1. Cognitive Development

2. Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
Piaget's Worldview
What Changes? -- Structure
Types of Schemes
How do the structures change? -- Functions:
Adaptation = Assimilation and Accommodation
Equilibrium-Disequilibrium

3. Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
Sensorimotor Stage (Birth - 24 months)
Preoperational Stage (2 - 7 years)
Preconceptual Period (2 - 4 years)
Intuitive Period (4 - 7 years)
Concrete Operations Stage ( years)
Formal Operations Stage (12 years and up)
Piaget and Function

4. Behavioral Approaches to Cognitive Development
Knowledge and Ability
Natural & Contrived Consequences
What Reinforces Cognitive Behavior?
Problem Solving
Exploratory Behavior
Creative Behavior

5. Knowledge Class of behaviors specified by a stimulus
Simple discriminative behavior
conceptual (abstract) behavior
describing past events
describing how things work

6. Ability - Do things in a certain order
Do things with a certain topography

7. Problem Solving Operant chain
Precurrent behavior - makes “correct” response more likely

8. Exploratory Behavior Reinforced by “ecological stimuli”
Needs environment which affords exploration
Automatic (natural) reinforcement

9. Creative Behavior Large repertoire of knowledge & ability
History of reinforcement for “creative” combinations of behavior

10. Skill Learning: A Dynamical Systems Approach to Cognitive Development
What Develops?--Operant Response Classes
How Skills Develop -- Functions
Transformational Rules .
Levels of Cognitive Skills

11. Tiers of Cognitive Development
Sensorimotor Tier
Representational Tier
Abstract Tier

12. Levels within a Tier Level A - Single Response Classes
Level B - Mapping one class onto another
Level C - Systems (mappings of mappings)
Level D - Systems of Ststems (Shares with next tier)

13. Figure 8-1: Fischer’s Levels of Cognitive Skills

14. How Do Levels Change Transformational Processes
Compounding (Chaining)
Focusing
Intercoordination
Differentiation
Substitution

15. Skill Theory and Dynamical Systems

16. Stimulus Equivalence Identity (Reflexivity) Symmetry Transitivity
A =A
Symmetry
A=B then B=A
Transitivity
A=B and B=C then emerges A=C
The development of response systems

17. Equivalencing: How? Basic Process (M. Sidman) Learned Skill (S. Hayes)
Can Equivalencing be taught?
Charlie Studies (Lipkens, Hayes & Hayes)
Is Equivalencing taught?
Novak, et al.

20. Skill Theory and Behavior Analysis
Cognitive skills as operants
Stimulus Equivalence Classes
Some Speculation on Stimulus Equivalence and Cognitive Skills Theory
Speculation on Skill Transformation Rules and Behavior Analysis
Why are equivalence relationships important to the study of development?