HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 1 PSYCHOLOGY 3050: Piagets Theory Ch'4 1

1
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 1PSYCHOLOGY 3050Piagets
Theory Ch.4 (1)
Dr. Jamie Drover SN-3094, 737-8383 e-mail
jrdrover_at_mun.ca Winter Semester, 2009
2
Jean Piaget

• A Swiss philosopher/psychologist first trained as
  a biologist.
• Has had the greatest impact on developmental
  psychology.
• Emphasized the role of children in development.
• Children are not incomplete adults.
• Think differently, qualitative differences.

3
Assumptions of Piagets Theory

• We develop in discrete stages.
• Cognitive development is through a series of
  transformations.
• But underlying functions are continuous.
• Mechanisms of cognitive development are
  domain-general.

4
Structures

• Structures unobservable mental systems that
  underlie intelligence.
• Cognition develops through the refinement and
  transformation of structures.
• An enduring knowledge base by which children
  interpret their world.
• This knowledge base changes as we develop.
• Schemes A system reflecting specific knowledge.
  OR a unit of behavior used as a basis for
  knowledge (sucking).

5
Intrinsic Activity

• Children are not passive creatures, they are
  intrinsically active and possess an innate
  curiosity and seek stimulation.
• The motivation for development is within the
  child.
• They are primarily responsible for their own
  development.
• Teachers should not instruct, but provide
  opportunities for learning

6
The Constructive Nature of Cognition

• Cognition is a constructive process.
• We interpret the world through our own personal
  perspective, ie, through what we already know.
• Constructivism
• Children at different levels construct different
  realities.

7
Functional Invariants

• Processes that characterize all biological
  systems (including intelligence) and operate
  throughout the lifespan.
• Organization Through organization, every
  intellectual operation is related to all other
  acts of intelligence.
• Structures are not independent, but are
  coordinated.
• Domain general

8
Functional Invariants

• Adaptation the organisms ability to adjust its
  structures to environmental demands.
• Assimilation the incorporation of new
  information in already existing schemes.
• Accommodation a current scheme is changed is
  changed to incorporate new information.

9
Assimilation and Accommodation

• Knowledge is constructed by these processes.
• Every act of intelligence involves both.
• One may predominate over the other.
• Play, imitation
• Children are not prepared to process some types
  of info over other, they actively construct
  knowledge.

10
Equilibration

• The organisms attempt to keep its cognitive
  structures in balance.
• When information does not match current schemes,
  disequilibrium results.
• Achieved through alteration of cognitive
  structures (e.g., accommodation).
• The child may also assimilate.

11
Stages of Development

• The order of the stages are invariant and
  culturally universal.
• Development is epigenetic
• Based on bidirectional interaction between
  structure and function.
• Later development is based on earlier
  development.
• New structure is a transformation of an earlier
  one.

12
The Sensorimotor Stage

• Birth to 2 years.
• Intelligence is limited to ones own actions on
  the environment.
• Do not form mental representations.
• Understand only what is physically present.
• Knowledge progresses from sensorimotor to
  representational thinking.

13
The Sensorimotor Stage

• There is a change is personal perspective.
• Learn to differentiate themselves from the
  external world.
• There are six substages
• 1) the use of reflexes Birth to 1 month
• Use reflexes to interpret the world
• They apply reflexes to objects and assimilate
  them to their schemes.

14
Last Class

• Piagets Stages
• Abrupt changes
• Domain general
• Structures knowledge base
• Schemes more specific, behaviors
• Intrinsic activity constructivism
• Assimilation and accommodation
• Equilibration
• New information doesnt fit structures (schemes)
• Sensorimotor Stage
• Knowledge is limited to ones actions

15
The Sensorimotor Stage

• Highly restricted in what they can know.
• They do not behave intentionally, but can adapt.
• 2) Primary circular reactions 1 to 4 months
• Reflexes are extended, new patterns of behavior
  are acquired.
• Can modify reflex schemes.

16
The Sensorimotor Stage

• Primary Circular Reactions the first class of
  acquired repetitive behaviors.
• Based on hereditary reflexes
• Show primitive signs of intentionality.

17
The Sensorimotor Stage

• 3) Secondary Circular Reactions 4 to 8 months.
• Not based on reflexes, but represent the first
  acquire new behaviors.
• These behaviors first appear by chance.
• 4) Coordination of secondary circular reactions
  8 to 12 months.
• Show goal-directed behavior and cause and effect.

18
The Sensorimotor Stage

• Coordinates secondary circular reactions.
• 5) Tertiary Circular Reactions 12 to 18 months.
• Characterized by clear means/end differentiation.
• Can alter existing schemes directly related to
  obtaining a solution.
• Show increasing locomotive abilities.
• Show a peak in curiosity.

19
The Sensorimotor Stage

• Still cannot form mental representations.
• Solve problems through trial and error.
• 6) Invention of new means through mental
  combinations.
• Symbolic functioning is first seen.
• New means are invented through mental
  combinations.

20
The Sensorimotor Stage

• Show symbolic function through language, deferred
  imitation, gestures, and mental imagery.

21
Object Permanence

• Knowledge that an object exists outside of ones
  perception or action on those objects.
• In the first two substages, objects are
  understood as extensions of the infants actions.

22
Object Permanence

• Shows its beginnings at the third substage.
• Still will not search for a completely hidden
  toy.
• Will retrieve a completely hidden toy in substage
  4.
• But still make A not B errors.
• Will not make this error in substage 5.

23
Object Permanence

• Cant solve invisible displacements
• Object is hidden in one container, and then
  hidden under another out of the vision of the
  observer.
• Need to mentally represent objects.
• Occurs at 18 months.