Cognitive Cognitive developmentdevelopment1144thth December 200 December 20077

Developmental Developmental psychologypsychology

study of progressive changes in human study of progressive changes in human traits and abilities that occur throughout traits and abilities that occur throughout the life spamthe life spam physical developmentphysical development cognitive developmentcognitive development social and personality developmentsocial and personality development

DevelopmentDevelopment

Developmental changes: Developmental changes: predictable stagespredictable stages heredity and environment influencesheredity and environment influences critical periodscritical periods

Question: why these developmental Question: why these developmental changes occur and why some people changes occur and why some people differ developmentally from others?differ developmentally from others?

Cognitive developmentCognitive development

Changes in thinking and reasoningChanges in thinking and reasoning

2 perspectives2 perspectives Jean Piaget’s theoryJean Piaget’s theory Information-processing theoryInformation-processing theory

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

Cognitive development occurs in 4 Cognitive development occurs in 4 qualitativelyqualitatively different stages different stages Sensimotor period (first 2 years)Sensimotor period (first 2 years) Preoperational period (2 to 6 years)Preoperational period (2 to 6 years) Concrete-operational period (6-12 years)Concrete-operational period (6-12 years) Formal operational period (adolescence, Formal operational period (adolescence,

adulthood)adulthood)

3 cognitive processes3 cognitive processes

EquilibrationEquilibration AssimilationAssimilation AccomodationAccomodation

Information-processing Information-processing theorytheory

Differences between younger and older Differences between younger and older children lies inchildren lies in qualitative qualitative differences in differences in how they process information.how they process information.

Information processing = mental Information processing = mental representation, operation with an representation, operation with an information, handling data using memoryinformation, handling data using memory

InfantsInfants

Perceptual abilitiesPerceptual abilities vision (clear in 20-30 cm)vision (clear in 20-30 cm) can detect facial expressions, imitate themcan detect facial expressions, imitate them can localize sounds, differentiate among can localize sounds, differentiate among

soundssounds can differentiate between odorscan differentiate between odors

Learning and memoryLearning and memory relationships between their actions and relationships between their actions and

changes in environment - and remember itchanges in environment - and remember it

Infants - central cognitive Infants - central cognitive tasktask

basic understanding of objects and basic understanding of objects and cause-effect relationshipscause-effect relationships

sensorimotor intelligencesensorimotor intelligence understanding of permanent existence of understanding of permanent existence of

objectsobjects

may reflect limitations in infant’s memorymay reflect limitations in infant’s memory

Preschool period (3-6)Preschool period (3-6)

representational thoughtrepresentational thought imaginationimagination

imitation of others actionsimitation of others actions pretending to be someonepretending to be someone ability to use languageability to use language

limitationslimitations egocentric thoughtegocentric thought

Middle childhood (6-10)Middle childhood (6-10)

ability to perform concrete operationsability to perform concrete operations mental transformations (which can be mental transformations (which can be

reversed)reversed) the concept of conversationthe concept of conversation

Discussions, alternatives of Discussions, alternatives of information/processing information/processing approachapproach

Infants behavior in searching tasks may Infants behavior in searching tasks may reflect their reflect their memory limitationsmemory limitations

Preschool children does not think Preschool children does not think egocentric in all egocentric in all situationssituations

Solving conservation tests may be Solving conservation tests may be influenced by problems with influenced by problems with understandingunderstanding instructions (language instructions (language and conduct used)and conduct used)

Case’s integrative theoryCase’s integrative theory

Developmental stagesDevelopmental stages Short-term storage space becomes more Short-term storage space becomes more

efficient using chunkingefficient using chunking

= new executive control structures = new executive control structures appearappear

AdolescenceAdolescence

formal operations stageformal operations stage not all adults can use formal thinkingnot all adults can use formal thinking

Piaget’s stages of Piaget’s stages of development - childhooddevelopment - childhood