1. Revision

2. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development: schemas, assimilation, accommodation, equilibration, stages of intellectual development. Characteristics of these stages, including object permanence, conservation, egocentrism and class inclusion.

3. Stages of intellectual development
Piaget believed that the operations that children are capable of change with age, & suggested there were 4 stages of development, each with a different way of thinking, and these stages have an invariant sequence.

4. Hypothetico-deductive reasoning
Terms
Definitions
Hypothetico-deductive reasoning
Looking at the world from only one’s own point of view.
Object permanence
The idea that the overall quantity of a shape/object can remain the same even if the shape or appearance changes
Class inclusion
Understanding that objects continue to exist when no longer in view.
Egocentrism
Being able to organise objects into categories including subsets within those categories.
Conservation
Children can focus on the form of an argument and not be distracted by the specific content. They can now solve abstract problems.
Formal operational stage
Generating hypotheses and testing them systematically to find the solution
Once matched up, add details….e.g. name of stage it occurs in, ages….relevant studies….

5. Hypothetico-deductive reasoning
Terms
Definitions
Hypothetico-deductive reasoning
Looking at the world from only one’s own point of view.
Object permanence
The idea that the overall quantity of a shape/object can remain the same even if the shape or appearance changes
Class inclusion
Understanding that objects continue to exist when no longer in view.
egocentrism
Being able to organise objects into categories including subsets within those categories.
conservation
Children can focus on the form of an argument and not be distracted by the specific content. They can now solve abstract problems.
Formal operational stage
generating hypotheses and testing them systematically to find the solution

6. According to Piaget’s theory, which stages of cognitive development are being shown by the following children? Explain your answer.
Tom & Josh have been asked to tidy their lego pieces into groups. Tom has separated his lego into different colours, regardless of the size of the pieces. He has 5 different piles of 5 different colours. Whereas, Josh has separated his lego into colour and type of brick, so he has a pile of green 2 piece lego, a pile of green 6 piece lego, a pile of green 12 piece lego etc and has done this for all 5 colours.
Discuss with your partner, then write your answer for each child, explain each decision

7. According to Piaget’s theory, which stages of cognitive development are being shown by the following children? Explain your answer.
Being able to organise objects into categories such as types of animal. The more advanced cognitive skill is being able to organise into subsets as well.
Tom is showing basic class inclusion as he has only “separated his lego into different colours” so although he has categorised his lego, he has not recognised there could be subsets within this.
Whereas Josh has categorised his lego into colours and also subtypes of size/type of brick. This shows that he understands the concept of categories and subcategories and so understands class inclusion. Josh therefore is in the later part of the pre-operational stage aged 6-7 or is in the concrete operational stage (age 7-11).

8. TASK Read your notes on Baillargeon
Under the following headings, write down a list of key words only
AO1 studies
AO1 explanation
AO3 evaluation
Justification: producing something is more effective revision than just reading
A list of key words stops you from copying word for word
You will need to have reviewed Baillargeon’s research to complete the next activity

9. TASK In your pair complete the essay answer
Discuss together but write on your own individual copy
1) Fill in the AO1 detail gaps
2) Answer the AO3 questions
(there are hints available on the other side of the page for the box Qs, but ensure you have had a go first…..
Do you really need to use the hints…..?)
3) Once finished, highlight where the answer refers back to the question “told us about early infant abilities”
Challenge:
If finished, read the article provided and decide if Baillargeon is a nativist or an empiricist.

10. AO3 This question isn’t just “evaluate the research”
It asks you to “discuss” what the “research has told us”…..
To answer the Q, you must therefore refer back to “what the research has told us”
Mark scheme states:
“Only credit methodological issues if used to discuss findings”
Consequently, if you explain that the research METHODS have high/low validity, you are not answering the Question
….you must explain that the FINDINGS/CONCLUSIONS have high/low validity because………….

11. AO3: What has this research study told us about object permanence?
This study has told us that object permanence occurs earlier than Piaget suggested
This is because the children in this study are 5 months old and have object permanence whereas Piaget suggested it occurred around 8-9 months.
Therefore, it has told us that infants’ understanding of the world is more advanced than Piaget believed

12. AO3: It can be argued that Baillargeon’s research (theories and studies) has led to valid conclusions about early infant abilities. Why is this research considered to be valid and of scientific value?
Baillargeon’s research has scientific value because it was highly controlled.
She removed the possibility of observer bias by ensuring that the researcher measuring the length of time infants were looking at the events did not know which even was being shown (possible or impossible)
She also removed extraneous variables e.g. parents had to keep their eyes closed so they did not give unconscious cues to their child
These resulted in scientifically rigorous studies allowing us to be confident about the validity of what her research has told us about early infant abilities

13. AO3: On the other hand, Baillargeon’s research may tell us very little about early infant abilities. Why is this?
This is because her research may not be measuring what she thinks it’s measuring
Baillargeon has interpreted looking for longer at an event as surprise and therefore the child must have knowledge of the world
However, they may be looking for longer as it looks slightly different, NOT because they have an expectation about the world that has been broken
Therefore her research relies on subjective interpretation and so the conclusions as to what it tells us may lack validity.