Chapter 7 - Piaget I.Piaget’s Theory 4 stages Cognitive development Same order in all kids

Principles - development proceeds via: Adaptation respond to environment

Assimilation - incorporating new info into current understanding Accommodation - changing existing understanding based on new information

Structures - organization Behavioral scheme - organized pattern of behavior Symbolic scheme - representing events mentally Operational scheme - mental problem-solving

Stages = different types of logic & cognition Impetus to advance = inability of old logic to handle new information

II. Stages A.Sensorimotor Period (Birth - 2) - using reflexes for beginning problem solving Substage 1 (Birth - 1 month) - refine reflexes

Substage 2 (2-4 months) - primary circular reaction - chance event occurs re stimulating own body - infant finds event pleasing - infant repeats => beginning of intentional behavior

Substage 3 (4-8 months) - secondary circular reaction - learn by chance to make things happen to external objects

Substage 4 (8-12 months) - coordination of secondary schemes - combining 2+ secondary reactions to achieve goal - 1 st truly intentional behavior

Substage 5 (12-18 months) - tertiary circular reactions - systematically experiment with objects - try new methods to solve problems - emergence of curiosity

Substage 6 (18-24 months) Symbolic problem-solving - carry out experiments mentally - insight and planning - deferred imitation Object permanence - know objects still exist even when hidden

Summary of Sensorimotor - from reflexive, immobile infants to planful thinkers - form simple concepts/solve problems Deficiency: no symbolic thought

B.Preoperational Period (2-7 years) - beginning use of mental symbols “Preoperational” - not yet thinking logically - magical thinking - focus on deficiencies

Ability:Symbolic function Beginning ability to make one thing represent another Language Pretend play

5 Deficiencies - perceive things only 1 way at a time Egocentrism - no perspective taking Animism - attribute lifelike qualities to inanimate objects

Phenomenism - think appearance = reality Centration - consider only one aspect when need to consider 2+ No conservation - cannot understand that basic properties of object do not change when appearance changes

C.Concrete Operational Period (7-11) Ability = Mental Operations - think logically - about real objects & experiences

Additional mental operations: Reversibility - ability to mentally reverse an action Seriation - ability to mentally arrange objects along a dimension

Deficiency - cannot think abstractly (concrete = bound to existing objects)

Piaget & Education Construct own knowledge Best = challenging but within ability range Use real objects Active learning (not listening) vs. Doman’s Better Baby Institute

D.Formal Operational Period (12+) Ability = Abstract thought - mental actions performed on ideas & propositions - reason logically - not necessarily based on reality

Hypothetical-Deductive Reasoning all factors that could affect an outcome generate hypotheses test the hypotheses in orderly fashion

Personal & social implications Positive Apply problem-solving to life choices Consider possibilities Form stable identity Take others’ perspectives

Problematic Anger at world’s illogicality Frustration with those in charge -> all-or-none thinking Greater self-consciousness: Egocentrism vs. Social perspective-taking

We don’t all reach formal operations Intellectual abilities Formal schooling Maybe we have reached but don’t demonstrate ability

III. Criticisms of Theory Competence vs. performance 1.Tasks may be too difficult 2.Low motivation to perform 3.Poor memory

Following social conventions Socially appropriate responses vs. understanding Training Piagetian Concepts Necessity of maturation vs. Research on teaching concepts (Gelman)

Lack of Consistency within Stages Children perform at different levels Timing of Stages/Skills Piaget’s ages not always appropriate But sequence of abilities is supported

IV. Neo-Piagetians 1.Qualitative changes in thinking - At 2, 7, 11 - Retain the 4 basic stages & their sequence - Still no good explanation of how/why children advance 2.Performance varies by task