PSYC 251 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Cognitive Development, Active Child, Puzzle Video Game

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 251
• Professor: Elizabeth Anne Kelley

Document Summary

How understanding theories of child development can yield practical benefits: developmental theories provide a framework for understanding important phenomena, developmental theories raise crucial questions about human nature, developmental theories lead to a better understanding of children. Enduring themes addressed by theories of cognitive development: Nature and nurture, influence of the sociocultural context, how change occurs. Nature and nurture, the active child, how change occurs. It extends from infancy through adolescence and examines diverse topics: offers an intuitively plausible depiction of the interaction of nature and nurture in cognitive development as well as the continuities and discontinuities that characterize intellectual growth. In his view, nurture includes the nurturing provided by parents, other caregivers and every experience children encounter. Sources of discontinuity: the follo(cid:449)i(cid:374)g a(cid:396)e the (cid:272)e(cid:374)t(cid:396)al p(cid:396)ope(cid:396)ties of piaget"s stage theo(cid:396)(cid:455), qualitative change, broad applicability, brief transitions. Sensorimotor stage: the earlier in development, the more rapidly changes occur.