Cognitive Development

Cognitive Development
• Cognition: How people think &
Understand.
• Within this module you will begin to
understand the development of logical
competence and the causes of
developmental change and an account of
the nature of developmental change.
Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
 Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
• Piaget developed four stages to his theory
of cognitive development:
• Sensori-Motor Stage
• Pre-Operational Stage
• Concrete Operational Stage
• Formal Operational Stage
 Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
• There are some core essences of Piagets
theory that you should become familiar with.
1. There are qualitative differences between child
& adult thinking.
2. It is a biological approach- Prerequisite for
change.
3. Language is the outcome of cognitive ability
rather than being the lead in cognitive
development.
 Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
• In short Piaget believed that cognitive
development was the direct result of
maturation (ageing) and environment.
Thus as a child becomes older through
interactions with others in their
environment a child's understanding
becomes more complex.
 Keywords explained:
• Schemas- Mental structure that gives child model for what
happens when he/she does something.
• Assimilation- Adding information to existing schemas, and
strengthening them. E.G sucking dummy is reflex, learns to
suck different shape dummy.
• Accommodation- Amending existing schemas to suit a new
situation.
• Adaptation- Way baby adapts to processes of assimilation
& accommodation.
• Equilibration- Balance of equilibrium & adaptation- the
process is on going as biological changes and environment
keeps going.
Piagets stage theory explained.
Sensori-Motor Stage is characterised by:
The child aged between (0-2) learns to co-
ordinate his/her sensory input with motor
actions through a system called circular
reactions...i.e. the child repeats the action
in order to test their sensori motor-motor
skills relationship.
 Sensori motor cont,…
• Within this stage the child develops an important
skill called object permenace which is defined as
the ability to understand that when an object is
out of sight it still exists.

• E.g. Hiding keys under a blanket, a small child

will believe the keys no longer exist, as they get
older and develop motor skills they will reach
under the blanket for the keys.
 Pre-operational stage
• The child’s thoughts become more
symbolic and they represent their world
through images and words.
• However they do not have the skill of
‘reversibility’ They do not understand
quantity,volume and number have not
changed despite a change in its
appearance.
 Pre-operational stage cont..
• Piaget also thought children within this
age group found it difficult to understand
the perspective of another person, thus
making them ‘egocentric’ aka only viewing
situations from their own point of view.

• He illustrated this using a experiment

named the 3 mountains task…
 Three mountains task.

The children were asked to choose the picture seen by

the doll. The 3 & 4 yr olds 58% & 33% respectively
chose their own perspective rather than the dolls. This
is an example of ‘egocentric illusion’ that is their own
perspective is relative.
 Conservation of volume. .

Children tend to centre/focus upon one aspect of a situation and not

take into account others. Pre-operational children tended to say
there was more liquid in C as they focused on height
 Concrete Operational Stage.
• Children acquire internally consistent
(adult) logic but only in concrete situations
such as problem solving.

• Children in this stage are able to conserve

and decentrate, they may also be able to
use reversibility
 Concrete Operational Stage cont..
• Children within this stage are also able to
solve ‘seriation’ problems, placing objects
in order of some defining attribute i.e.
length,weight or height.

• Jane is 96cm tall. John is 1.3m tall. How

much taller is John than Jane? A: 0.34cm
(highlight for answer & turn font colour to black.)
 Thus far what do we think about
Piaget?
• In evaluating Piaget’s work one should
consider the following:
1. Methodology
2. Evidence
3. Alternative explanations
4. Practical Application
 Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934)
• Vygotsky felt the acquisition of knowledge
was active and socially constructed rather
than a passive conditioning.

• He believed that social interaction played

a vital role in cognitive development firstly
on a social level (between child and the
world) and then on a individual level
(Internally).
 Lev Vygotsky cont..
• Vygotsky believed children were born with
elementary mental functions that are
transformed into higher mental functions
by the influence of culture.
• Lower functions are innate.
• Higher functions are voluntary, but
controlled by other functions.
 Lev Vygotsky...cont the what's ,whys and
wherefores of Vygotsky!
• Culture teaches children both what and how to think,
through the acquisition of knowledge via intellectual
tools.

• Since much of what children learn is through interaction

Vygotsky believed isolation was inappropriate...guidance
by a another is usually most beneficial.

• Woods et al described this process as scaffolding. I.e.

The support given by a significant other, e.g. teacher,
parent or even peer.
 The role of language.
• What does language mean to you?

• Technically speaking it can be phrased as a

shared set of dialogues between adult and child
(pre intellectual speech).

• Children eventually become more sophisticated

and converse between themselves as they
would with others, this skilled is named
representation.
 The role of language cont..
• Do you speak to yourself out loud??
• (Ego-centric speech)
• Do you use your inner monologue??

• It is likely you engage more in the latter, a

skill we develop form about 6/7 years old.
• Vygotsky identified 4 cognitive
development in short….
 The role of language cont..
• Pre intellectual (social speech 0-3)
• Egocentric speech (3-7) Language
controls behaviour.
• Inner Speech (7+) Language used as
communicative tool, also shapes thoughts.

• These distinct stages in concept formation

are linked with the following…
 (ZPD) Zone of proximal
development??
• This is the distance between a child's
current and potential abilities.
• The assumption behind this theory is that
instruction is to stimulate those functions
which lie waiting in the ZPD.

• “What a child can do with help today, he

can do independently tomorrow”
 Feed a man a fish feed him for a day, teach a
man to fish feed him for a lifetime!

• Learning initially occurs between people

but eventually becomes internalised..
• Think how much support you needed at
6yrs old…probably not as much now!!
 Research to support Vygotsky.
• Wood et al (1976) Problem solving & working with mum. Most
successful strategy involved encouragement and specific
instructions (Hence using Scaffolding!)
• Shif (1935) children aged 7-8 to complete sentences that ended in
because or although- children coped better with scientific concepts
rather than everyday concepts.
• NcNaughton & leyland (1990) ZPD- Children worked with mum on
puzzles that got progressively more difficult, then on their own a
week later- greatest success was when with mum (i.e. Accessing
their potential, than on their own-current potential)
• Don’t forget the importance of interaction –(recall attachment!!)
children learn from the interaction, then on their own as Vygotsky
predicted.
 Evaluation of Vygotsky.
× Little scientific evidence.
× Too much emphasis on social interaction.

However!
 Bridges the gap between social and
cognitive approaches
 Helps to understand how to actively help
learners reach their potential…it has more
educational application.
 Piaget vs.Vygotsky.
Similarities & Jean Piaget Lev Vygotsky
Differences.

Learning is… Solitary Social

What drives Maturation, conflict Enjoyment from others,
development… motivates more learning.
?
Role of language… Thought drives language Language drives thought

Role of biology… Maturation dictates pace of Elementary functions are

cognitive development innate.

Child is active… Child actively organises Child is active in providing

cognitive schemas to feedback to the
maintain equilibrium. parent/instructor.
 Putting it all together…
• Vygotsky believed in power of the community,
Piaget was a product of individualist society.
• Piagets child: Introvert
• Vygotsky Child: Extrovert.

• But both place cognition at the centre of learning

not unlike Pavlov/Freud) & both see the complex
interactionist character of development-I.e.
Everyone is different.
 Applying the theories to
education...Piaget.
• Readiness-Child needs to be ready & have
reached a level of maturation before others skills
can be gained.

• Discovery Learning-Activities planned to allow

learners to experience assimilate and
accommodate language thus allowing them to
discover themselves.

• Role of teacher- To act as facilitator not

instructor.
 Applying the theories to
education...Vygotsky.
• Learning as collaboration- Learning together rather
than individuals...promotes critical thinking & interest.

• Zone of proximal Development (ZPD)- MKO- more

knowledgeable other i.e. teacher or friend. ZPD
encompasses the tasks that learners cannot perform on
their own but can with help form the MKO.

• Scaffolding- Begin with full support, gradually remove

support as abilities and confidence increase.