PSY BEH 11B Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Object Permanence, Lev Vygotsky, Egocentrism
16 Jun 2018
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9.2 How Do Children Learn About the World
I. Piaget emphasized stages of cognitive development
A. Piaget paid attention to how children make errors as to how they succeed on tasks
B. Developed four stages of development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete
operational, formal operational
C. It is not that children know less but their assumptions/views are different than an
adult
D. New schemas are formed during each stage (can be changed) through two
processes
1. Assimilation: new experience is placed into an existing schema
2. Accommodation: a new schema is created or an existing one is
dramatically altered
II. Sensorimotor stage (Birth to 2 years)
A. differentiates self from objects
B. Recognizes self as agent of action
C. Achieves object permanence: realizes that a thing continues to exist even when no
longer present to the senses (up until 9 months)
III. Preoperational stage (2-7 Years)
A. No understanding of law of conservation of quantity
1. Because of centration: cannot focus on more than one thing at a time
B. Shows egocentrism: cannot see from another’s perspective
IV. Concrete operational stage (7-12 years)
A. Can think logically but not abstractly
B. Understands law of conservation of quantity
V. Formal operational stage (12 years and up)
A. Can reason in sophisticated/abstract ways
B. Critical thinking
C. Ability to form hypothesis and test it
1. Gave children flask of liquids (4) and one colored liquid
2. If you mix correctly you get a specific color
VI. Challenges to piaget theory
A. Vygotsky focus on role of social and cultural context in development of cognition
and language
B. Children may move back and forth between stages due to differences in brain
C. Piaget thought all adults are formal operational thinks but studies show that
without work, adults can stay in concrete operational
D. Object permanence does not begin after 9 months but can happen earlier
1. Tested through apple/carrot test
VII. Understanding the laws of nature: Physics
Document Summary
Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years: differentiates self from objects, recognizes self as agent of action, achieves object permanence: realizes that a thing continues to exist even when no longer present to the senses (up until 9 months) Preoperational stage (2-7 years: no understanding of law of conservation of quantity, because of centration: cannot focus on more than one thing at a time, shows egocentrism: cannot see from another"s perspective. Concrete operational stage (7-12 years: can think logically but not abstractly, understands law of conservation of quantity. Formal operational stage (12 years and up: can reason in sophisticated/abstract ways, critical thinking, ability to form hypothesis and test it, gave children flask of liquids (4) and one colored liquid. If you mix correctly you get a specific color. Understanding the laws of nature: physics: infants have basic understandings (e. spelke, the moving rod test. In another, adult was unwilling to give toy.
