Theories of Development

1. Jean Piaget; one of the century’s 20 most influential scientists (as named by Time Magazine in 1999) Theories of Development

2. What is Cognitive Development? • Def: The progressive changes in our ability to solve mental challenges • Before 1952 – children simply knew less, not differently, than adults • Jean Piaget (1952) – • Children are not miniature adults • They aren’t “dumber” than adults either • They just think differently A simple task now, sorting by color wasn’t always so easy

3. What are Schemas? • Def: A framework that helps us add new experiences to our world • Basic building block of intellectual development • Schema of a dog • Fur, 4 legs, cuddly, etc • Two ways to adapt schemas: Assimilation and Accommodation Initially, a baby may think of all four-legged animals as dogs, but later that changes based on the baby’s experience with other four-legged animals

4. How are Schemas Adapted? Assimilation Accommodation Takes new information and creates a NEW schema (usually by changing an old one) Ex. Stuffed Animal Schema Cuddle-able? Yes Suckable? No! Throwable? No! Conclusion: New Schema: Doggie • Takes new information and applies it to an OLD schema • Ex. Stuffed Animal Schema • Cuddle-able? Yes • Suckable? Yes • Throwable? Yes • Conclusion: Stuffed Animal!

5. What is Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development? • 4 Stage Approach • SensorimotorStage • Birth to 2 years • Experience world through senses • Practicing Reflexes • What are babies born with? • Object permanence • Objects exist even when not perceived • By 6-8 months babies figure it out • Stranger Anxiety • Piaget underestimated babies abilities

6. Young children glance at this one but seem to realize there's nothing unusual about it. However, they spend significantly longer looking at this one, suggesting that they realize it’s impossible.  That is they realize that the carrot should still be visible in the space.

7. What is Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development? • Preoperational Stage • 2 to 6 or 7 years • Representing things with words and images • Use intuitive rather than logical thinking • Pretend play • Language Development • Egocentrism (other slide) • Theory of Mind (other slide)

8. What is Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development? • Egocentrism • Seeing things from only one point of view • “Do you have a brother?” Yes, Jim • “Does Jim have a brother? No • Often referred to as selfish • For many, egocentrism remains throughout life

9. What is Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development? • Theory of Mind • The ability to infer others’ mental states • In other words, the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes • An extension of egocentrism Children who have mastered this task will correctly answer that Sally will look in the basket; children with autism will continue to say the box.

10. What is Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development? • Concrete Operational Stage • 7 to 11 years • Thinking logically about concrete events • Thinking forward and backward (4+8 = 12; 12-4 = 8) • Grasping concrete analogies and doing math • Can solve the conservation problem correctly • Change in shape does NOT mean change in quantity

11. What is Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development? • Formal Operational Stage • About 12 through adulthood • Abstract Reasoning • Problem solving using hypothetical propositions • Ex. Freshman at Johnson often ask, “What about if XYZ happens?” Because they cannot grasp a hypothetical proposition and must concretely get an answer to EACH proposition, they have not yet entered this stage of development!