Introduction to Theme and Theories in Cognitive Development
Processes involved in adaptation (or growth) of mental structures
🍼 Assimilation 🍼 Accommodation 🍼 Equilibration
What Piaget meant by Sensorimotor
🍼 Children don't have complex thoughts in earlier stages
Equilibration
🍼 Ex. Child grabbing the ball
Attention: Allocation of mental resources to a task
🍼 Multitask: text & drive increase car accident is risky 🍼Selective attention 🍼Older children more focused
Objectives
🍼 Recognize the set of basic and higher level cognitive processes. 🍼 Define cognitive development. Understand why theories are important for understanding cognitive development 🍼 Understand what theories of cognitive development must accomplish. 🍼 Describe the nature of change and how change happens for Piagetian, Vygotskian theories and for the modules and core knowledge framework.
Zone of proximal development: range of cognitive function child is capable of achieving
🍼 Scaffold: Teach child how to write, read or do math
Perception: Cognitive Processes that interpret sensory information
🍼Infant innate ability 🍼Play role in higher form of cognition
Theories must describe the nature of change
Development goes through changes
WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO THEMES AND THEORIES IN COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Our focus here is on introducing and providing an overview of cognitive development. We first define cognition as basic processes that enable us to acquire knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses, we define cognitive development and we briefly discuss some of the ways child cognition differs from adult cognition. We then go on to discuss theories and frameworks for studying cognitive development including learning theories, the modules and core knowledge framework, and interactionist views of cognitive development. We also discuss why theories are important for the study of cognitive development.
Piaget's Theory
Theory stating that children actively construct their understanding of the world and go through four stages of cognitive development.
Development of Lower Order Processes
Welcome to this course on cognitive development. In Module 1 we will introduce you to lower order cognitive processes such as perception, attention and memory. In Module 2 you will learn about higher order cognitive processes. Both modules take you through the development of abilities across infancy, early childhood and middle childhood.
