Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development Applying and Evaluating Piaget’s Theory Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development Cognitive Changes in

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


– 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.


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.


Organization

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

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


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.


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.


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


Sensorimotor Substages


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


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


Infant’s Understanding of Causality


(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


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


The Symbolic Function Substage


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


View 1

Child seated here

(a)

(b)(d)

(c)

View 2

Child seated here

(a)

(b)

(d)

(c)


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 Conservation Task


Some Dimensions of Conservation: Number, Matter, and Length


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


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


Classification: An Important Ability in Concrete Operational Thought


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


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


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 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


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


Neo-Piagetians

Argue Piaget got some things right, but theory needs revision

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



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


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 Zone of Proximal 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


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


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


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


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



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


Documents

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development Applying and Evaluating Piaget’s Theory Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development Cognitive Changes in