Lecture Notes: Week 12 - CHAT 496

Main Topics

• Cognitive Development
• WHIPSY Assessment (IQ Test)

Overview of Piaget’s Constructive Theory

• Background: Piaget was trained in biology and had a PhD in Zoology, exploring cognitive development through his own children.
• Theory Summary:
  • Discontinuous Development: Development occurs in distinct stages, akin to a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
  • Invariant Stages: Fixed order of stages—no skipping.
  • Universal Stages: All children worldwide pass through the same sequence.
  • Parallel Across Areas: Development progresses at the same rate across different cognitive areas.

Piaget’s Theory Stages

1. Sensory Motor Stage (0-2 years)

   • Infants act on the world.
   • Lack object permanence initially.
   • Exhibit A not B error (incorrectly choosing old hiding place of an object despite seeing it moved elsewhere).

2. Pre-operational Stage (2-6 years)

   • Use symbols and engage in make-believe play.
   • Lack logical quality in thinking.
   • Characteristics:
     • Delayed Imitation: Act out previously seen actions.
     • Pretend Play: Use objects to represent others (e.g., banana as a phone).
     • Language Development: Words begin to represent objects and actions.
     • Limitations:
       • Cannot focus on multiple aspects simultaneously (centration).
       • Struggle with conservation tasks (e.g., understanding quantity remains the same despite changes in shape).
       • Difficulty with hierarchical classification (whole vs. part).
       • Egocentric thinking: struggle to see things from others’ viewpoints.
       • Difficulty distinguishing appearance from reality.

WHIPSY Assessment (IQ Test)

• Focus on two subtests: Block Design and Object Assembly.
• General Considerations:
  • Administer tests as directed by the manual.
  • Maintain a calm, relaxed, and professional demeanor.
  • Ensure child is seated directly facing the table edge.

Block Design

• Measures visual-spatial skills using blocks.
• Administration:
  • 17 items divided into Parts A (one-color blocks) and B (two-color blocks).
  • Construct model for some items; child builds by looking at model or picture.
  • Timing is crucial with specific limits for each item.
  • Rotation errors and gaps have specific scoring rules.

Object Assembly

• Visual perceptual organization using puzzles.
• Assess trial and error learning.
• Administration:
  • Each item has a 90-second limit.
  • Record time taken for each item.

Important Notes

• Familiarize with reversal rules and when to discontinue tests.
• Establish rapport with the child before testing.
• Avoid terms like "intelligence" or "test" to reduce anxiety.