1 Term Paper #9 Getting a journal (or book) Identify which book or journal you want—e.g., from a search using PsycInfo Jot-down the following information about the articles: Title of title of article (author), journal, year (volume), inclusive pages, and possible issue number Go to the Marriott electronic catalogue and find the article’s location (e.g., Science Serials, Level 4) and call # (e.g., RJ504.C467) Go to that location and pluck the journal from the shelf. If its not there, check it’s whereabouts with the librarian

2 Psychology 1230: Psychology of Adolescence Don Hartmann, Autumn 2005 Lecture 9: © Piaget

3 WEB Discussion Process Group#1 due#2 due#3 due#4 due#5 due Whippets09/12 Hotties09/13 4♀+1♂09/19 GypsyMafia09/20 JusticeLeague09/21 Psyched09/22 PithHelmets09/23 MAJACS09/ Note: Anyone can contribute to any WEB discussion; group members are responsible to summarizing the discussion. The last day to contribute to any discussion is 3 days before the due date.

4 Handout Summary Handout WEB Date Date 14. HO-Completing a Film Review*08/ HO-Preparing a Book Review08/ Completed Class Locator08/ Lect. #4: Introduction to Theory09/ Lect. #5: Bandura09/ Supplemental Lecture: Termpaper09/ Lect. #6: Method I09/ Lect. #7: Method II09/ Lect. #8: Puberty09/ Lect. #9: Piaget09/ *Indicates handouts discussed in class.

5 Parents Have Cognitions?

6 Overview of Piaget Lecture Material articulates with pp Topics –Introduction to Cognition –Coffee & Cream –Introduction to Piaget –Piaget’s Theory –Evaluation –Summary –Black & White Marbles Next: Lect. 10 (Social Cognition)

7 Introduction to Cognition Changes in cognition are one of the hallmarks of adolescence Thinking about possibilities Systematically evaluating hypotheses—as do scientists. Can do so because –can use hierarchical classifications – understand inclusion relationships – perform serialization

8 More Changes in Cognitions in Adolescence Thinking ahead, planning Thinking about thinking (meta ‑ cognition) Out of the box: Thinking beyond old limits! In general, these are changes from the concrete to the abstract

9 Real Life Implications Can begin to deal with important issues, such as career goals and means of achieving them. Better able to engage in role taking ‑‑ thinking about other's thought and feeling; development of empathy. Increased introspection: the reflected life (the one worth living). Ability to handle abstractions, such as algebra and symbolic logic.

10 Coffee & Cream Begin with two cups, Cup 1 containing 16 oz. of cream, Cup 2 containing 16 oz. of coffee (cold decaf.) Remove 1 oz. of cream from Cup 1 and place it in Cup 2. Mix thoroughly. Remove 1 oz. of the coffee/cream mixture in Cup 2 and place it in Cup 1. Question: Is there 1.More coffee in Cup 1 than cream in Cup 2? 2.More cream in Cup 2 than coffee in Cup 1? 3.The same amount of cream in Cup 2 as coffee in Cup 1? 4.None of the above.

11 Introduction to Piaget 3 rd Most influential psychologist of the 20 th century Originator of Cognitive Developmental Theory Background facts

12 The Nature of Piaget’s Theory Strong stage theory. Stages are: –Qualitative (rather than quantitative) –Coherent (consistent) –Fixed (just four, no more) –Universal (applicable to all, though not all are believed to achieve all the stages), and –Invariant (we all go through them in the same order; no skipping).! Based on structure of thought, rather than on content of thought

13 Piaget’s Theory  Stages of Cognitive Development  Sensorimotor  Preoperational  Concrete Operational  Formal Operational Cognitive Developmental View Sensorimotor: From birth to about age 2, infants construct understanding of world by coordinating sensory experiences with physical, motoric actions. Preoperational: From about ages 2-7, children begin to represent their world with words, drawings, images, and drawings. Concrete operational: From about 7-11, logical reasoning replaces intuitive thought as long as reasoning can be applied to concrete examples. Formal operational: Emerging at age 11-15, it is characterized by abstract, idealistic, and logical thought.

14 Stages 1 & 2 Sensorimotor (0 ‑ 2). From reflex to reflective! Preoperational (2 ‑ 7). At this stage children have not yet gained the operations that allow them to think logically. Perception is characterized by centration & thinking by egocentrism

15 Egocentrism

16 Stages 3 & 4: The ones important for understanding adolescence Concrete operation (7 ‑ 12); use operations (e.g., transitivity), but fixed on real. E.g., if Sally is taller than Mindy, and Mindy is taller than Jeremiah, what is the relationship between Sally and Jeremiah? Formal operations (12 ‑ ?). Abstractions, logical reasoning. If A>B, and B>C, what is relationship between A & C?

17 Conservation Tasks

18 How does Growth Occur?  1. Through both nature and nurture; maturation + certain critical experiences  2. Schema changes occur through accommodation and assimilation  3. Though cognitive disequilibrium  4. Though Interactions with Peers

19 What about Learning? Learning is a product of one's cognitive development. –The child's existing cognitive structures determine how he/she interprets social experiences and, hence, what is likely to be learned from interactions with others

20 If this could only happen in cabinet meetings!

21 What about Personality? Dependent upon cognitive development; e.g., can't have notion of gender, until conservation. The Brain: Cognition; you get it, right?

22 Evaluation: Strengths 1.That in evaluating performance, we must take into account developmental level 2.Importance of cognition -- even for social content! 3.Process of thinking rather than content of thought 4.Stage notions are wonderful descriptive framework

23 Evaluation: Weaknesses (1) Strong on general developmental trends; weak on individual differences (IDs) Specific ages often erroneous. –When we think an event or a process occurs is in part a function of how we conduct the assessment! –17% to 67% of college students think at the formal operational stage—depending upon method of assessment Characteristics of stages—not entirely upheld : –Coherence of stages: conservation problems not conservation problem....(Gertrude Stein) –Backsliding

24 Evaluation: Weaknesses (2) Is it useful to conceive of cognitive development as a series of stages versus continuously changing? Certainly open to debate. Is it all really over during the early teens, or is there something after formal operations—e.g., wisdom? Description not explanation

25 Summary Cognition changes in adolescence What about Coffee & Cream? See the WEB! Piaget in all his glory Next: #10 (Social Cognition) Go in Peace!  P.S. What about black & white marbles? Problem on the WEB!

26 Solution to Coffee/Cream Problem 16 oz. Coffee 17 oz. Mixture: –16/17 Coffee –1/17 Cream –Transfer 1 oz. of mixture 16 oz. of 16/17 mixture –16/17x 16 = /17 oz. Coffee –16/17 oz. Cream 16 oz. Cream –Transfer 1 oz to CC 15 oz. Cream 16 oz. Mixture –15 + 1/17 oz. Cream –16/17 oz. Coffee It’s a conservation problem, gang!

27 What about Black & White Marbles? Urn 1 contains 100 white marbles; Urn black marbles. Take 20 of the white marbles from Urn 1 and place them in Urn 2. Mix the marbles well. Take 20 of the mixture of marbles in Urn 2 and place them in Urn 1 The Question: 1.Is there more black marbles in Urn 1 than white marbles in Urn 2? 2.Is there more white marbles in Urn 2 than black marbles in Urn 1? 3.Is there is same number of white marbles in Urn 2 as black marbles in Urn !? 4.None of the above.