CHILD PSYCHOLOGY Canadian Edition Prepared by: Kim O'Neil, Carleton University Vasta, Miller, Ellis, Younger, Gosselin Prepared by: Kim O'Neil, Carleton University

Chapter 7 Cognitive Development: The Piagetian Approach

Cognition Cognition refers to all higher order mental processes by which humans understand and adapt to the worldCognition refers to all higher order mental processes by which humans understand and adapt to the world –Thinking –Reasoning –Learning –Problem solving Developmental psychology seeks to understand how the form and function of cognition changes across the life spanDevelopmental psychology seeks to understand how the form and function of cognition changes across the life span

Jean Piaget Piaget was trained as a biologist and as a philosopherPiaget was trained as a biologist and as a philosopher –Piaget’s view of the intellectual development of the child reflected an interaction between biology and experience –Principles of knowledge: Seek the organization by which the child understands the worldSeek the organization by which the child understands the world Identify the functional significance of knowledge (that is, knowledge allows a child to adapt to the world)Identify the functional significance of knowledge (that is, knowledge allows a child to adapt to the world)

Piagetian Issues Cognitive adaptation reflects the actions of two complementary processes:Cognitive adaptation reflects the actions of two complementary processes: –Assimilation allows an existing cognitive structure to adapt to the environment –Accommodation allows the cognitive structure to change in order to handle a new environmental situation The understanding of the child is dynamic and changes from infancy to adulthoodThe understanding of the child is dynamic and changes from infancy to adulthood

Piaget’s Periods of Development Sensorimotor period: Birth through age 2Sensorimotor period: Birth through age 2 –Infant schemes are simple reflexes and interactions with people and objects Preoperational period: Age 2 to 6Preoperational period: Age 2 to 6 –Child begins to use mental representations but problem solving is limited Concrete operations: Age 6 to 12Concrete operations: Age 6 to 12 –Child performs mental operations (conservation) Formal operations: Age 12 through adulthoodFormal operations: Age 12 through adulthood –Child can use formal problem solving and higher level abstract thinking

Sensorimotor Substages 1. Exercising reflexes (birth to one month) Infant is limited to exercising inborn reflexesInfant is limited to exercising inborn reflexes 2. Developing schemes (1-4 months) Reflexes evolve into adaptive schemesReflexes evolve into adaptive schemes 3. Discovering procedures (4-8 months) Behaviour becomes outwardly orientedBehaviour becomes outwardly oriented Infant develops procedures for reproducing interesting eventsInfant develops procedures for reproducing interesting events 4. Intentional behaviour (8-12 months) Intentional behaviour emergesIntentional behaviour emerges Infant can separate means from ends in pursuit of a goalInfant can separate means from ends in pursuit of a goal

5.Novelty and exploration (12-18 months) The infant alters schemes to produce new effectsThe infant alters schemes to produce new effects Trial and error is used to solve problemsTrial and error is used to solve problems 6. Mental representation (18-24 months) Capacity for mental representation emergesCapacity for mental representation emerges Mental problem solving begins to replace overt trial and error problem solvingMental problem solving begins to replace overt trial and error problem solving Sensorimotor Substages

(Figure adapted with permission from “Object Permanence in 3½- and 4 ½- Mo nth-Old Infants” by R. Baillargeon, 1987, Developmental Psychology, 23, p 656. Copyright ©1987 by APA) Figure 7.1 Object Permanence Assessment Object permanence refers to the knowledge that objects exist when out of sightObject permanence refers to the knowledge that objects exist when out of sight Baillargeon used the habituation procedure to assess object permanenceBaillargeon used the habituation procedure to assess object permanence Infants habituated to A, but showed long looking times at CInfants habituated to A, but showed long looking times at C

By age 6.5 months, infants spend longer time looking at the impossible event than the possible event (Figure reprinted with permission from “How Do Infants Learn About the Physical World” from Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 3, (1994) p 134.) Figure 7.3 Infant Knowledge of Gravity

Preoperational Thought Major feature of this stage is the appearance of representational thought (symbolic function)Major feature of this stage is the appearance of representational thought (symbolic function) –Appearance of words –Deferred imitation of a model observed in the past –Symbolic play in which a child uses one thing to stand for something else A hockey stick that becomes a guitarA hockey stick that becomes a guitar Representational thought allows for problem- solvingRepresentational thought allows for problem- solving

Limits of Preoperational Thought Egocentrism: Child’s view of the world is centred on him or herselfEgocentrism: Child’s view of the world is centred on him or herself –Child has difficulty taking the view of others Centration refers to the tendency to focus on only one aspect of a problemCentration refers to the tendency to focus on only one aspect of a problem –Centration leads to difficulty in solving conservation problems Conservation refers to the knowledge that the quantitative properties of an object are not changed by a change in appearanceConservation refers to the knowledge that the quantitative properties of an object are not changed by a change in appearance

(Figure adapted with permission from The Child’s Conception of Space (p 211) by J. Paiget and B. Inhelder, 1956, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Copyright © 1956 by Routledge and Kegan Paul) Figure7.6 Assessing Egocentrism: The Three Mountain Problem

Figure 7.7 Assessing Conservation

Concrete Operational Period “ The older child is just more logical”“ The older child is just more logical” Concrete operational child can solve conservation problemsConcrete operational child can solve conservation problems –Number is solved first –Length and weight are solved last Concrete operational child can also solve problems of class inclusion and seriationConcrete operational child can also solve problems of class inclusion and seriation Transitivity (ability to combine relations and deduce necessary conclusions) is achieved during the concrete operational periodTransitivity (ability to combine relations and deduce necessary conclusions) is achieved during the concrete operational period

Concrete Operational Period Concrete operational children understand reversibilityConcrete operational children understand reversibility Concrete operational children also develop perspective taking, symbolic ability and dual representationConcrete operational children also develop perspective taking, symbolic ability and dual representation

Formal Operational Thought Child now has the capacity for hypothetical- deductive reasoningChild now has the capacity for hypothetical- deductive reasoning –Can generate hypotheses –Can test hypotheses –Can draw logical conclusions from test results Mental operations are clearly evident in the formal operational stageMental operations are clearly evident in the formal operational stage

Issues in Stage Theories Change across the lifespan can be continuous in nature (the form of the behaviour remains constant)Change across the lifespan can be continuous in nature (the form of the behaviour remains constant) Stage theory suggests that Stage theory suggests that –Behaviour is qualitatively different from stage to stage –Stages follow an invariant sequence (from simple to more complex) and are universal –Concurrent development: If a cognitive structure underlies two or more competencies, these should be evident at the same time within the same stage

New Directions Building on Piaget, modern research has considered new issues in cognitive developmentBuilding on Piaget, modern research has considered new issues in cognitive development Research has indicated that while children organize their experiences into meaningful categories based on similarities (concepts), they also organize according to less obvious and less perceptually bound similarities Research has indicated that while children organize their experiences into meaningful categories based on similarities (concepts), they also organize according to less obvious and less perceptually bound similarities Research on the theory of mind has identified limitations in young children with regards to false belief and the appearance-reality distinctionResearch on the theory of mind has identified limitations in young children with regards to false belief and the appearance-reality distinction

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