piaget’s theory of cognitive development applying and evaluating piaget’s theory vygotsky’s...

COGNITIVE APPROACHES

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Applying and Evaluating Piaget’s Theory

Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Cognitive Changes in Adulthood

Processes of Development

Organization

Equilibrium

Equilibration

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

– Schemes

– Assimilation

– Accommodation

• Piaget observed own 3 children; believed six processes used in constructing knowledge.

Schemes

Actions or mental representations that organize knowledge:

Behavioral schemes: Physical

activities characterizing infancy.

Mental schemes: Cognitive

activities develop in childhood.

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Assimilation and Accommodation

Both operate even in very young infants:

Assimilation: Incorporate new information or experience into existing

knowledge schemes.

Accommodation: Adjust existing schemes to take in new information and

experiences.

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Organization

Children cognitively organize experiences:Grouping isolated behaviors into a higher-order

cognitive system; receives continual refinement.Grouping items into categories.

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Equilibrium and Equilibration

Proposed explanation of cognitive shift (qualitative) from one stage of thought to next:

Disequilibrium — creates motivation for change; shift occurs as children experience cognitive conflict.

Equilibration — they resolve conflict through assimilation and accommodation, to reach a new balance or equilibrium of thought.

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Stages of Development

Piaget’s theory unifies experiences and biology to explain cognitive development.

Motivation is internal search for equilibrium.

Four stages of development…progressively advanced and qualitatively different.

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Sensorimotor stage

First of Piaget’s stages:

Birth to about 2 years

Infants construct understanding of world by coordinating sensory experiences with motoric actions

Contains six substages

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Sensorimotor Substages

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

2

3

1 Simple reflexesBasic means of coordinating

sensation and action through reflexive behaviors

First habits and primary circular

reactions

Infants’ infant’s attempt to reproduce interesting or

pleasurable event (1-4 mos)

Secondary circular

reactions

Infant is more object-oriented moving beyond

preoccupation with the self(4-8 months)

Sensorimotor Substages

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

4

5

6

Coordination of secondary

circular reactions

Significant changes in coordination of schemes

and intentionality (8-12 mos)

Tertiary circularreactions, novelty

and curiosity

Intrigued by objects’ many properties; explores new

possibilities with them(12-18 mos)

Internalization ofSchemes

Ability to use primitive symbols; shift to mentalmanipulation (18-24 mos)

Object Permanence

Understanding that objects and events continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched:

One of infant’s most important accomplishments

Acquired in stages

Violation of expectations testing

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Infant’s Understanding of Causality

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

(b)

(c)

(a)

Evaluating Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage

New research techniques suggest Piaget’s theory needs to be modified:

Some abilities develop earlier○ Intermodal perception; substantiality and

permanence of objects

Transitions not as clear-cut; AB error

No general theory on how development changes in cognition and nature-nurture issue

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Preoperational Stage

Second Piagetian developmental stage About 2 to 7 years of age; two substages

Children begin to represent the world with words, images, and drawings

Not ready to perform Operations Internalized actions that allow children to do mentally

what they only did physically before

Reversible mental actions

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

The Symbolic Function Substage

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Symbolic function

Egocentrism

Animism

First substage of preoperational thought; young child gains ability to represent mentally an object

that is not present (2-4 years)

Inability to distinguish between one’s own and another’s view

Belief that inanimate objects have lifelike qualities, capable of action

The Three Mountains Task

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

View 1

Child seated here

(a)

(b)(d)

(c)

View 2

Child seated here

(a)

(b)

(d)

(c)

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

The Symbolic Drawings of Young Children

(a) A 31/2-year-old’s symbolic drawing. Halfway into this drawing, the 31/2-year-old artist said it was “a pelican kissing a seal.”

(b) This 11-year-old’s drawing is neater and more realistic but also less inventive.

The Intuitive Thought Substage

Children begin using primitive reasoning and want to know answers to all sorts of questions (4-7 years):

Why? questions exhaust adults

Centration — focusing attention on one characteristic to exclusion of all others

Conservation — object or substance amount stays same regardless of changing appearance; lacking in preoperational stage

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Piaget’s Conservation Task

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Some Dimensions of Conservation: Number, Matter, and Length

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget’s third stage (7-11 years)

Children can perform concrete operations

Logical reasoning replaces intuitive reasoning if applied to specific, concrete examples

Consider several characteristics of object at once

Cross-cultural variations exist

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Classification Skills

Concrete operations child understands one person can be father, brother, and grandson

Seriation — involves stimuli along quantitative dimension (e.g. length)

Transitivity — if relation holds between first and second object, and holds between the second and third object, then it holds between first and third object

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Classification: An Important Ability in Concrete Operational Thought

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Formal Operational Stage

Individuals move beyond concrete operations and think in more abstract and logical ways (11-15 years)

Abstract, Idealistic, and Logical ThinkingVerbal problem-solving ability increases

Increased ability to think about thought itself

Thought is full of idealism and possibilities

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Formal Operational Stage

Children solve problems by trial-and-error

Adolescents think more like scientists

Hypothetical-deductive reasoningHave cognitive ability to develop hypotheses, or

best guesses, and systematically deduce the best path to follow in solving a problem

Assimilation dominates initial development

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Adolescent Egocentrism

Heightened adolescents’ self-consciousness

Imaginary audience Belief that others are as interested in them as

they areInvolves attention-getting behavior motivated by

desire to be noticed, visible, and “on stage”

Personal fable — adolescent’s sense of uniqueness and invincibility

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Piaget and Education

Take a constructivist approach

Facilitate rather than direct learning

Consider child’s knowledge, level of thinking

Use ongoing assessment

Promote the student’s intellectual health Turn classroom into setting of exploration

and discovery

Applying and Evaluating Piaget’s Theory

Evaluating Piaget’s Theory

ContributionsVision of children as active, constructive thinkers

Criticisms Some estimates of children’s competence is

inaccurate Development not uniformly stage-like Effects of training underestimatedCulture and education influence development

Applying and Evaluating Piaget’s Theory

Neo-Piagetians

Argue Piaget got some things right, but theory needs revision

More emphasis to memory, attention, information-processing strategies, and processing speed

Applying and Evaluating Piaget’s Theory

Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Social contexts; minds are shaped by cultural context in which they live

Tools are provided by society

Children actively construct their knowledge and understanding through social interactions

Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

The Zone of Proximal Development

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)Tasks too difficult for children to master alone

but that can be mastered with guidance and assistance from more-skilled person

Scaffolding Changing level of support over course of a

teaching session to fit child’s current performance level; dialogue is important tool

Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development

Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Vygotsky: Language and Thought

Believed young children use language to plan, guide, and monitor behavior

Language and thought initially develop independently, then merge

Private speech: language of self-regulationSelf talk (3 to 7 years of age)Inner speech: child’s thoughts

Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Teaching Strategies based on Vygotsky’s Theory

Successfully applied to educationEffectively assess child’s ZPD

Use child’s ZPD in teaching

Use more-skilled peers as teachers

Monitor and encourage private speech

Place instruction in meaningful context

Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Tools of the Mind

Emphasizes child’s self-regulation Give special attention to at-risk children

PovertyDifficult conditions (e.g. homeless, drug

problems in home)Dramatic play has central role in classroomChild writings are important

Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Evaluating Vygotsky’s theory

Social constructionist approach Importance of skills valued by specific

culture Knowledge constructed through social

interactions (sociocultural) Criticisms:

Overemphasize role of languageFacilitators may be too helpful, overcontrolling

Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Piaget’s View of Adult Cognition Thinking qualitatively in formal operations

same as adolescents

Adults have more knowledge

Research shows:Many don’t reach highest level until adulthood

Many adults don’t use formal operational

thinking

Cognitive Changes in Adulthood

Cognitive Changes in Adulthood

Thinking of young adults is beyond formal operational stage of adolescents. It is…

Realistic — Idealism decreases in face of real world constraints

Pragmatic — Switch from acquiring knowledge to applying it

Reflective and Relativistic — Move away from absolutist thinking of adolescence

Is There A Fifth, Postformal Stage?

Postformal thought isReflective, relativistic, and contextual

Provisional

Realistic

Open to emotions and subjective

More research needed Another possible stage may be wisdom

Cognitive Changes in Adulthood