I. PIAGET S THEORY A. 4 stages - of cognitive development - same order in all kids CHAPTER 7 - PIAGET & VYGOTSKY B. Principles - development proceeds via: Adaptation - how organism responds to environment 1. assimilation - incorporating new info into current understanding 2. accommodation - changing existing understanding based on new information C. Structures 1. behavioral scheme - organized pattern of behavior 2. symbolic scheme - representing events in one s mind 3. operational scheme - internal mental activity to solve problem D. Stages = different types of logic & cognition - impetus to advance = inability of old logic to handle new information
II. PIAGET S STAGES A. Sensorimotor Period (Birth - 2) - using reflexes for beginning problem solving 1. Substage 1 (Birth - 1 month) - use & refine reflexes 2. Substage 2 (2-4 months) - primary circular reaction - chance event occurs re stimulating own body - infant finds event pleasing - infant repeats => beginning of intentional behavior 3. Substage 3 (4-8 months) - secondary circular reaction - learn by chance to make things happen to external objects 4. Substage 4 (8-12 months) - coordination of secondary schemes - combining 2+ secondary reactions to achieve goal - 1 st truly intentional behavior 5. Substage 5 (12-18 months) - tertiary circular reactions - systematically experiment with objects - try new methods to solve problems - emergence of curiosity 6. Substage 6 (18-24 months) a. symbolic problem-solving - carry out experiments mentally - insight and planning - deferred imitation b. Object permanence - know that objects continue to exist when can t see them Summary of Sensorimotor - from reflexive, immobile infants to planful thinkers - form simple concepts/solve problems Deficiency: no symbolic thought B. Preoperational Period (2-7 years)
- beginning use of mental symbols Preoperational - not yet thinking logically - focus on deficiencies Ability: Symbolic function - beginning ability to make one thing represent another - language - pretend play Deficiencies - can perceive things only in 1 way at a time 1. egocentrism - no perspective taking 2. animism - attribute lifelike qualities to inanimate objects 3. phenomenism - think appearance = reality 4. centration - consider only one aspect of a problem when need to consider 2+ 5. no conservation - cannot understand that basic properties of object do not change when appearance changes C. Concrete Operational Period (7-11) 1. Ability = Mental Operations - think logically - about real objects & experiences Additional mental operations: a. Reversibility - ability to mentally reverse an action b. Seriation - ability to mentally arrange objects along a dimension 2. Deficiency - cannot think abstractly concrete = bound to existing objects
D. Formal Operational Period (12+) 1. Ability = Abstract thought - mental actions performed on ideas & propositions - reason logically - not necessarily based on reality Hypothetical-Deductive Reasoning a) all factors that could affect an outcome b) generate hypotheses c) test the hypotheses in orderly fashion 2. Personal & social implications a. The positive - Apply problem-solving to own life choices - Ability to consider possibilities - Form a stable identity - Understand others perspectives b. The Downside - Anger at world s illogicality - Frustration with those in charge -> all-or-none thinking - Greater self-consciousness: Egocentrism vs. Social perspective-taking 3. We don t all reach formal operations a. Intellectual abilities b. Formal schooling c. Capable but won t demonstrate
III. CRITICISMS OF THE THEORY A. Competence vs. performance 1. Tasks may be too difficult 2. Low motivation to perform 3. Poor memory B. Following social conventions - give socially appropriate responses C. Training Piagetian Concepts - necessity of maturation vs. research on teaching concepts D. Lack of Consistency within Stages - children do not perform at same level on similar tasks E. Timing of Stages/Skills - Piaget s ages not always appropriate - but sequence of abilities holds up IV. NEO-PIAGETIANS A. Qualitative changes in thinking at 2, 7, 11 - retain the 4 basic stages & the sequence of stages - But still no good explanation of how/why children advance B. Performance varies by task
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