AP Psychology 10/8/13

Essential Question How important is Piaget’s theory of cognitive development? Evaluate each stage in terms of its influence on understanding, accuracy, and critiques.

Piaget Early 1900s—constructivism. Much different understanding of human mind—he argued what? What is a schema?

Assimilating & Accommodating The schemas that humans are influenced by our experiences: we assimilate experiences & accommodate schemas. Assimilating: dogs have four legs, so four-legged animals are dogs. A cow is a dog. Accommodating: other animals have four legs, so we need new names for these animals. Cows, dogs, and cats are all categories for animals now. Come up with your own example of assimilating & accommodating within schemas.

Sensorimotor Key idea: senses Ages: birth - 2 years Object permanence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDfDYt-E9Kc Stranger anxiety: around 8 months, those who are unknown are identified as potentially threatening

Preoperational Key idea: developing mental skills Ages: 2 - 6 or 7 years Conservation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLj0IZFLKvg Egocentrism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OinqFgsIbh0 Theory of mind: the ability to infer others’ mental states

Concrete Operational Key idea: thinking logically Ages: 6 or 7 - 7 or 11 years Understand conservation & mathematical transformations

Formal Operational Key idea: thinking abstractly Ages: 12 - adulthood Abstract logic (if x, then y. x, so y) Imagined situations & symbols are understood

Piaget’s stages of cognitive development Create a short poem that will help your classmates remember each stage. 2-3 people per group

Critiquing Piaget… RIGHT WRONG

Essential Question How important is Piaget’s theory of cognitive development? Evaluate each stage in terms of its influence on understanding, accuracy, and other critiques.

Homework Pages 154-173