Cognitive and Physical Development (Chapter 12)

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Cognitive and Physical Development (Chapter 12)

• Second Lecture Outline
• Jean Piagets stage theory
• Other models
• Videotape on preschool cognition (Magna M19)

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Concrete operational stage

• Age 7 until 12 children can manipulate internal
  representations
• Conservation of liquid quantity experiment
  children now pass
• Conservation of volume Flubber or silly-putty
• Concrete because physical demonstrations are
  needed

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Formal-operational stage

• 11 or 12 years of age onward children can
  manipulate abstract concepts
• Second-order relations They can understand
  relationships between relations, e.g., division
  and multiplication are opposite
• Algebra, geometry, ven-diagrams

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A moving cannon shoots a cannonball straight in
the air. Ignoring air resistance-effects, where
does it land? Formal operations can get this
right. Concrete operations may get it right, or
need it demonstrated.
?
? ?
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Problems with Piagets theory

• Development is really continuous, e.g., reading
  skill
• Failing tasks may be because of complexity of
  materials
• Ages may not be accurate
• Adults do not always show formal operations Tim
  and the fire alarm
• Largely biological

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Lev Vygotsky
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Vygotsky Russian psychologist

• Environment is critical children internalize
  what they see and experience
• Zone of proximal development

Capacity
Ability
Ability
Effective teaching
Effective parenting
Mediated learning
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ZPD for physical activity
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Information processing approaches

• There is gradual change in our ability to process
  information
• Attention Short term memory Long term
  memory
• Changes in encoding, e.g., metamemory, strategy
  use, metacognition
• An advantage is that the model is not domain
  specific
• Maturation and environment important

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Cognition in later years

• Decrease in fluid and increase in crystallized
  intelligence, e.g., Lost in Boston
• Overall changes in information processing, but no
  net deficits
• Wisdom Insight into human development and life
• Greater awareness of what you do not know
• Neural plasticity after strokes
• Degeneration in Alzheimers

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Symptoms of Alzheimers disease
Gradual onset of symptoms memory
loss decline in cognitive abilities, such as
thinking, understanding, and
decision-making. not as well known are
the behavioral symptoms that accompany the
disease. many families often are not prepared
for symptoms such as agitation,
aggression, depression, or
wandering increase in symptoms over time