Explanatory account - MATURATION
PHYSICAL
Refers to physical maturation of the nervous system, the muscular systems, etc…
- when m happens, it creates new possibilities for the cognitive system & requires certain adjustments of that system
Explanatory account
Piaget's def of dvlpmt- dvlpment = maturation + experience (physical and social) + Social transmission + Equilibration
Explanatory account - PHYSICAL EXPERIENCE
- involves exercise, physical experience and logicomathematical experience
- EXERCISE - use of intellectual skills
- PHYSICAL EXERCISE - actions that extract (analysis) the attributes of an object/event
- LOGICOMATHEMATICAL EXPERIENCE - reflecting on one’s own actions on the objects rather than on objects themselves
Explanatory account - SOCIAL EXPERIENCE (transmission)
Refers to effects of the cultural and educational environment
Operation
A set of actions modifying an object, and enabling the knower to get at the structures of the transformation
- a reversible action (eg adding and subtracting)
- self-conscious performance of a mental action is a form of operation
A stage
A period of time in which the child’s thinking and behaviour in various situations reflect a particular type of underlying mental structure
- a structured whole in a state of equilibrium
- each stage derives from previous stage, incorporates and transforms that stage, and prepares for the next stage
- stages follow an invariant sequence
- stages are universal - adaptation to env shapes stages
Piaget stages
- Sensorimotor (birth - 2)
- Pre-operational (2-7)
- Concrete operations (7-11)
- Formal operations (adolescence onwards)
Sensorimotor
Birth - 2
- start with set of reflexes (inherited way of interacting with the environment)
- primitive reflexes and schemes (basic programmes of intelligent bhvr called circular responses dvlp) - eventually form the basis for verbal intelligence/though
Circular response
A specific form of adaption in infancy, in which the infant accidentally performs an action, perceives it, likes it, and assimilates it into his/her existing schema
Pre-operational
2-7
- pre-logical -
1. Preconceptual stage
2. Transitional/intuitive stage
Preconceptual stage
2-4 (in pre-operational stage)
- use symbols, Lang etc…
- allows them to think about things not IMMEDIATELY available or present
- animism (all moving objects are alive)
- egocentricity (world is centred on one’s own perspective)
- transductive reasoning (particular to particular)
Transitional/intuitive stage
5-7 (in pre-operational stage)
- less egotistical
- irreversibility (one directional)
- better at classifying objects on shape/size/colour
- > child’s thinking is intuitive because understanding of objects/events is focused on their single -most important characteristic, rather than on logical or rational thinking
Concrete operations
7-11
- better classifying
- reversibility on concrete objects - NOT abstract objects
- more logical
- conservation - ability to judge amounts through logical deduction
- serration - ability to mentally classify by placing them in order
- transitive inference - mentally compare objects/events (find similarities& differences)
Formal operations
Adolescence onwards
- meta-cognition (reflect on one’s own mental processes)
- ability to plan and think ahead
- hypothesis testing - formulate, test & evaluate hypothesis
Piaget usefulness - strengths
- recognition of the central role of cognition
- transformed the field of dvlpmental psych
- integrative (give meaning to facts) and heuristic (device for further study)
- wide ranging scope
- ecological validity (child’s adaption in everyday life within context)
Piaget weaknesses
- unclear links between CONSTRUCTS and BHVR
- inadequate support for the stage notion
- research shows Indis can show ability across stages
- underestimated children’s abilities
- methodological shortcomings - observations based on his 3 children, not a representative sample
- competence vs performance (P assumed that lack of performance meant no competence)
- don’t sufficiently recognise social/cultural aspects
- failed to consider indi differences
