1. Development Through the Lifespan
Chapter 5
Cognitive Development in
Infancy and Toddlerhood
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2. Piaget’s Theory: Schemes
Psychological structures
Organized ways of making sense of experience
Change with age
Action-based sensorimotor patterns
Later move to “thinking before acting” pattern – creative and deliberate
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3. Building Schemes Adaptation Assimilation Accommodation
Building schemes through direct interaction with environment
Assimilation
Using current schemes to interpret external world
Accommodation
Adjusting old schemes and creating new ones to better fit environment
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4. Using Assimilation and Accommodation
Equilibrium and Disequilibrium
Use assimilation during equilibrium
Disequilibrium prompts accommodation
Organization
Internal rearranging and linking schemes
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5. Sensorimotor Stage Birth to 2 years
Building schemes through sensory and motor exploration
Circular reactions
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6. Sensorimotor Substages
Reflexive Schemes
Birth –1 mo.
Newborn reflexes
Primary Circular Reactions
1–4 months
Simple motor habits centered around own body
Secondary Circular Reactions
4–8 months
Repeat interesting effects in surroundings
Coordination of Secondary Circular Reactions
8–12 months
Intentional, goal-directed behavior; object permanence
Tertiary Circular Reactions
12–18 months
Explore properties of objects through novel actions
Mental Representations
12 months – 2 years
Internal depictions of objects or events; deferred imitation
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7. Object Permanence
Understanding that objects continue to exist when out of sight
According to Piaget, develops in Substage 4
Not yet complete:
A-not-B search error
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8. Mental Representations
Internal, mental depictions of objects, people, events, information
Can manipulate with mind
Allow deferred imitation and make-believe play
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9. Violation of Expectations Method
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10. Deferred Imitation Piaget: Develops about 18 months Newer research:
6 weeks – facial imitation
6 – 9 months – copy
actions with objects
12 – 14 months – imitate
rationally
18 months – imitate intended,
but not completed, actions
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11. Evaluation of the Sensorimotor Stage
Develop when Piaget suggested
Object search
A-not-B
Make-believe play
Develop earlier than Piaget suggested
Object permanence
Deferred imitation
Categorization
Problem solving by analogy
Some suggest infants are born with core knowledge in several domains of thought
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12. Core Knowledge Perspective
Born with innate, special-purpose knowledge systems
Core domains of thought
Core domains allow
quick grasp of
related information
Support rapid
early development
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13. Suggested Domains of Core Knowledge
Linguistic
Psychological
Physical
Numerical
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14. Testing Babies’ Numerical Knowledge
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15. Infants’ Numerical Knowledge
Infants may be able to:
Discriminate quantities up to 3
Do simple arithmetic
Findings are
controversial
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16. Store Model of Information Processing
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17. Information-Processing Improvements
Attention
Efficiency, ability to shift focus improve
Less attraction to novelty, better sustained attention after first year
Memory
Retention intervals lengthen
Recall appears by 1 year; excellent in second year
Categorization
Impressive perceptual categorization in first year
Conceptual categorization in second year
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18. Memory Improvements
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19. Development of Categorization
Perceptual
Based on similar overall appearance or prominent part
Conceptual
Based on common function or behavior
Later add event categories
Figure Categorical distinction made by 9- to 11-month-olds
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20. Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory
Social contexts (other people) contribute to cognitive development
Zone of Proximal Development – tasks child cannot do alone but can learn to do with help of more skilled partners
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21. Toddler/Infant Intelligence Tests
Bayley Scales
Cognitive
Language
Motor
Social-Emotional
Adaptive Behavior
HOME
Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment
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22. Meaning of Different IQ Scores
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23. Normal Distribution of IQ Scores
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24. Signs of Developmentally-Appropriate Child Care
Adult-child interactions
Teacher qualifications
Relationships with parents
Licensing & accreditation
Physical setting
Group size
Caregiver-child ratio
Daily activities
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25. IQ Improvement from Early Intervention Programs
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26. Three Theories of Language Development
Behaviorist
Learned through
Operant conditioning (reinforcement)
Imitation
Nativist
Inborn Language Acquisition Device (LAD) biologically prepares infants to learn rules of language
Interactionist
Inner capacities and environment work together
Social context is important
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27. Getting Ready to Talk First speech sounds Becoming a communicator
Cooing
Babbling
Becoming a communicator
Joint attention
Give- and-take
Preverbal gestures
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28. Starting to Talk First Words Two-Word Utterances Underextension
Overextension
Two-Word Utterances
Telegraphic Speech
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29. Individual Differences in Language Development
Environment
Child-Directed Speech (CDS)
Gender
Personality
Language Style
Referential
Expressive
Language Delay
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30. Supporting Early Language Learning
Infants
Respond to coos and babbles
Establish joint attention
Use child-directed speech
Play social games
Toddlers
Play make-believe together
Have frequent conversations
Read often and talk about books
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