Cognitive and Physical Development (Chapter 12) Second Lecture Outline: Jean Piaget’s stage theory Other models Videotape on preschool cognition (Magna M19)

Concrete operational stage Age 7 until 12; children can manipulate internal representations Conservation of liquid quantity experiment: children now pass Conservation of volume: Flubber or silly-putty “Concrete” because physical demonstrations are needed

Formal-operational stage 11 or 12 years of age onward; children can manipulate abstract concepts Second-order relations: They can understand relationships between relations, e.g., division and multiplication are opposite Algebra, geometry, ven-diagrams

Problems with Piaget’s theory Development is really continuous, e.g., reading skill Failing tasks may be because of complexity of materials Ages may not be accurate Adults do not always show formal operations: errors in logic are common Largely biological

Lev Vygotsky

Vygotsky: Russian psychologist Environment is critical: children internalize what they see and experience Zone of proximal development Capacity Ability Ability Effective teaching Effective parenting Mediated learning

ZPD for physical activity

Information processing approaches There is gradual change in our ability to process information Attention Short term memory Long term memory Changes in encoding, e.g., metamemory, strategy use, metacognition An advantage is that the model is not domain specific Maturation and environment important

Cognition in later years Decrease in fluid and increase in crystallized intelligence Overall changes in information processing, but no net deficits Wisdom: Insight into human development and life Greater awareness of what you do not know Neural plasticity after strokes Degeneration in Alzheimer’s