Issues in Developmental PsychologyIssues in Developmental Psychology

Nature and Nurture Heredity imposes some limits on what a

person can become. Home, education, nutrition, etc. can evoke

positive and negative influences.• Resilience: the ability to bounce back

• Vulnerabilities Difficult temperament, genetic disorders

• Protective factors High intelligence, good coordination, easy-going

personality

Stages or No Stages Quantitative changes — height Qualitative changes — advancements

in logical thinking

Jean PiagetJean Piaget

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive DevelopmentPiaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Important Concepts: Changes in schemes underlie four

stages of cognitive development

Each stage reflects a qualitatively different way of reasoning and understanding the world

Stages occur in fixed sequence

Accomplishments of one stage provide the foundation for the next stage

Children throughout the world seem to progress through the stages in the same order, but they show individual differences in the rate they pass through them

Each child’s rate is influenced by the level of maturation and experience

Transition from one stage to another is gradual, not abrupt

Children often show aspects of two stages while going through transitions

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive DevelopmentPiaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Organization • Human’s have a basic tendency to

organize knowledge!

• Mental process that uses specific experiences to make inferences that are generalized to new experiences

ADAPTATION• Humans are hard wired to adapt to

their environment.

Schemes• A cognitive structure or concept

used to identify and interpret information’

Piaget conceptualized Piaget conceptualized

two processes for adaptationtwo processes for adaptation. Assimilation

• The process by which new objects, events, or experiences, or information is incorporated into existing schemes

A child who calls any male stranger “Daddy”

• We fit new information into existing schemes.

• We have to “stick” new knowledge into prior knowledge that we already have.

When we can’t relate to an existing scheme, we have to When we can’t relate to an existing scheme, we have to form a new oneform a new one!!

Accommodation• The process by which existing schemes

are modified and new schemes are created

• Incorporates new objects, events, experiences, or information

• THIS IS LEARNING!!

EQUILIBRATIONEQUILIBRATION

Mental process motivating humans to keep schemes in balance

When we achieve balance between assimilation and accommodation

If we apply a particular scheme, and the scheme works … we are satisfied.

WHEN WE CAN’T MAKE IT MAKE SENSEWHEN WE CAN’T MAKE IT MAKE SENSE

Scheme does not produce satisfying result.

DISEQUILIBRIUM • Brains are hard wired to DISLIKE• THIS IS COGNITIVE DISSONANCE• PRIME time for learning

NEW INFO NEW INFONEW INFO

Can relate to prior facts

Can’t relate, doesn’t Can’t relate, doesn’t fitfit

Can explain using what we already know

Can’t explain, Can’t explain,

Must modify or adjust Must modify or adjust thinkingthinking

ASSIMILATION ACCOMODATIONACCOMODATION

Assimilation Accommodation

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive DevelopmentPiaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years) • Infants gain an understanding of

the world through their senses and their motor activities

Actions and body movements Infant’s behavior gradually moves from mostly

reflexive to complex and intelligent Infant learns to respond to and manipulate

objects and use them in goal-directed activity

• Object Permanence Realization that objects continue to exist, even when

they can no longer be perceived

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive DevelopmentPiaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Preoperational Stage (2-7 years) • Symbolic Function

The understanding that one thing can stand for another

• An object, a word, a drawing• The use of words to present object

Orange - both a color and a fruit Pretend Play

• Imagining a block is a car• Imagining a doll is a real baby

Pre-operational childPre-operational child

Are ego centric – tend to center on their own viewpoint. Does not necessarily mean they are selfish or egotistical.

Developing THEORY OF MINDTHEORY OF MIND – have a difficult time understanding how someone else’s mind works.

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive DevelopmentPiaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Concrete Stage (7-11 or 12 years)

• Reversibility Realization that any change

in the shape, position, or order of matter can be reversed mentally

• Conservation Concept that a given

quantity of matter remains the same despite being rearranged or changed in appearance, as long as nothing is added or taken away

Concrete StageConcrete Stage

Children and adolescents can think logically about real things -(concrete) things

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive DevelopmentPiaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Formal Operations (11 or 12 years and beyond)

• Preadolescents and adolescents can apply logical thought to abstract, verbal, and hypothetical situations and to problems in the past, present, or future

• The world of adolescents

• Hypothetic-Deductive Thinking Ability to base logical reasoning on a

hypothetical premise Comprehend abstract subjects like

philosophy and politics and become interested in the world of ideas

Begin to formulate their own theories and think of what might be

•Conceive of “perfect” solutions to the world’s and their own problems

• Ability to engage in proportional reasoning.

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive DevelopmentPiaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Formal Operations (continued)• Naïve Idealism

A type of thought in which adolescents construct ideal solutions for problems

Teens with divorced parents may idealize the non-custodial parent

• Imaginary Audience

Adolescents believe that they are or will be the focus of attention in social situations and that others will be as critical or approving as they are of themselves

Teens spend many hours in front of the mirror trying to please this audience

• Personal Fable An exaggerated sense of personal uniqueness and indestructibility

•May be the basis for adolescent risk taking

•Many believe they are somehow indestructible and protected from misfortunes that befall others

LEV VYGOTSKYLEV VYGOTSKY

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural ApproachVygotsky’s Sociocultural Approach

Vygotsky hypothesized that much of a child’s cognitive development results from the internalization of information acquired socially, primarily through language.

• Children come equipped with basic skills Perception Ability to pay attention Certain memory capacities

Zone of Proximal DevelopmentZone of Proximal Development

• Range of cognitive tasks that a child cannot yet complete but can learn to do through the guidance of an older child or adult

ZPD

Level of independent performance

Level of assisted performance

ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT

Time

ZPD1

Assisted

Independent

ZPD2

Independent

Assisted

ZPD3

Independent

Assisted

DYNAMICS OF THE ZONE

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural ApproachVygotsky’s Sociocultural Approach

Scaffolding

• Term actually coined by Jerome Brunner

• Type of instruction in which an adult (or more advanced individual,) adjusts the amount of guidance provided to match an individual’s present level of ability

• Direct instructions are given First for unfamiliar tasks As competency increases the more

advanced individual gradually withdraws from direct and active teaching

The learner continues toward independent mastery of the task

Parent helps child ride bike by holding it, lets go as child can balance and ride by themselves.

Naturally occurs within the context of parent-child interaction

Helping a child learn how to put shapesinto the right holes

Tools mediate the learning experience

Metacognition Self Regulation

Adolescents and AdultsAdolescents and Adults

Apprentice model May learn from peers May learn from other adults (not

necessarily family members)