Summary AQA A-level Psychology - 4.3.4 Cognition and Development
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Course
Cognition and Development
Institution
AQA
4.3.4 Cognition and Development
This easy to read revisions notes that covers all topics on Cognition and Development with strong a01 description points and a03 evaluation points. This content includes Piaget's theory of cognitive development, stages of intellectual development, vygotsky's theory ...
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Content
Content ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development ..................................................................................... 3
Evaluation of Piaget’s theory of schemas ............................................................................................3
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development: Stages of intellectual development ............................. 4
Stage One: Sensorimotor Stage ...........................................................................................................4
Stage Two: Pre-Operational Stage .......................................................................................................5
Stage 3: Concrete Operational Stage...................................................................................................8
Stage 4: Formal Operational Stage ......................................................................................................9
General Evaluation of Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development ....................................................10
Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development............................................................................... 11
Piaget vs Vygotsky .............................................................................................................................11
Importance of Social Interaction .......................................................................................................11
The Zone of Proximal Development ..................................................................................................11
Scaffolding .........................................................................................................................................11
Evaluation of Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development ..............................................................12
Baillargeon’s explanation of early infant abilities ........................................................................ 13
Knowledge of the Physical World ......................................................................................................13
The Development of Social Cognition ......................................................................................... 15
Selman’s Levels of Perspective Taking...............................................................................................15
Theory of Mind ..................................................................................................................................18
Role of the Mirror Neuron System ....................................................................................................22
, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
Schema – A schema is a set of expectations developed from our experience. It helps us to process
information more quickly and efficiently.
Adaptation – Adaptation is a process of changing or altering our schemas.
Assimilation – Assimilation means fitting new information in an existing schema.
Accommodation – Accommodation is when we build a new schema or radically change our existing
schema.
Equilibration – Equilibration is when we successfully adapt our schemas.
Disequilibrium – Disequilibrium occurs when we feel confused or surprised where new information
does not fit into our existing schema.
Evaluation of Piaget’s theory of schemas
Strength: There is supportive evidence for the explanation that we develop our own
Moving down mental representations.
a slope • Howe et al (1992) tested children between 9-12 in groups of 4 to discuss the
movement of objects down a slope.
Children = not • Howe found that children developed their own personal understanding of
have the same how objects moved down the slope even though they had the same
understanding experiences and listened to the same discussion.
of the concept • Strength= This supports the idea that we learn by forming our own, unique,
mental representations of the world. Also supporting Piaget’s ideas of
schema driven learning through personal discovery.
Criticism: Overemphasised the role of equilibration.
Disequilibrium • Piaget stated that disequilibrium was so uncomfortable that children learn
Not everyone quickly to return to the state of equilibration.
are motivated • However not many children are motivated to learn and children have
by it different levels of intellectual curiosity.
Weakness = we cannot conclude that all children develop by schema driven
learning.
Criticism: Piaget’s theory ignores the influence of social interaction in development.
• His theory assumes that children develop by interacting with the
Social environment alone.
interaction • Other researcher such as Vygotsky suggests that learning occur through
and Vygotksy social interaction and the the development can be sped up.
Weakness = Piaget’s views ignore the importance of social interactions in
learning.
Practical He had important practical applications that ha s changed the way children are
application: being educated.
Discovery • He highly emphasised the importance of learning through self-discovery.
learning in • This has led to a teaching technique ‘discovery learning’. This involves
education practicals, activities and trips that allows children to experience something in
the real world.
• This helps children to develop and create schemas by themselves.
Strength = this theory has positive benefits on children’s education.
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