Fundamentals of Lifespan Development SEPTEMBER 19 TH, 2014 – COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN INFANCY AND TODDLERHOOD

Video Piaget on Piaget Part 1 Piaget on Piaget Part 2 Piaget on Piaget Part 3 Piaget on Piaget Part 4 I didn’t eat the doughnut Kid wants doughnuts

Piaget’s Cognitive-Development Theory

Schemes Schemes – Psychological structures, organized ways of making sense of experience Adaptation and organization are two processes that account for changes in shemes Organization involves an internal process Assimilation and accommodation are in states of equilibrium and disequilibrium

Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage

Key Terms Object Permanence Mental Representations Internal depictions: images (objects, people, spaces) concepts (groups of similar objects or events) Representation permits advanced object permanence deferred imitation make-believe play

Follow Up Research on Infant Cognitive Development Habituation Research Lab Testing Cognition in Infants Deferred Imitation 6 weeks: imitates facial expressions 6–9 months: copies novel actions with objects 12–14 months: imitates rationally 14–18 months: imitates actions that are intended but not completed

Evaluation of the Sensorimotor Stage

Core Knowledge Perspective We are born with innate knowledge systems – core domains of thought. ◦Physical ◦Linguistic ◦Psychological ◦Numerical

Information Processing Model

Cognitive Gains in Infancy and Toddlerhood Attention  improved efficiency, ability to shift focus  less attraction to novelty, improved sustained attention Memory  longer retention intervals  development of recall by second half of first year Categorization  gradual shift from perceptual to conceptual categorization in toddlerhood

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory Complex mental activities develop through joint activities with more mature members of child’s society Zone of proximal development:  Tasks too difficult for child to do alone but possible with help of more skilled partners

Infant Toddler Intelligence Tests Bayley ScalesBayley Scales: Cognitive Language Motor Social-Emotional Adaptive Behavior Predict later intelligence poorly Largely used for screening

Developmentally Appropriate Infant and Toddler Child Care Physical setting Toys and equipment Caregiver–child ratio Daily activities Interaction among adults and children Caregiver qualifications Relationships with parents Licensing and accreditation

Theories of Language Development Cooing and BabblingCooingBabbling First words around 1 year of age. ◦Underextension ◦Overextension Telegraphic Speech – Two word utterances

Discussion What were some of your developmental milestones? How do they compare to the developmental milestones listed on page 106? What were your first words? What toys do you remember from your toddlerhood? What memories do you have from that period of your life? ◦They can be based on pictures and what you were told.