Alternative Cognitive Development.

Alternative Cognitive Development.

1. Vygotsky

   • Children can be encouraged to learn before ready
     • Differs to piaget. Must be cognitively ready.
     • Scaffolding
       • Demonstration, Instruction, Praise, Encouragement, Removal.
       • When used to teach cultural traditions it is called guided participation
         • Chris and Greenfield - Mexican children taught to weave through scaffolding.
           • Shows guided participation can teach tradition
       • Expands zone of proximal development.
         • ZDP - Gap between what a child can do alone and with help
       • Connor et al - Children whose parents used scaffolding problem solved better.
       • Used by teachers
       • Used in peer mentoring
       • Conflicting advice can confuse children
   • Culture effects the rate of learning
     • Dasen- Australian outback children developed spatial skills earlier than western children because they were important to survive.
   • Piaget underestimated the value of adults in child learning.
   • Children are mini apprentices.
     • Differs to Piaget - children are mini scientists.
   • Language aids cognitive development
     • Differs to Piaget. Cog dev aids language.
     • Behrend et al - Children who used inner speech problem solved better.

2. Nativist explanations.

   • Chomsky - Children acquire language without help. They have an innate language acquisition device.
   • Baillargeon - object permanence is innate
     • Children were shown expected events and unexpected events. Expected = carrot could not be seen through window as it was too short. Unexpected = Carrot should have been viewable as tall however wasnt there in the window.
       • They looked longer at the unexpected event so they thought it should have been there - object permanence.
         • Could only infer that looking longer proved her theory.
     • They were not new borns so could have been interaction with environment.
     • Much more limited when compared to Piaget's research

3. Information processing approach

   • With age perception, memory and problem solving become sophisticated.
     • Flavell - 20 children shown 7 pictures. Asked to recall them. Lip reader saw 10yr olds used verbal repetition to aid recall, 5 yr olds didnt
       • So, as children age their memory increases and they spontaneously developed a rule for solving memory problems
         • Similar to Vygotsky - verbal repetition aids cog dev.
         • Keeney found the memory of 5 and 10yr olds is the same when all use verbal repetition.
           • However they use their memories more efficiently.
   • Bee - 4 ways in which information processing changes
     • Capacity of memory increases.
     • Rules for problem solving become more sophisticated
     • Efficiency increases
     • Awareness of their own cognitive ability develops.

4. Siegler's over lapping wave theory.

   • We develop sets of rules for problem solving.
     • With age they become more complex
     • When one rule is not used it dies out
     • When we use a rule a lot it continues to exist
     • Each wave represents a problem solving rule. When it is used a lot they grow. Smaller waves are those that could grow if used.
   • Study showing problem solving strategies become more complex with age.
     • Showed children between 5 and 17 a balance scale with weights on either side.
       • He moved the weights around and asked them which side would fall.
         • 5yrs - chose side with most weights.
           • 9yrs - chose the side that had the most weights furthest away from the fulcrum
             • Over 9yrs took into consideration both the number of weights and distance from the fulcrum
   • Based on scientific research
   • Not as broad as Piaget
   • Used in teaching

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