47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Cognition: all mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating. Jean Piaget (1896-1980) Piaget DID NOT believe that a child’s mind was a mini-adult mind Believed that cognitive development is shaped by errors; a struggle to make sense of our experiences as children

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Jean Piaget’s Terminology: 1) Schema: a mental representation or map of the environment or world based on experience. A concept or framework that organizes & interprets information Mental molds into which we pour our experiences so that the maturing brain can continually build upon concepts Example: If Bob points to a picture of an apple and tells his child, “that’s an apple,” the child forms a schema for “apple” that looks something like the picture 2) Assimilation: an attempt to integrate new information into an existing schema. Interpreting a new experience in terms of an existing schema Example: Bob’s child might see an orange & say “apple” because both objects are round 3) Accommodation: the modification of an existing schema into a new one. The process of adjusting/modifying a schema Example: When Bob corrects his child, the child might alter the schema for apple to include “round” and “red”

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers.

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Sensorimotor Stage Birth to 2 years Description of Stage The use of senses & motor abilities to learn about the world/ interact with objects in the environment Developmental Phenomena Object Permanence (unfolds gradually) The awareness that objects continue to exist when not perceived Critical step in developing language & abstract thought Stranger Anxiety Fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age Separation Anxiety Anxiety displayed by infants when they are separated from their caregiver.

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Sensorimotor Stage

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Sensorimotor Stage Criticisms of Stage Piaget believed that children in the sensorimotor stage are incapable of thinking – no abstract concepts or ideas Recent research suggests that children in the sensorimotor stage can both think and count Babies can… Understand basic laws of physics “Count” (Karen Wynn)

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Sensorimotor Stage

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Preoperational Stage 2 to 7 years Description of Stage Children learn to use language as a means of exploring the world; however, they are not yet capable of logical thought Too young to perform mental operations; lack conservation Conservation: understanding that despite an apparent change in size/shape/length, the substance remains constant. (this understanding occurs toward the end of the preoperational stage)

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Preoperational Stage Developmental Phenomena Pretend Play Animism: the belief that inanimate objects share human characteristics, such as feelings. Artificialism: the belief that events of nature are man-made Egocentrism: understanding the world through the child’s own perspective; the inability to see the world through another’s perspective. Only apparent for first few years of this stage; research shows that by around age five the child should no longer be egocentric. Example “John, do you have a brother?” “Yes.” “What’s his name?” “Jim.” “Does Jim have a brother?” “No.”

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Preoperational Stage Theory of Mind 4 to 5 years People’s ideas about their own and others’ mental states – about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict Seek to understand… Why their playmate is angry… Why their sibling will share… Why their parent would buy a toy…

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Preoperational Stage Theory of Mind Test A child without theory of mind, would assume that Sally… A child with theory of mind, would assume that Sally…

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Preoperational Stage Criticisms of Stage Judy DeLoache (1987) found that children as young as 3 are able to use mental operations & think symbolically When shown a model of a dog’s hiding place, a 2 ½-year-old could not locate the stuffed dog in an actual room, but a three year old could…

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Concrete Operational Stage 7 to 11 years Description of Stage Children become capable of logical thought processes; physical, concrete, touchable reality; lack abstract thinking Developmental Phenomena Conservation Reversible thinking Mathematical transformation Seriation: the process of putting objects into a series (smallest to largest) or putting objects that share similar characteristics (such as color or size) into the same category. Reversibility: understanding that concepts can be reversed and remain the same. Developmental Limitations Abstract thinking Freedom, peace, love, etc.

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Formal Operational Stage 12 years to adulthood Description of Stage The adolescent becomes capable of abstract thinking Developmental Phenomena Abstract logic Hypothetical thinking “If women were in charge of countries, would there be fewer wars? Potential for mature moral reasoning

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Concrete Operational Stage 12 years to adulthood Description of Stage The adolescent becomes capable of abstract thinking Developmental Phenomena Abstract logic Hypothetical thinking “If women were in charge of countries, would there be fewer wars? Potential for mature moral reasoning Personal Fable: an individual’s belief that he or she is invincible and will not be harmed in any instance; he or she also believes that his or her ideas and opinions are unique. -the term “personal fable” was first coined by David Elkind, not Jean Piaget. However, because personal fable is displayed during adolescence, Piaget’s formal operational stage, it is important to note it here. Imaginary Audience: the belief that everybody is looking at one, who is on a stage for others to see. -the term “imaginary audience” was also coined by David Elkind. However, because it is displayed during adolescence, Piaget’s formal operational stage, it is noted here.

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Globally influential; however, today’s researchers believe the following… Development is a continuous process Children express their mental abilities & operations at an earlier age Formal logic is a smaller part of cognition

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) Stressed the importance of social interactions with other people, especially highly skilled children or adults, in the child’s cognitive development Proposed that one’s cognitive functioning is influenced by one’s culture. It is this interaction that produces a culturally specific way of thinking (cognition). A child can learn more difficult tasks at an earlier age than was proposed by Piaget if he or she has the aid of someone older.

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) Scaffolding Process in which a more skilled learner gives help to a less skilled learner, reducing the amount of help as the less skilled learner becomes more capable Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) The difference between what a child can do alone and what the child can do with the help of a teacher

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) Example If Jenny can do math problems at a 4th grade level on her own, but can work up to a 6th grade level with the help of a teacher, her ZPD is two years If Suzy can do math problems at a 4th grade level on her own, but can work up to a 5th grade level with the help of a teacher, her ZPD is one year – not as great as Jenny’s

47.1 – Describe how a child’s mind develops from the perspectives of Piaget, Vygotsky, and today’s researchers. Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)

47.2 – Explain how autism spectrum disorder affects development. Autism Spectrum Disorder: a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors. ASD is caused by poor communication among brain regions that normally work together. People with ASD are said to have an impaired theory of mind.