Lecture Notes: Cognitive Development and Piaget's Theory

Introduction

• Cognitive development helps us grasp concepts.
• Discussed relationship between genetics and environment on development.
• Developmental psychology studies physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes throughout life.

Cognitive Development

• Maturation: Sequence of changes in behavior/appearance.
• Involves inherent genetic tendencies and personal experiences.
• Piaget: Key figure in cognitive development.

Jean Piaget

• Swiss developmental psychologist.
• Discovered consistent mistakes among children of specific ages.
• Theory: Humans go through specific stages of cognitive development.

Schemas

• Mental frameworks interpreting information.
• Physical and abstract concepts.
• Strive for cognitive equilibrium between thought processes and environment.

Adaptation Processes

• Assimilation: Interpret new experiences in terms of existing schemas.
• Accommodation: Adjust schemas to new experiences.

Four-Stage Theory of Cognitive Development

1. Sensorimotor Stage (Birth - 2 years)

   • Experience world through senses and actions.
   • Lack object permanence early on.
   • Develop object permanence as they grow.

2. Preoperational Stage (2 - 6/7 years)

   • Egocentrism: Difficulty imagining another's point of view.
   • Animism: Belief that inanimate objects have feelings.
   • Lack understanding of conservation and reversibility initially.
   • Development of theory of mind in later stage.

3. Concrete Operational Stage (6/7 - 11/12 years)

   • Logical thinking about concrete events.
   • Overcome centration, develop decentration.
   • Understand conservation and reversibility.

4. Formal Operational Stage (12+ years)

   • Abstract thinking, problem-solving, hypothetical questioning.

Criticisms and Further Research

• Piaget's model too rigid; development seen as more continuous.
• Earlier occurrence of stages (e.g., object permanence in 3-month-olds).

Lev Vygotsky

• Emphasized social environment and parental instruction in development.
• Concept of scaffolding to assist higher levels of thinking/learning.
• Language plays key role in development.
• Development may vary across cultures.

Conclusion

• Piaget demonstrated children think differently than adults.
• His theories spurred new developmental research.
• Impact of upbringing on personality to be discussed next week.

Summary of Key Concepts

• Schemas, assimilation, accommodation.
• Piaget's four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational.
• Vygotsky's scaffolding theory.