Psychology 2040A/B Lecture Notes - Genetic Epistemology, Puzzle Video Game, Object Permanence

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2040A/B
• Professor: Michael G Mac Donald

Document Summary

Cognition: activity of knowing and the mental processes used to acquire knowledge and solve problems. Cognitive development: changes that occur in mental skills and abilities over the course of life. Genetic epistemology: experimental study of development of knowledge intelligence: life function allowing organisms to adapt to environment. Achieving cognitive equilibrium: balanced relation interactionist model: children gain intelligence when internal mental schemes and external environment stimulate cognitive activity. Child as a constructivist: gains knowledge by acting on novel objects and events. Cognitive development is development of schemes or structures. Schemes: organized pattern of thought or action used to make sense of novel experiences; modified through organization and adaptation. Organization: rearranging existing schemes into more complex ones. Assimilation: interpret new experiences with existing schemes. Piaget"s stages of cognitive development interpret new experiences invariant developmental sequence: all follow same order: sensorimotor: birth-2 yo. Sensory inputs and motor capabilities become coordinated. Deferred imitation: ability to reproduce behavior a while after observed (18-24 months)