6.1 Evaluate Theories of Cognitive Development

Stage 1: Pre-Intellectual Social Speech

0-3 years. No use of language, speech consists of sounds to effect social change.

Piaget's Stages of Development

1. Sensorimotor (0-2); 2. Preoperational (2-7); 3. Concrete Operational (7-11); 4. Formal Operational (11-15)

Stage 2: Egocentric Speech

3-7 years. Language helps control a child's behavior, and language is spoken out loud.

Criticism of Pre-Operational Stage: McGarrigle and Donaldson (1974)

63% of 6 year olds could understand conservation of beads when their attention was focused, using "Naughty Teddy."

Scaffolding

A technique where children are taught the basic structures of a subject, and then they gradually begin to work on their own.

Features of Formal Operations

Ages 11-15, completed in adults by age 20. Ability to think abstractly and deal with hypothetical problems.

Features of Pre-Operational Stage

Ages 2-7. Infant can focus on only one thing at a time (centration), can only see from their viewpoint (egocentrism), cannot understand the concept of conservation.

Stage 3: Inner Speech

Ages 7 and older. Child uses silent speech to develop thinking, and speaks out loud for social communication

Features of Concrete Operational Stage

Ages 7-11. Can form rules (operations) about physical (concrete) objects only. Conservation is achieved.

Criticism of Pre-Operational Stage: Field (1982)

Argued that children could perform non-concrete operations. Their play showed active imagination and construction of abstract and complex roles in play

Neurons

Basic functional elements of the brain

Comparing the 3 Perspectives: How Children Learn

Biological: brain develops according to genetics, but this can be modified by environment. Cognitive: Children learn by creating their own meaning. Sociocultural: Adults guide students in learning the cultural meanings of their actions.

Comparing the 3 Perspectives: How Children Develop

Biological: development requires a healthy brain. Cognitive: children can only learn when they are ready, when they have passed to the proper stage. Sociocultural: Observation, social interaction, cooperation and cultural practices are keys to cognitive development.

Rate and Nature of Brain Development

Brain doubles in size from birth to young adult, by creating folds, increasing surface area. Growth is largely in areas processing cognitive and emotional content. Result is more complex neuronal networks, so limited neurons can process more information.

Evaluating Vygotsky's Theories: Strengths

Called attention to social and cultural aspects of cognitive development. Provided an alternative viewpoint to Piaget. Also heavily used in educational theory.

Criticism of Pre-Operational Stage: Hughes (1975)

Challenged egocentrism by showing when the situation was one children understood (using dolls instead of mountains), children in this stage did not show egocentrism

Piaget's View of Child Learning (Constuctivism)

Child is an "active scientist" constructing meaning through discovery. This process builds their cognitive schema systems, and begins with basic operations of physical world, building to mental operations.

Neuroscience Research: Strathearn et al. (2001)

Child neglect is associates with significantly delayed development and head growth in children

Explaining Vgotsky's Sociocultural Approach: How Children Learn

Children grow up in a specific historical, social, and cultural context, which influences how they develop. Culture plays a key role in cognitive development.

Criticism of Sensorimotor Stage: Bower (1982)

Children in this age showed surprise when a raised screen showed an object missing, indicating they understood objects exist when they don't see them.

Stage Theory

Children pass through discrete "stages" and gain new competencies in each. They are universal for all children, tied to age, and you cannot enter a new stage without passing successfully through the previous one.

Neuronal Networks

Connection of neurons linked through synaptic growth which allow information processing

Proximal Zones of Development

Defined progress as the difference between what a child could learn on their own, and what they could learn under adult guidance.

Criticism of Pre-Operational Stage: Taylor (1993)

Demonstrated that a child's use of imaginary friends was not only abstract, but it help their subsequent social development

Differences with Piaget

Denied discovery learning and the idea children found their own meaning. Thought meaning was culturally based, and adults had to help children learn about the world.

The Purpose of Cognitive Neuroscience

Explores developing brain to understand healthy development. Examines factors that interfere with brain development, and the cognitive problems this causes

Features of Sensorimotor Stage

From 0-2, baby moves from reflex actions to constructing knowledge through sensory experience. No schema, so no "operations" can be formed. Things don't exist when they can't see them.

Evaluating Piaget: Strengths

He laid the foundation for study of cognitive development, and contributed heavily (if dubiously) to educational theories espousing role of teacher as facilitator. Showed children think qualitatively differently than adults.

Piaget's Methodology

His "clinical" approach centered on observations and open-ended interviews with children. Designed to reveal logic behind their thinking

Vygotsky's Stages of Development: Internalizing Language

Internalizing language carries with it the power to alter social action, and occurs in three steps. 1. Pre-Intellectual social speech; 2. Egocentric Speech; 3. Inner Speech

Evaluating Vygotsky's Theories: Criticisms

It is an outline, not a complete theory. Most parts of it are observable, but not testable--there may be alternate explanations. It's integration into education through Bruner's expanding curriculum have been challenged by later research.

Vygotsky's Theory of Language

It is our primary way of communicating. Begin with using it to interact with our environment to meet our needs, and later becomes internalized, as we interact with people and culture.

Piaget's Schema Theory

Knowledge consists of mental representations that change over time. Innate schemas help newborns explore the world, and develop through this interaction, either by assimilation or accommodation.

Neuroscience Research: Waber (2007)

Longitudinal MRI study of normal brain development in 450 6-18 year olds. Measured cognitive functions, IQ, psychosocial functions. Found age predicted performance; steep increase from 6-10, then levels of. Proccessing speed increases with age.

Neuroscience Research: Giedd (2004)

Longitudinal study of healthy children showed 95% of brain structure formed by 5 or 6. Prefrontal areas start growing again in adolescence, last part of brain to mature. It is responsible for planning, impulse control, directing attention and decision making.

Factors Affecting Neuronal Network Development

Loving and responsible caregivers contribute to healthy brain development. Social deprivation, inadequate nutrition, prenatal teratogens, and pollute may interfere

Evaluating Piaget: Weaknesses

Methods unscientific, small biased samples, underestimated age at which children learn operations, ignored social dimension, confused competency with performance, asked questions children could not grasp, not clear if we develop in discrete stages, much of his discovery learning applies only to young children.

Change in Neuronal Networks

Neuronal networks change as a result of learning, experience, and age. Each brain therefore has its own neural architecture

Growth of Neuronal Networks

Neuronal networks grow in size and complexity after birth, as mylination increases. Networks grow fastest in children and adolescents, then are pruned and become more efficient

How Neuroscientist Study the Brain

Neuroscientists use brain imaging--MRI, PET Scans. Focus is relationship between brain development and cognitive process in infants and young children

Assimilation

New information is fit int existing cognitive schemas

Accommodation

New schemas are created when new information does not fit old schemas. This results in knowledge creation

Limitations of Neurobiological Approach

No cause and effect between development and cognitive functions, only correlations. Still unclear how neuronal networks affect children's cognitive development. Perhaps further MRI and longitudinal studies will help

Differences between Children and Adult Reasoning, According to Piaget

Qualitative difference, as children use self-directed problem solving in cognitive development, leading to adult formal logic.

Neuroscience Research: Rosenweig and Bennet (1972)

Rats raised in an enriched environment (lots of toys) showed greater synaptic growth.

Strengths of Neurobiological Approach

Shows how brain develops from simple to complex, and links it to cognitive competence. Shows positive effect of enriched environment, and devastating effects of neglect on cognition, emotion, and behavior.

Cognitive Neuroscience

Studies the relationship between the brain and cognitive competence

Role of Instruction in Vygotsky's Theory

Thought development was only possible by providing adult instruction, using techniques such as scaffolding.

Neuroscience Research: Chugani (1999)

Used PET scans to measure glucose. Little activity in cerebral cortex. Activity in brainstem and thalamus, and limbic system, which govern emotional processing, memory, and bonding

Criticisms of Piaget's Methodology

Used small, nonrepresentative samples, a lack of rigor, cross-sectional rather than longitudinal studies that make it hard to assess changes, and asking "adult" level questions of children.