4. Cognitive Development

Cognitive Development: Big Questions •How do children learn

concepts to make sense of the world?• Is play a form of learning?•How does maturation affect

development?•What is normal development

at different ages?

4.1 Piaget’s Genetic- Epistemological Theory of Cognitive Development

4.2 Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development

4.3 Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development

4.4 Moral Development

4.5 Adolescence

4.6 Gender Role Identity and Sex Roles

4.7 Mental Health

4.8 School Readiness

4.9 Development and Acquisition of Language

4.10 Summary

4.1 Piaget’s Genetic-Epistemological Theory of Cognitive Development

Piaget: First model of cognitive science • Schema = concept/category

(based on original prototype) •Disequilibrium = facts don’t

match current schema•Adaptation (change schema) Accommodation (modify) Assimilation (incorporate) ➔ New equilibrium achieved

Piaget: Example • Schema: DOG = small, furry

(“My dog is small, furry”) •Disequilibrium: Say “DOG”

parent says, “No, CAT”•Adaptation Accommodation: Some

small, furry are not dogs Assimilation: Create new

CAT schema➔ New equilibrium achieved

Piaget’s stages of cognitive development

• Stages related to maturation (distinct qualities/abilities possible due to time/growth) • Each stage has unique

cognitive characteristics• Each stage has unique

cognitive challenges/tasks

Piaget’s stages: sensorimotor (0-2)

• Focus and intention •Object permanence • Imitation• “Random” explorations

and experimentation • Senses and manipulation

Piaget’s stages: preoperational (2-7)

•Centration (can filter only 1 attribute/object out of many)

•Conservation of quantity

• Egocentric viewpoint

•Reversibility of operations

• Transformation of attributes

• Language acquisition

• “Play” as learning mode

•Also gender identity/stability

Piaget’s stages: concrete operations (7-11)•Mastery of previous

challenges• Logical reasoning • Class inclusion (hold

several attributes in mind)• Classification (by attribute) • Seriation (sequencing) • Transitivity (relatedness)

Piaget’s stages: formal operations (11-)• Symbolic and abstract

reasoning •Literary symbols • Ideological implications •Quantitative concepts

(higher math, geometry)•Hypothetical reasoning •Generate hypotheses • Idealization and idealism

4.2 Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of Cognitive Development

Vygotsky: Social learning

• Internalization = soaking up environment through interaction with others •Observation and imitation

central to learning• Language from self-talk to

concept formation

Vygotsky: Scaffolded learning

• Parent/sibling/teacher assesses zone of proximal development (gap in skills or knowledge) • “Teacher” sets up mediated

learning experiences • Sets environment to fill in

gap sequentially

4.3 Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development

Erikson: 8 psychosocial stages of life

• From Freud: psychodynamic (psychoanalytic) foundation

• Stages related to maturation + unconscious motives

•Development is cognitive, social, and emotional

• Each stage has challenges, urges (tasks), traits

• Stage success ➔ fulfillment, readiness for next stage

Erikson: Stage I (0-1)

• Trust vs. mistrust• Infant must gain sense of

security in the world• Trust comes from

experience with caregivers• Success ➔ optimism and

hopefulness about life

Erikson: Stage II (1-3)

•Autonomy vs. shame • Toddler must gain sense of

self-mastery while adults are monitoring and limiting everything•Related to walking, speech,

toilet training, experimenting • Success ➔ competence

and independence

Erikson: Stage III (3-6)

• Initiative vs. guilt • Young child must gain

sense of independence and self-expression•Related to early school

experience, time with new people away from family • Success ➔ confidence and

willingness to try new things

Erikson: Stage IV (6-12)

• Industry vs. inferiority •Older child must gain

sense of competence and realism about abilities •Related to school subjects,

peer relations, interactions with teachers and coaches • Success ➔ self-worth,

self-esteem, self-motivation

Erikson: Stage V (Adolescence)

• Identity vs. role confusion • Teen must gain sense of

own personal values and sexual orientation•Related to development of

sex organs and urges, social issues, cognitive changes • Success ➔ “Who I am”

Erikson: Stage VI (Early adulthood)

• Intimacy vs. isolation• Young adult must learn

how to form close relations •Related to one-to-one

relations, social contacts, first employment• Success ➔ Ability to love

and commit

Erikson: Stage VII (Middle adulthood) •Generativity vs. stagnation•Adult must find ways to

create, contribute, expand•Related to raising family,

career development, social and civic participation• Success ➔ Purpose and

generosity

Erikson: Stage VIII (Older adulthood) • Integrity vs. despair • Find satisfaction and/or

resolution with past •Accept decline of cognitive

processing skills •Related to review of family,

work, priorities • Success ➔ Insight and

self-wisdom

4.4 Moral Development

Kohlberg: Developing moral reasoning

• Stages related to Piaget’s cognitive stages • Stages based on cognitive

development in relation to perceiving/solving moral dilemmas •Warning: morals not

always the same as ethics

Kohlberg: Level 1 (Preconventional)

Based on rules, rewards, punishments • Stage 1: Be good because

you get good things • Stage 2: Be good because

it’s the rule

Kohlberg: Level 2 (Conventional)

Based on expectation of reciprocity and conformity • Stage 3: Good behavior

pleases others, so conform • Stage 4: Social contract

and cohesion is important, not always self-interest

Kohlberg: Level 3 (Postconventional)

Based on individual rights and equality • Stage 5: Relative (not

absolute) standards and decisions • Stage 6: Universal principles

of justice, fairness, equity (i.e. ethics over morals)

Gilligan: Developing moral compassion

• Stages based on gender differences •Assertion: Females tend

to develop levels of moral compassion vs. moral reasoning

Gilligan: Stages of moral compassion development

• Level 1: Self-serving• Level 2: Self-sacrifice• Level 3: Balancing self-

sacrifice with self-care

4.5 Adolescence

Egocentricity & Status

• Personal fable (“Only I…”) • Invincibility (“Can’t be

hurt”) • Imaginary audience

(Judging)

• Social status (cliques, etc.)

Popular RejectedControversialNeglected • Authoritative parents/

teachers ➔ best adjusted (middle class)

Identity issues • Sexual identity

(orientation, gender roles, etc.) •Occupational direction,

leaving school (planning for transition to adulthood) • Values/lifestyle choices

(experimenting, cliques, etc.)

Marcia: Identity status •NOT stage theory •Categories based on

process and progress toward stable identity and direction• Foreclosure = early decision•Diffusion = confused•Moratorium = experimenting•Achievement = settled

4.6 Gender Role Identity and Sex Roles

Influences on gender and gender role identity •Biological influences •Adult-to-adult modeling •Adult-to-child treatment of

boys vs. girls •Media portrayals ➔ Can lead to gender bias and stereotypes

4.7 Mental Health

Childhood problems that affect development •Attention-deficit

hyperactivity (ADHD)•Abuse – physical or

sexual• Exposure to domestic

violence

•Depression

•Anxiety disorders

•Suicidal thoughts and actions

4.8 School Readiness

Factors that determine school readiness•Cognitive traits and abilities • Social skills • Emotional control• Physical/motor abilities • Language development ➔ Screening to prevent future frustration and failure

4.9 Development and Acquisition of Language

Components of language acquisition

• Learning words and meanings• Learning grammar/

structure • Learning to construct

meaningful strings of words

Acquisition stages

•Hearing in womb

•Cooing (infancy)

•Babbling 1 year

•Holophrastic (1 word) 18 mo. (Danger of overextension) •Telegraphic (2 words) 2 years

•Sentence construction 3 years (Danger of overregularization)

Acquisition theories •Behaviorist: rewards for

approximations • Social cognitive: imitation

(especially of mother)•Cognitive: activation of

biological “language acquisition device” (LAD)

➔ Language acquisition (like many stage-related skills) has critical/sensitive “window”

4.10 Summary

Cognitive development • Includes intellectual,

language, emotional, and social growth•Urges and challenges at

each stage • Teachers need to

understand what is possible and what can be expected in each stage