Cognitive Development. Physical Development In Utero: ◦ Zygote: conception-2 weeks ◦ Embryo: 2...
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Transcript of Cognitive Development. Physical Development In Utero: ◦ Zygote: conception-2 weeks ◦ Embryo: 2...
Physical DevelopmentPhysical DevelopmentIn Utero:
◦Zygote: conception-2 weeks◦Embryo: 2 weeks-2 months (8 weeks)
Cell differentiation◦Fetus: 2 months to birth
Functioning organ systems develop, early reflexes seen (e.g. non-nutritive sucking)
Infancy: ◦Very slow development, comparatively◦Brain development takes off◦Spurts of growth throughout childhood
(body and brain)
Physical DevelopmentPhysical DevelopmentFrom birth:
◦Reflexes: Grasping Rooting Foot flexing
◦Sensory Discriminate high and low sounds,
vowels, mother’s voice Very near-sighted, but can discriminate
brightness and color and track moving objects
Physical DevelopmentPhysical Development Gross motor skills
◦ 7-8 months: sitting up◦ 8-10 months: crawling◦ 10-12 months: “cruising”◦ 12-15 months: walking◦ 2 years: hopping on one foot, kicking◦ 4 years: jumping rope, balancing on one foot
Fine motor skills◦ 1 month: reflexive grasp◦ 4 months: reaching, hands at midline◦ 6 months: reach precisely, grabs at objects◦ 12-14 months: throwing objects◦ 2 years: unscrewing jars◦ 3 years: cutting with scissors, holding pencil◦ 6 years: writing, drawing shapes
Physical DevelopmentPhysical DevelopmentBrain:
◦ Making/pruning connectionsAttention
◦ Infants have little selective attention. If something is interesting, they will look at it.
◦ Development of Prefrontal cortex (PFC)development of attentional control 1-2 years: single-channeled attention: can
concentrate on task, but not external verbal/visual stimuli
2-3 years: still single-channeled, but with help can adjust focus back and forth
3-4 years: single-channeled, but can adjust focus on their own
4-5: two-channeled, but short attention span 5-6: audio, visual, and manipulatory channels
integrated
Physical DevelopmentPhysical DevelopmentBrain:
◦ Making/pruning connectionsAttention
◦ Infants have little selective attention. If something is interesting, they will look at it.
◦ Development of Prefrontal cortex (PFC)development of attentional control 1-2 years: single-channeled attention: can
concentrate on task, but not external verbal/visual stimuli
2-3 years: still single-channeled, but with help can adjust focus back and forth
3-4 years: single-channeled, but can adjust focus on their own
4-5: two-channeled, but short attention span 5-6: audio, visual, and manipulatory channels
integrated
Jean Piaget (1896-1980)Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
Swiss Psychologist“Father of Developmental
Psychology”Creator of “constructivist
theory of knowing”
Stage Theory of Stage Theory of DevelopmentDevelopmentChildren
progress through a series of stages of development
Long periods of time spent in each stage, abrupt transition to next stage
Sensorimotor StageSensorimotor StageFrom birth to ~2 years oldExperience the world through
senses and motor movementsSchema: mental representation
of what things are/how we deal with them
Object PermanenceInternal RepresentationEgocentrism
PreoperationalPreoperational2-7 years of ageSymbolic thoughtEgocentrismAnimismFailure of Conservation
Concrete OperationalConcrete OperationalAges 7-11Logical thinkingDevelopment of rational,
“operational” thoughtCan think logically about object,
if they are able to manipulate it.
Formal OperationalFormal Operational11 and upAbstract thinkingCan think logically about objects
even if not presentProblem solving
Arguments against PiagetArguments against PiagetArgument 1: Discrete stages do
not properly explain child development◦A lot of child knowledge is more
context-dependantArgument 2: Young children are
actually more advanced than Piaget gave them credit for.
A-not-B task RevisitedA-not-B task Revisited
Modify task◦ Have fewer trials with toy
in location A◦ Decrease delay between
hiding and finding◦ Make hiding places more
distinctSo why can babies do it
in some contexts but not others?
Using Habituation in Using Habituation in InfantsInfants
More boring babies!Procedure: Show baby
image/scene until he/she no longer looks at it.
Test: Introduce new image/scene.
If baby looks longer at new image, it’s perceived as new.
Drawbridge ExperimentDrawbridge ExperimentChild habituated
on (A)Child sees possible
outcome (B) and impossible outcome (C)
Child looks more at impossible event than possible event
Child knows block is there, even if he can’t see it
Numerical Reasoning Numerical Reasoning RevisitedRevisitedNumber
Conservation TaskChildren are
confused by experimenter’s questions- why is he asking the same question again?
Knowledge still tentative, but there
An alternative theory: An alternative theory: Information ProcessingInformation Processing
Human brain as computer◦ Representation of
information◦ Processes: applied
on representations◦ Limitations: memory
Development = change in processing abilities
Rehearsal as Information Rehearsal as Information ProcessingProcessingIncrease in
rehearsal speed, increase in memory
Older children actively use rehearsal as a memory strategy and remember more