Piaget’s Preoperational ThinkingPiaget’s Preoperational Thinking

The Use of Symbolic Thought, Mental Reasoning,& ConceptsSymbolic Function

The ability to use a mental symbol, a word, or object to stand for or represent something not present

Relation between language & thought

Symbolic function is the basis of sophisticated language use in the Preoperational Stage

Language & thinking are interconnected

Use of language allows the child to think beyond the present to the future

Language = thought or thought = language?

Centration & Conservation

CentrationThe process of concentrating on one limited aspect of a stimulus ignoring other aspects

Preschooler’s focus is on the superficial, obvious elements

ConservationKnowledge that quantity is unrelated to physical appearance or arrangement of objects

Centration prevents focusing on the relevant features of a situation

Preoperational Preoperational ThinkingThinking

EgocentricismThinking that doesn’t take into account others’ viewpointsTakes 2 forms:

1. Lack of awareness that others see things form a different perspective2. Failure to realize that others may hold thoughts, feelings, & points of view different from your own

Seen in talking to oneself in the presence of others or ignoring what others are saying

Preoperational Preoperational ThinkingThinking

Intuitive ThoughtIntuitive ThoughtPreschooler’s primitive reasoning & keen acquisition of knowledge about the world

They begin to understand the concept of functionality (actions, events, & outcomes are related to each other in fixed patterns)

They begin to show awareness of the idea of identity (certain things stay the same regardless of changes in shape, size, & appearance

Both are important to understand conservation

Evaluating PiagetEvaluating PiagetChildren have the innate ability to count

Cognitive skills develop in a more continuous manner than stage theories imply

Developmental changes are more quantitative than qualitative as Piaget claims

Information Processing ApproachInformation Processing Approach

FocusKinds of “mental programs” children use in problem solvingPreschoolers can count fairly systematically & consistently

MemoryMemoryAutobiographical Autobiographical MemoryMemoryMemory of particular events on one’s lifeUnless the event is Unless the event is meaningful or vivid, it is meaningful or vivid, it is likely not to be rememberedlikely not to be rememberedCultural factors affect Cultural factors affect memorymemoryAutobiographical memories Autobiographical memories fade & inaccurately recalledfade & inaccurately recalledScripts: broad Scripts: broad representations in memory representations in memory of events & the order in of events & the order in which they occurredwhich they occurredFrequent events melded into Frequent events melded into scriptsscripts

Evaluating Information Evaluating Information ProcessingProcessing

Cognitive Development is GradualThere are improvements with maturity

Provides a Comprehensive, Logical Set of ConceptsThere are no vague ideas

CriticismsThe focus is on a series of single, individual cognitive processes leaving out other factors that seem to influence cognition

It pays too much attention to detailed, individual sequences of processes that are not clearly descriptive of what is happening

VygotskyDefinitionsDefinitionsZone of Proximal DevelopmentZone of Proximal Development

Level at which a child can almost, but not fully, perform a task Level at which a child can almost, but not fully, perform a task independently, but can do it with assistance from someone more independently, but can do it with assistance from someone more competentcompetent

ScaffoldingScaffolding

The support for learning & problem solving that encourages The support for learning & problem solving that encourages independence & growthindependence & growth

Cultural ToolsCultural Tools

Physical items & intellectual & conceptual framework for solving Physical items & intellectual & conceptual framework for solving problemsproblems

VygotskyVygotskyCognitive Development & Social Interaction Tied TogetherChildren are apprentices, learning from adult & peer mentors

Cultural & social factors involved in the learning process

Children’s cognitive development is dependent on the interaction with others

There are differences in how some societies support learning for boys & girls

Cultural tools provide a structure that can be used to help children define & solve problems as well as an intellectual POV that encourages cognitive development

Language Language GrowthGrowth

SyntaxSyntaxCombining words & Combining words & phrases to form sentencesphrases to form sentences

Fast MappingFast MappingNew words are associated New words are associated with their meaning only with their meaning only after a brief encounterafter a brief encounter

GrammarGrammarRules that determine how Rules that determine how thoughts can be expressedthoughts can be expressed

Private SpeechPrivate SpeechSpeech spoken & directed Speech spoken & directed to oneselfto oneself

PragmaticsPragmaticsAspect of language Aspect of language relating to communicating relating to communicating effectively & appropriately effectively & appropriately with otherswith others

Social SpeechSocial SpeechSpeech directed toward Speech directed toward another & meant to be another & meant to be understood by that personunderstood by that person

Language GrowthSyntax IncreasesSyntax Increases

Frequent Use of Plurals & Frequent Use of Plurals & PossessivesPossessivesGrammar Principles are Grammar Principles are UnderstoodUnderstoodPrivate Speech Allows Private Speech Allows Problem-solvingProblem-solvingPragmatics Allows an Pragmatics Allows an Understanding of the Understanding of the Basics of ConversationBasics of ConversationPreschoolers Begin Preschoolers Begin Directing Speech at OthersDirecting Speech at Others

Language Language ExposureExposure

Living Conditions Living Conditions Affect Language Affect Language AcquisitionAcquisitionThe type of language The type of language children are exposed children are exposed to is associated with to is associated with their performance on their performance on IQ testsIQ tests

Family income & living Family income & living conditions affect conditions affect general cognitive general cognitive development & development & behaviorbehavior

Early Childhood Early Childhood EducationEducation

Involvement in Some Involvement in Some Form of Education Form of Education Before Formal Before Formal Schooling is BeneficialSchooling is BeneficialVarieties of early education:Varieties of early education:

Child-care centersChild-care centers

PreschoolsPreschools

School childcareSchool childcare

Effectiveness of Effectiveness of ChildcareChildcare

More Verbal FluencyMemory & Comprehension AdvantagesHigher IQ ScoresMore Self-confidenceMore IndependentMore Socially Knowledgeable

Sesame StreetSesame StreetSignificantly Significantly Higher Higher VocabulariesVocabularies

Significantly Significantly Higher Scores on Higher Scores on Measures of Measures of Verbal & MathVerbal & Math

Tend to be Better Tend to be Better Readers Spending Readers Spending More Time More Time ReadingReading