage A key development in this stage is reversibility, where children understand that actions can be undone. They also improve in classifying objects and reasoning about relationships, such as ordering items by length (seriation) and combining relations logically (transitivity). 28  The Formal Operational Stage The formal operational stage begins around age 12 and continues into adulthood. Individuals gain the ability to think about abstract ideas. Skills such as logical reasoning, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning also develop during this phase. Piaget emphasized the significance of deductive logic in this stage, which involves applying general principles to determine specific outcomes. This reasoning often includes hypothetical scenarios and is essential in fields like science and mathematics. While younger children think concretely and specifically, the formal operational stage allows them to consider abstract concepts. Rather than relying only on past experiences, they start to evaluate potential outcomes and consequences of their actions. 29  The Formal Operational Stage This kind of thinking is crucial for long-term planning. Earlier, children solved problems through trial and error, but during the formal operational stage, they learn to approach problems logically and systematically. Children in this stage can often quickly devise an organized strategy to tackle challenges. Piaget’s concept of Hypothetical-Deductive Reasoning suggests that adolescents can formulate hypotheses to address problems and reach conclusions in a systematic manner. 30 Stages of the Formal Operations Stage 31  Early Formal Operational Stage (Ages 11 to 14) During this initial phase, abstract thinking, logical reasoning, metacognition, and hypothetical reasoning begin to develop. 23 Abstract Thinking: Adolescents start using symbols to represent reality and manipulate these symbols mentally. They understand complex symbol systems like music and math, and grasp that words can have multiple meanings. Logic: Thought processes become more structured and systematic. Metacognition: Adolescents become able to reflect on and analyze their own thoughts, retracing their steps when solving problems and spotting errors. Hypothetical Reasoning: They form conclusions based on hypothetical scenarios, allowing them to approach problems with strategies instead of trial and error. 33  Later Formal Operational Stage (Ages 15 to 19) In this advanced phase, there is greater development in propositional logic, individual thought patterns, scientific reasoning, and the ability to work with symbolic systems. Problem-solving becomes not only faster but also qualitatively improved. 34 Abstract Thinking: Youth can now understand complex symbolisms, such as religious concepts, and excel in both finding and solving problems. Logic: Adolescents at this stage can master more advanced logic, including propositional logic. Metacognition: They improve in analyzing their thinking processes, recognizing patterns and compensating for errors. Hypothetical Reasoning: Many teens develop the ability to approach problem- solving like a scientist, creating structured plans for finding solutions. 35  VYGOTSKY'S THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT RHONA JOY 36  VYGOTSKY Was born into a middle-class Jewish family in Orsha, a town in the northern part of Byelorussia and moved south to Gomel. His early years he was educated by a private tutor and that he later went to a combination of public and private schools for his secondary education. -As a young child he was interested in verbal arts literature, poetry, theater and philosophy and would lead discussions major topics in these areas because of this he was often called the "little professor." He attended the University of Moscow out of chance and pursued degrees in medicine and law. -He also taught at Gomel's Teachers College where he started a small psychology laboratory. 37  CONCLUSION Between 1917 and 1924, Vygotsky became increasingly dedicated to the fields of psychology and education. He focused on developing a Marxist approach to psychology and child development, with the goal of reshaping both disciplines. During this time, he published several significant articles on special education, which was then referred to as "defectology," addressing the psychology of children with mental or physical disabilities. Vygotsky passed away from tuberculosis in June 1934. 38 VYGOTSKY'S THEORY ASSUMPTIONS 39 VYGOTSKY'S THEORY ASSUMPTIONS 1.Learning precedes development. 2.Development involves the internalization of signs acquired by an individual from others so that he can think and solve problems by himself or herself. 3.The zone of proximal development is the level of development immediately above a person's present level. Learning takes place when a child is working within his or her 40 zone of proximal development.  VYGOTSKY'S THEORY ASSUMPTIONS 4.Scaffolding is the support for learning and problem solving which can be clues, reminders, encouragement from other people (older or peer), breaking the problem down into stages, providing an example, or anything else that allows the student to grow in independence as a learner. 41 THE KEY INFLUENCES THREE CHARACTERISTICS MARKED VYGOTSKY'S WORK: 42 1.A sincere dedication to Marxist social philosophy and conviction that psychological development was intimately linked to the tenets of that philosophy: 2.A thorough acquaintance with the work of leading European and American psychologists of his day and earlier decades. 3.Great ingenuity in devising methods for studying children and for interpreting the dats his methods produced In coming up with his theory, :Vygotsky's work has two major goals: 43 VYGOTSKY'S WORK TWO MAJOR GOALS: To create a Marxist psychology that would both solve problems in the field of psychology. To guide people in a newly designed country. 44  CORE ASSUMPTIONS OF UTOPIAN COMMUNISM (ADAPTED BY VYGOTSKY) These are three core assumptions that Vygotsky adapted into his theory (as interpreted by Ratner, Nunes, & Silva, 2017): 45 Vygotsky incorporated key principles from Marx and Engels into his theory of development, focusing on how mental processes are shaped by social and cultural interactions. These core assumptions are: Activity Generates Thinking Development advances by dialectical exchanges Development is a Historical process within cultural contexts 46 ACTIVITY GENERATES THINKING Thinking does not initially create action, instead action creates thought. Mental development is the process of children's internalizing the results of their transactions with their environment. 47  DEVELOPMENT ADVANCES BY DIALECTICAL EXCHANGES Vygotsky proposed that children go about the activities of their lives, their established ways of doing things (thesis) do not always work because these ways fail to accommodate to the conditions of the current situation (anti-thesis). Hence children must devise new problem- solving methods that satisfy those conditions (synthesis). 48  DEVELOPMENT IS A BISTORICAL PROCESS WITHIN CULTURAL CONTEXTS Vygotsky adopted this model in formulating the child development model. The model postulates that in understanding children, it is important that we become familiar with the nature of the culture's historical background because the environments that children inhabit confront children with opportunities and demands unique to that culture. 49  DEVELOPMENT IS A BISTORICAL PROCESS WITHIN CULTURAL CONTEXTS Furthermore, the history of the child's ontogenetic development determines how the child is prepared to resolve upcoming problem situations. 50  CORE ASSUMPTIONS OF UTOPIAN COMMUNISM (ADAPTED BY VYGOTSKY) 51 The Development of Thought and Language A. The child's thought and speech begin as separate functions with no necessary connection between them (like two separate circles). As the child begins to grow up, the two meet and overlap, the juncture of the two represents verbal thought. B.The two (thought and language) never completely overlap; there always remains some nonverbal thought (e.g. adult's skillful use of tools) and some non- conceptual speech (eg, an adult singing an old song). 52 The Development of Thought and Language C.While admitting the necessary role of internal maturation in development, Vygotsky believed that children's informal and formal education through the medium of language strongly influences the level of conceptual thinking they reach. 53 Like Piaget, Vygotsky developed a theory explaining how children develop their thought processes. He proposed the following stages in conceptual development. 54  STAGES IN CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT KINGSHIN 55 STAGE 2: THINKING IN COMPLEXES Individual objects are united in the child's mind not only by subjective impressions but also by bonds that actually exist among the objects.This stage is comprised of flve (5) sub-phases: 56 STAGE 1: THINKING IN UNORGANIZED CONGERIES OR HEAPS The process of concept formation in young children begins with trial and error, where they group unrelated objects together based on subjective connections. At this stage, the meaning of a word or symbol is formed through a syncretic linking of objects in the child's mind, influenced by their environment. The child's understanding of a word's meaning is often accidental and tied to the specific objects they encounter. 57 STAGE 1: THINKING IN UNORGANIZED CONGERIES OR HEAPS This step is determined by the spatial position of experimental objects (the "related impression" is a subjective one linked to the child's immediate perception); and Finally, the step ends with the unstable syncretic image (consciousness that each heap's element is a token of a single meaning). 59 A. Associative complexes which is described to be an understanding of an object that is linked to the nucleus of the group to be built if the child can make any concrete associative relationship (by similarity or by contrast); B.In collection complexes, there is no hierarchical bond between the various characteristics. Objects are linked on the basis of some feature in which they differ and complement one another (heterogeneous, complementarity). For example, a glass, spoon and plate; 59 C.Chain complexes focus on objects that have nothing in common with some of the other elements either with still another of its elements. For example, the sounds a child use in imitating animal sounds, i.e. dog (aw, woof) may be the same sound he or she vocalizes when milk is accidentally spilt. 60 D. and yet be parts of the same chain on the strength of sharing an attribute. E. Diffuse complexes where the relationship between objects is marked by the fluidity of the attribute that unite sits single elements. For instance: yellow triangle triangles > trapezoids squares- >hexagons-> circles 61 F. Pseudo-concept complexes refer to words that externally looks like a concept, but inside it is a complex. For instance, if the child gathers all the triangles, it is because in fact they really look like oneanother. S/He makesan associative complex which flts in with the adult'sconcept. The pseudo-concept "is a bridge betweenconcrete thought by intuitive images and abstract thought of a child" (Forest & Siksou,1993). 62  STAGE 3: THINKING IN CONCEPTS -Synthesizing of phenomena that share common aspects and analyzing phenomena by singling out or abstracting elements from them. -A single attribute is abstracted to form the basis of collective, "the child has begun to operate with concepts, to practice conceptual thinking, before being aware of the nature of these operations. -This peculiar genetic situation is not limited to the attainment of concepts, it is the rule rather than an exception in the intellectual development of the child" (Ratner et al., 2017). 63 STAGE 3: THINKING IN CONCEPTS "The concept is not limited to generalization. To form a concept, it is necessary to abstract, to single out", "Synthesis must be combined with analysis". 64  THE ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT MARIO 65  Vygotsky called the distance that children can perform beyond their current level the zone of proximal development. More precisely, he defined the zone as the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers (Forest & Siksou, 1993). 66 The zone of proximal development, Vygotsky hoped, would give educators a much better indication of each child's true potential. But how do we know that Vygotsky was correct, that the zone of proximal development does illuminate the stirrings of inner development? 67 In fact, some research (eg, Harland, 2014) suggests that adults who teach effectively within zone fact, some development do continually look for signs of spontaneous interest On the child'spart. 68 68  RESEARCH INTEGRATION “Developmental Potential in the First 5 Years for Children in Developing Countries" by Grantham- McGregor et al. (2007).” MARINO 69  PROBLEM: Grantham-McGregor et al.'s 2007 research, "Developmental Potential in the First 5 Years for Children in Developing Countries," highlights the significant loss of developmental potential in millions of children from developing countries due to preventable factors like poverty, poor health, malnutrition, and lack of stimulation, which can have long-term consequences on education, health, and economic productivity. 70 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The study by Grantham-McGregor et al. (2007) highlights the importance of early childhood development (ECD) for long-term well-being. However, many children in developing countries face challenges such as poverty, poor nutrition, and inadequate healthcare access. The study emphasizes the link between ECD and later life outcomes, such as poor school performance and health issues. It calls for increased awareness and action on ECD risks in low- income contexts. 70  METHODOLOGY The study "Developmental Potential in the First 5 Years for Children in Developing Countries" by Grantham-McGregor et al. (2007) uses a comprehensive literature review and analysis of existing data to estimate the scale and impact of developmental deficits among children in developing countries. The researchers used national surveys to examine the prevalence of risk factors related to malnutrition, poverty, lack of stimulation, and exposure to infectious diseases. They estimated the number of children at risk of not achieving their developmental potential and linked developmental delays to outcomes like school performance and cognitive ability. 70 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The study "Developmental Potential in the First 5 Years for Children in Developing Countries" by Grantham-McGregor et al. (2007) highlights the global crisis of over 200 million children in developing countries who are at risk of not reaching their developmental potential due to factors like poverty, malnutrition, and inadequate early stimulation. The research highlights the impact of early developmental deficits on future economic growth, educational achievement, job performance, and economic productivity. 70 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY It provides evidence-based recommendations for policymakers to implement early interventions, promoting nutrition, healthcare, and early learning opportunities in low-income settings. The study also guides future research into effective strategies to support early childhood development in challenging environments. 70 DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL IN THE FIRST 5 YEARS FOR CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES" BY GRANTHAM- MCGREGOR ET AL. (2007). KEY FINDINGS: 1. Impact of Early Childhood Conditions: The study highlights that early childhood conditions, including nutrition, stimulation, and emotional support, have a profound impact on cognitive and socio-emotional development. Children in developing countries often face deflc its in these areas, which can hinder their developmental potential. 70 DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL IN THE FIRST 5 YEARS FOR CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES" BY GRANTHAM- MCGREGOR ET AL. (2007). KEY FINDINGS: 2.Nutritional Deflciencies: Poor nutrition in early childhood is linked to delays in physical and cognitive development. Malnutrition can impair brain development, affecting learning, memory, and overall cognitive function. 71 DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL IN THE FIRST 5 YEARS FOR CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES" BY GRANTHAM- MCGREGOR ET AL. (2007). 3.Stimulation and Learning Opportunities: Children who lack access to stimulating environments and educational resources experience slower cognitive development. Early stimulation through activities like play and interaction with caregivers is crucial for cognitive and emotional growth. 72 DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL IN THE FIRST 5 YEARS FOR CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES" BY GRANTHAM- MCGREGOR ET AL. (2007). 4.Economic and Social Factors: Socioeconomic factors, including poverty and limited access to healthcare and education, contribute significantly to developmental delays. The study emphasizes the need for comprehensive interventions that address these broader social determinants. 73 DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL IN THE FIRST 5 YEARS FOR CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES" BY GRANTHAM- MCGREGOR ET AL. (2007). 5. Long-Term Impact: The early years are critical, as deflcits in development during this period can have long-lasting effects on educational attainment, economic productivity, and health throughout life. 74  ANY QUESTION? 75 THANK YOU PRESENTED BY: GROUP 4 76