Weblecture 6
6B cognitive development: 3 dimensions
1. quantitative and qualitative development.
quantitative: smooth, continuous changes
qualitative: distinct changes in structure, entirely different kind of capacity, often made up of
small gradually changes
2. domain-general (global) and domain-specific (local)
general: broad changes in mental capacities, used in every domain of knowledge
specific: each domain has its own unique change.
3. foundational constraints and emergent constraints
foundational: development is limited from the outset, often due to genetics. For example: not
able to fly.
Emergent: development is emerging over time, in response to environment, depending on
specific experiences
preoperational stage:
2-7 years
emergence of language
only one aspect of a problem, rest ignored (centration)
fails on tasks of:
o classification
o conservation
o seriation
o transitive reasoning
logical operators:
compensation: change in one dimension compensates for a change in another dimension
reversibility: 'undo' things can return to intial state
identity: noting that values stay the same
--> lack of logical operators lead to:
centration: focusing excessively on one dimension of a transformation while ignoring other relevant
dimensions.
conservation task: do children use logical operators?
identity
compensation
reversibility
(rope, stones, water volume)
seriation task:
seriation of objects: order obejct to shared property (lentgth, size)
transitive reasoning: make logical inferences about relations (A>B, B>C, A>C)
,classification tasks
classification tasks: sorting objects, consistent criterium (color, shape, size)
class-inclusion relations: hierarchy of superordinate and subordinate categories
animal -> dog
information integration theory: younger children focus on one dimension of a problem (intentions
or consequences):
7-12 years of age
child now has mental operators that he previously lacked
responds correctly on conservation-, seriation- and classification tasks
no hypothetical reasoning
formal operational period
from >12 years of age
hypothetico-deductive reasoning: think systematically about different possibilities that might
depart from current reality
scientific model: isolating individual variables and seeing how they change when they are
systemetically manipulated one at a time
not all people achieve this stage, not even in adulthood
pendalum task:
what variables determine the rate of the swing
systemetically control variables so as to unambiguously isolate length as the only critical
variable
Why did children fail Piaget’s tasks?
Piaget: children lack the requisite cognitive structures
Other explanations:
o Children lack cognitive abilities that the task tests (memory, attention, inhibition)
o Children don’t understand which elements of the task are relevant (wrong focus)
o Children try to please the experimenter (they anticipate the ‘desired’ response)
Core domain: basic universal cognitive components.
Spatial knowledge: cognitive map. Mental representation of the spatial layout that can be
used for navigation. Allocentric and egocentric.
Allocentric spatial representations:
o Using beacons: noticing that an object is located directly under or right next to
another salient and permanent object
o Using landmarks: being able to use distance and direction from salient objects
o Geometric cues: noticing that the environment has a particular shape
>5 years: children can combine landmark and geometric information.
Age 3-7: language and mathematical skills develop
Number specific domain:
Foundational constraints: number/estimation skills. Quantitative development
Emergent constraints: number-rich language. Qualitative shift in number concepts.
Intuitive theories: ideas about how something works, never learned about through formal
instruction
, Influences on development
Piaget: experience leads to development
Vygotsky: You develop, then learn things and then develop again. (sociocultural influences)
Vygotsky’s view
Zone of proximal development
o Next level of a skill
o Next step in cognitive development
Scaffolding. Adults guide children in a manner that enables the child to take part in a more
advanced task then they could perform alone (support without doing it for them).
Theories about learning and development
1. Constructivism: Development always precedes learning; children first need to meet a
maturation level before learning occurs
2. Behaviourism: Learning and development cannot be separated but occur simultaneously.
Essentially, learning is development.
3. Vygotsky: Learning precedes development
Weblecture 7 and Keil chapter 7
Basic emotions: appear early in development, universal in human species. (closely linked to
amygdala)
Complex emotions: build on and occur developmentally later than basic emotions. (other brain
regions in interaction with amygdala)
Functionalist approach: emotions are ways of mobilizing ourselves to take action toward a goal;
stresses the function of emotional responses.
The 6 basic (primary) emotions:
Joy
Anger
Sadness
Disgust
Surprise
Fear
Appear very early in development
Are considered human universals
Self-conscious emotions: the emotional experience itself requires some degree of self-awareness.
(guilt, shame, embarrassment, pride, jealousy, envy, empathy)
Machiavellian emotions: meant to influence others and don’t simply reflect an internal state.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller ilse1912. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.29. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
