PSYC 354 Chapter 1: Introduction
7 Jan 2019
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Document Summary
Important to take a developmental perspective in order to explain aspects of being human. Helps us understand the origins and nature of skills like thinking. Separate topics like moral judgment or cognitive reasoning are interrelated and facilitated by social interaction. Including gestures, theories of language development, use of words and sentences. Children"s thinking about the social world - theory of mind. Theories are based onsets of preconceptions known as worldviews. Nativist and empiricist worldview sees skills as innate but unfolding throughout a lifespan; individual minds exist and coem to know about each other and the world. Person"s mental contents are effects of stimuli and operations triggered by those stimuli. Stems from philosophy but can be applied to children"s development. Adult world is ready-made but needs to be explored by the child - hence the child as scientist view. Assumes that thinking is hardwired , but this may not be biologically plausible. Patterns of interconnectivity are formed within activities.
