Cognitive development

Cognitive development

1. Piaget's cognitive theory

   • - intelligence's an active/constructive/dynamic process - children's mistakes in thought reflects nature of their thought processes at a stage - structure of thinking changes & new modes are based on earlier
   • Cognition
     • Assimilation
       • = taking in new information + linking it to schemas we already know
     • Accommodation
       • = changing those schemas when new information doesn't fit in
       • Disequilibrium
         • - thrown into a state of confusion as something new doesn't match - uncertainty is uncomfortable
         • Equilibration
           • - trying to make sense of what you see/understand it - return to a comfortable state through this process
     • Schemas
   • Stages
     • - children think differently - not only less skills/info but there're qualitative differences  -think is a way that's unique to their developmental level
     • Sensorimotor stage
       • - 0-2 years motor schema - organize world by means of their senses/action on it - reflexes to goal directed - body to outside world - object permanence - motor action to mental reprsentation
       • Preoperational stage
         • -2-7 years -  limitation of intuitive thinking- egocentrism & lack of conservation- not logical yet but use symbols thorugh fantasy play/language/drawings
         • Concrete operations stage
           • - 7-12 years - ability decenter - logical thinking yes abstract still not - reversibility & classification ->reverse mental operations & 20 questions (is it alive? general instead of specific)
           • Formal operations stage
             • - 12+ years pendulum task - abstract thinking/hypothetical - broader field of concepts - imaginary audience & personal fable - hypothetico deductive reasoning
             • Imaginary audience scale
               • - measure this aspect of adolescent egocentrism - Elkind & Bowen - highest score eightgraders
             • Postformal operations stage (+?)
               • = the cognitive ability to consider miltiple perspectives + bring together seemingly contradictory information->can b more than one answer->definition
         • Centration/decenter
           • focusing on one aspect / ability to think about more than one aspect of a situation at the time => conservation
     • C
       • - qualitative step cognitive abilities together? - ages of stages(can do more) - universal/cultural determined stages

2. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory

   • Social interaction
     • - all learning is based on social interaction - develops out of a cultural context in which children develop
     • Zone of proximal development
       • = the difference between what they can do on their own & what they can do only with assistance
       • Scaffolding
         • = what an adult does to move the child through the ZPD to full independent achievement, form a cognitive structure around a child for it to understand fuller->no longer needed when child knows
         • Scaffolding learning
     • Private speech
       • - to move information that comes from other ppl to inner thought - for own guidence - more difficult more speech - also when not learning->fantasy play/going to sleep help understanding

3. Theory of core knowledge

   • - states that we're born with areas of knowledge that are innate/built into the human brain - differing ideas what knowledge is->movement/nature of number/spatial relationship
   • Innate
     • infants innate examples 1) object oermanence 2) basic concept of numbers 3) basic understanding of effects of gravity
     • Spelke & Kinzler
       • evidence four areas of core knowledge 1) cohesive unit + continuous path 2) ppl act with towards goal not objects/intention 3) knowledge of numbers 4) knowledge of spatial relationships
     • Persistence
       • = understanding that objects persist through time & space->Piaget no test->but that's memory relied on
   • C
     • - but cultural?

4. Attention, memory, executive functions + metacognition

   • Attention
     • - higher ability as children indicates adult achievement - very individual - genetic but also environmental factors->low income less stimulating ability
     • Selective attention
       • Multitask
         • - it does take longer if u multitask life - will process more superficically
     • Sustained attention
       • ADHD
         • - difficulty to sustain attention - controlling impulsive behavior
     • Processing speed
       • - speed/accuracy with which we can handle information increases - free up speed thorugh automaticity
       • Automaticity
         • Habituation
           • - essental for higher learning
   • Memory
     • - sensory memory to stm/wm to encoding processing into lgm
     • Infants
       • Roveer-Collier exp - more attention to something that's novel- more attention to something complex than simple stimuli- violation of expectation = looks longer at unexpected
       • Infantile amnesia
         • - cannot recall before age 3 - infant memory is nonverbal not clear sense of self organize retrival - prefrontal cortex/hippocampus not done until 24 months - rapid growth of neurons interfer hippocampus
         • Nonverbal memory
           • - we can remember through emotions & actions but not tell people about it
         • Autobiographical memory
           • - begin create narrative - self concept
       • Language
         • - encoding processes ->WM - include scripts, rehearsal & elaboration - easier to remember as they build a knowledge base - false memories
       • LGM
         • - can remember with cues exp in the same context - memory increases 1-2 years
         • WM
           • - very limited only two things at the same time five year old - steadily increases from 4-11 - peak 11/12 then not much change - prefrontal cortex using more from older teen before + hippocampus
           • Encoding & speed
             • - strategies to encode informtion->can rehearse retrieve info start self at 7 before if asked to - increase in information processing speed ->efiiciency
             • Script
               • - for memory retrieval
             • Knowledge base
               • - easier to remember things when you can connect them to already known knowledge - expertise & interest
     • False memories
       • - never happened, false recognition - fuzzy trace theory: systematic controled vs automatic intuitive m- younger children more systematic details adults fuzzy trace
   • Executive functions
     • = the aspects of the brain organization that coordinates attention/memory & controls behavioral responses for the purpose of attaining a certain goal
     • Cognitive flexibility
       • - switch focus to complete a task - improves through middle childhood
       • Inhibitory control
         • - ability to stop automatic behaviors to carry out a task - predicts later performance
         • Planning
           • - thinking ahead & evaluate the outcomes as you proceed through the task - tower of hanoi->adults spend more time thinking about problem
           • Environmental factors
             • - stimulating environment - warm & scaffold supportive->damage brain stress around u/or poverty->intervention helps - more predictive than IQ
       • The dimensional change card sort task
         • - measure cognitive flexibility - shift from one set of instructions to another - rabbits & boats shape vs color
     • Adolescence
       • - prefrontal cortex - myelination & synaptic pruning - reward system dopa,ine neurotransmitter heightened while control system in the brain is still developing->more tempting risky - trying new things/experiences
   • Metacognition
     • = the ability to think about/monitor one's own thoughts & cognitive activities->while studying reflect what u already know different strategies
     • Adolescents
       • - more proficient in using metacognition than younger children - younger children can have it but slower to apply it - learn more efficient when aware of their own thinking
     • Theory of mind
       • = the ability to understand that other ppl exist & act from their mental states

5. Comparing

   • Qualitative/quantitative changes
     • - Piaget's theory vs information processing theory - but information processing cognition can explain stages - fmir areas of brain match
   • Individualist vs social origins
     • - Piaget's vs Vygotsky's - both constructualism
   • Nature vs nurture
     • - theory of core knowledge some basic knowledge's built into human brain - others interaction brain maturation/environmental experience