Cognition: The activity of knowing and processing through which knowledge is acquired and problems are solved.

Typical of humans throughout lifespan Changes across the lifespan Piaget and Vygotsky

How do we come to know reality?

Clinical Method Observation Question and answer technique Used to discover how children reason

Intelligence: How well we adapt Schemes/cognitive structures Represent reality

Schemas A structured cluster of pre-conceived ideas. An organized pattern of thought or

behavior. A specific knowledge structure or cognitive

representation of the self. A mental framework centering around a

specific theme, that helps us to organize social information.

Structures that organize our knowledge and assumptions about something and are used for interpreting and processing information.

Assimilation Using existing schemes to

interpret new experiences e.g., Birds are things that fly

Accommodation Modifying existing schemes to fit

new experience e.g., Butterflies are different than

birds even though they both fly

Adaptation Adjusting to the environment Using assimilation and

accommodation Intelligence = Adaptation Constructivism

Children construct own reality Use their experiences (schemes)

Four stages/changes in ability to reason Sensorimotor: birth to 2 years Preoperational: 2 to 7 years Concrete operations: 7 to 11 years Formal operations: 12+ years

At each new stage, children think in a qualitatively different way

Rates may vary, but children do not skip stages

Requires maturation and experience

Sensorimotor Stage Newborn uses reflexes to understand

world (sensory & motoric intelligence) Outcome of Stage

Mental representation

▪ Evidence: Object Permanence

▪ A not B error

▪ Study with SMA children Symbolic Capacity

▪ Evidence: Language

Ages 2–7: Preschool May have imaginary companions

Egocentric Thinkers Flavell et. al (1981)

Animism Problem Solving Limited

Classification and seriation problems Lack Conservation

Perceptual salience, Irreversible thinking

Centration—only focus on one dimension DCCS

• Some common tests of the child’s ability to conserve.

Age 7-11 Can Conserve

▪ Decentration▪ Reversible thinking▪ Logical thinking (limited to

reality)▪ Concrete (literal) thinking

Seriation and classification Transitive thinking: ▪ “ If J is taller than M, and M is

taller than S, who is taller – J or S?”

Adolescence/Puberty Logical Thinking About Ideas

Hypothetical and abstract thinking

Hypothetical-deductive reasoning Decontextual Thinking

Ability to separate prior knowledge/beliefs from new evidence to the contrary

Adolescent Egocentrism (Elkind) Differentiating own thoughts from

others’

▪ Imaginary audience

▪Also, learning to present themselves to a real audience

▪ Personal fable

▪ “No one has ever felt like this before!”

▪ “I drive better when I’m drunk!”

Formal Operations Require Normal intelligence Higher education (scientific thinking)

Lower Performance on Formal Operations Why? Use only in field of expertise

Postformal Thought (Highest Level) Relativistic thinking – knowledge depends on CONTEXT▪ : Labouvie-Vief (page 230)

No absolute answer in many situations

Contributions Stimulated much research Correct about cognitive development

Challenges Underestimated competencies Focused on performance not

competence Domain growth rather than stages Social influences left out

Emphasized the Sociocultural Context Culture effects how and what we

think Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Accomplishment with guidance Where lessons should be aimed

Guided Participation Learning Private Speech Guides Behavior

(3&4 yr olds)