PSYC 3050 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Jean Piaget, Object Permanence, Developmental Psychology
Document Summary
Cognition: all the mental activity and thought processes through which we attain (and manipulate) knowledge, not directly observable or measured directly but inferred from the behaviours we can observe. He looked at children and their thinking as being qualitatively different from adults. Piaget a philosopher / psychologist first trained as a biologist: longitudinal study baby biographies, stage theory of cognitive development. Has had the greatest impact on developmental psychology. Emphasized the role of children in development. Children are not incomplete adults: think differently qualitative differences. Piaget principles: stage theory (discontinuous) qualitative abrupt changes, curious (intrinsically active); active role. Children are not passive creatures they are instrinsically active and possess an innate curiosity and seek stimulation. The motivation for development is within the child. They are primarily responsible for their own: constructivism development. We construct our own knowledge and own reality. Kids at different ages will have different levesl of reality and knowledge and this will influence what they will learn.
