Overview
This lecture covers Piaget’s theory of cognitive development in infancy and toddlerhood, focusing on the sensorimotor stage and early language acquisition.
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
- Piaget viewed cognitive development as a sequence of stages shaped by biology and experience.
- Intelligence develops through constructing mental models of the world.
- Development occurs through discontinuous stages rather than gradual, continuous change.
- Children adapt using mental structures (schemes) to interact with their environment.
Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 Years)
- Infants learn about the world through sensory experiences and motor actions.
- Cognitive processing at this stage depends on schemes—action-based ways of organizing knowledge.
- Assimilation is integrating new info into existing schemes; accommodation is altering schemes for new info.
- There are six substages in the sensorimotor stage, from simple reflexes to internalizing mental representations.
Six Substages of Sensorimotor Development
- 1. Simple Reflexes (0-1 mo): Inborn reflexes like sucking and grasping.
- 2. First Habits/Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 mo): Repeating actions focused on the infant’s own body.
- 3. Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 mo): Repeating actions involving objects or people, showing intentionality.
- 4. Coordination of Secondary Circular Reactions (8-12 mo): Combining actions to achieve goals (hand-eye coordination).
- 5. Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 mo): Experimenting and varying actions to observe results; “little scientists.”
- 6. Internalization of Schemes (18-24 mo): Using symbols and mental representation; beginning of pretend play.
Object Permanence and Related Research
- Object permanence is understanding objects exist even when out of sight, typically developing around 7-8 months.
- Newer research suggests signs of object permanence appear earlier, shown through habituation and violation-of-expectation methods.
- Infants may look longer at unexpected events, suggesting surprise and cognitive awareness.
Imitation, Attention, and Memory
- Infants can imitate simple behaviors days after birth, indicating biological reflexes.
- Deferred imitation and pretend play emerge as memory and mental representation improve.
- Attention span increases between 3-9 months, supporting more complex cognitive tasks.
- Joint attention (following another’s gaze) aids in early communication and learning.
Language Development in Infancy
- Human language is infinitely generative, allowing endless combinations from limited words and rules.
- Babies progress from crying to cooing, babbling, gestures, and first words by around one year.
- Receptive vocabulary (understanding) is larger than spoken vocabulary in infants.
- Vocal “spurts” occur around 18 months, with overextension and underextension common in early word use.
- Two-word combinations and “telegraphic speech” develop between 18-24 months.
Environmental and Biological Influences on Language
- Language acquisition is influenced by both innate brain structures and social interactions.
- Adults support language with infant-directed speech, recasting, expanding, and labeling.
- Reading to infants and toddlers enhances vocabulary and concept development.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Scheme — an organized pattern of action or thought to interpret experiences.
- Assimilation — fitting new information into existing schemes.
- Accommodation — changing schemes to fit new information.
- Sensorimotor Stage — Piaget’s first stage, where infants learn via senses and actions.
- Object Permanence — understanding that objects exist even when not visible.
- Deferred Imitation — copying behavior seen at an earlier time.
- Joint Attention — shared focus between infant and another person on an object or event.
- Telegraphic Speech — early two-word sentences omitting smaller grammatical words.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review videos and resources on Canvas about sensorimotor substages, assimilation, accommodation, and object permanence.
- Complete the infant/toddler observation assignment; clarify requirements as needed.
- Participate in Discussion 5 with examples of toys/activities and respond to at least two peers.