{"id":152,"date":"2014-09-18T05:39:37","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T05:39:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/lifespandevelopment1x1\/?post_type=chapter&p=152"},"modified":"2016-03-16T18:16:46","modified_gmt":"2016-03-16T18:16:46","slug":"what-do-we-think-exploring-cognition","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/atd-herkimer-developmentalpsych\/chapter\/what-do-we-think-exploring-cognition\/","title":{"raw":"Exploring Cognition","rendered":"Exploring Cognition"},"content":{"raw":"

What do we think?<\/h2>\r\nCognitive theories focus on how our mental processes or cognitions change over time. We will examine the ideas of two cognitive theorists: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.\r\n

Piaget:\u00a0Changes in thought with maturation<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_737\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"179\"]\"Jean Jean Piaget.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nJean Piaget (1896-1980) is one of the most influential cognitive theorists in development inspired to explore children\u2019s ability to think and reason by watching his own children\u2019s development.\u00a0He was one of the first to recognize and map out the ways in which children's intelligence differs from that of adults. He became interested in this area when he was asked to test the IQ of children and began to notice that there was a pattern in their\u00a0wrong answers! He believed that children's intellectual skills change over time that that\u00a0maturation rather than training brings about that change.\u00a0Children of differing ages interpret the world differently.\r\n

Making sense of the world<\/h2>\r\nPiaget believed that we are continuously trying to maintain cognitive equilibrium or a balance or cohesiveness in what we see and what we know. Children have much more of a challenge in maintaining this balance because they are constantly being confronted with new situations, new words, new objects, etc. When faced with something new, a child may either fit it into an existing framework (schema<\/strong>) and match it with something known (assimilation<\/strong>) such as calling all animals with four legs \"doggies\" because he or she knows the word doggie, or expand the framework of knowledge to accommodate the new situation (accommodation<\/strong>) by learning a new word to more accurately name the animal. This is the underlying dynamic in our own cognition. Even as adults we continue to try and \"make sense\" of new situations by determining whether they fit into our old way of thinking or whether we need to modify our thoughts.\r\n

Stages of Cognitive Development<\/h2>\r\nPiaget outlined four major stages of cognitive development. Let me briefly mention them here. We will discuss them in detail throughout the course.For about the first two years of\u00a0life,\u00a0the child experiences the world primarily through their senses and motor skills. Piaget referred to this type of intelligence as sensorimotor intelligence.\u00a0During the preschool years, the child begins to master the use of symbols or words and is able to think of the world symbolically but not yet logically.\u00a0This stage is the preoperational stage of development.\u00a0The concrete operational stage in middle childhood is marked by an ability to use logic in understanding the physical world. In the final stage, the formal operational stage the adolescent learns to think abstractly and to use logic in both concrete and abstract ways.\r\n

Criticisms of Piaget\u2019s Theory<\/h2>\r\nPiaget has been criticized for overemphasizing the role that physical maturation plays in cognitive development and in underestimating the role that culture and interaction (or experience) plays in cognitive development.\u00a0Looking across cultures reveals considerable variation in what children are able to do at various ages.\u00a0Piaget may have underestimated what children are capable of given the right circumstances.\r\n

Vygotsky:\u00a0Changes in thought with guidance<\/h2>\r\nLev Vygotsky (1896-1934) was a Russian psychologist who wrote in the early 1900s but whose work was discovered in the United States in the 1960s but became more widely known in the 1980s. Vygotsky differed with Piaget in that he believed that a person not only has a set of abilities, but also a set of potential abilities that can be realized if given the\u00a0proper guidance from others.\u00a0His sociocultural theory<\/strong> emphasizes the importance of culture and interaction in the development of cognitive abilities. He believed that through guided participation known as scaffolding, with a teacher or capable peer, a child can learn cognitive skills within a certain range known as the zone of proximal development.\u00a0Have you ever taught a child to perform a task?\u00a0Maybe it was brushing their teeth or preparing food.\u00a0Chances are you spoke to them and described what you were doing while you demonstrated the skill and let them work along with you all through the process.\u00a0You gave them assistance when they seemed to need it, but once they knew what to do-you stood back and let them go.\u00a0This\u00a0is scaffolding and can be seen demonstrated throughout the world.\u00a0This\u00a0approach to teaching has also been adopted by educators.\u00a0Rather than assessing students on what they are doing, they should be understood in terms of what they are capable of doing with the proper guidance. You can see how Vygotsky would be very popular with modern day educators.\u00a0We will discuss Vygotsky in greater depth in upcoming lessons.\r\n

Putting it all together: Ecological Systems Model<\/h2>\r\nUrie Brofenbrenner (1917-2005) provides a model of human development that addresses its many influences.\u00a0Brofenbrenner recognized that human interaction is influenced by larger social forces and that an understanding of those forces is essential for understanding an individual.\u00a0The\u00a0individual is impacted by microsystems<\/strong> such as parents or siblings; those who have direct, significant contact with the person.\u00a0The\u00a0input of those is modified by the cognitive and biological state of the individual as well.\u00a0And these influence the person\u2019s actions which in turn influence systems operating on him or her.\u00a0The\u00a0mesosystem<\/strong> includes larger organizational structures such as school, the family, or religion.\u00a0These institutions impact the microsystems just described.\u00a0For example, the religious teachings and traditions may guide the child\u2019s family\u2019s actions or create a climate that makes the family feel stigmatized and this indirectly impacts the child\u2019s view of self and others.\u00a0The\u00a0philosophy of the school system, daily routine, assessment methods, and other characteristics can affect the child\u2019s self-image, growth, sense of accomplishment, and schedule thereby impacting the child, physically, cognitively, and emotionally.\u00a0These mesosystems both influence and are influenced by the larger contexts of community referred to as the exosystem.\u00a0A community\u2019s values, history, and economy can impact the organizational structures it houses.\u00a0And the community is influenced by macrosystems<\/strong> which are cultural elements such as global economic conditions, war, technological trends, values, philosophies, and a society\u2019s responses to the global community.\u00a0In sum, a child\u2019s experiences are shaped by larger forces such as the family, schools, and religion, and culture.\u00a0All of this occurs in an historical context or chronosystem.\u00a0Bronfenbrenner\u2019s model helps us combine each of the other theories described above and gives us a perspective that brings it all together.","rendered":"

What do we think?<\/h2>\n

Cognitive theories focus on how our mental processes or cognitions change over time. We will examine the ideas of two cognitive theorists: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.<\/p>\n

Piaget:\u00a0Changes in thought with maturation<\/h2>\n
\"Jean<\/p>\n

Jean Piaget.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Jean Piaget (1896-1980) is one of the most influential cognitive theorists in development inspired to explore children\u2019s ability to think and reason by watching his own children\u2019s development.\u00a0He was one of the first to recognize and map out the ways in which children’s intelligence differs from that of adults. He became interested in this area when he was asked to test the IQ of children and began to notice that there was a pattern in their\u00a0wrong answers! He believed that children’s intellectual skills change over time that that\u00a0maturation rather than training brings about that change.\u00a0Children of differing ages interpret the world differently.<\/p>\n

Making sense of the world<\/h2>\n

Piaget believed that we are continuously trying to maintain cognitive equilibrium or a balance or cohesiveness in what we see and what we know. Children have much more of a challenge in maintaining this balance because they are constantly being confronted with new situations, new words, new objects, etc. When faced with something new, a child may either fit it into an existing framework (schema<\/strong>) and match it with something known (assimilation<\/strong>) such as calling all animals with four legs “doggies” because he or she knows the word doggie, or expand the framework of knowledge to accommodate the new situation (accommodation<\/strong>) by learning a new word to more accurately name the animal. This is the underlying dynamic in our own cognition. Even as adults we continue to try and “make sense” of new situations by determining whether they fit into our old way of thinking or whether we need to modify our thoughts.<\/p>\n

Stages of Cognitive Development<\/h2>\n

Piaget outlined four major stages of cognitive development. Let me briefly mention them here. We will discuss them in detail throughout the course.For about the first two years of\u00a0life,\u00a0the child experiences the world primarily through their senses and motor skills. Piaget referred to this type of intelligence as sensorimotor intelligence.\u00a0During the preschool years, the child begins to master the use of symbols or words and is able to think of the world symbolically but not yet logically.\u00a0This stage is the preoperational stage of development.\u00a0The concrete operational stage in middle childhood is marked by an ability to use logic in understanding the physical world. In the final stage, the formal operational stage the adolescent learns to think abstractly and to use logic in both concrete and abstract ways.<\/p>\n

Criticisms of Piaget\u2019s Theory<\/h2>\n

Piaget has been criticized for overemphasizing the role that physical maturation plays in cognitive development and in underestimating the role that culture and interaction (or experience) plays in cognitive development.\u00a0Looking across cultures reveals considerable variation in what children are able to do at various ages.\u00a0Piaget may have underestimated what children are capable of given the right circumstances.<\/p>\n

Vygotsky:\u00a0Changes in thought with guidance<\/h2>\n

Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) was a Russian psychologist who wrote in the early 1900s but whose work was discovered in the United States in the 1960s but became more widely known in the 1980s. Vygotsky differed with Piaget in that he believed that a person not only has a set of abilities, but also a set of potential abilities that can be realized if given the\u00a0proper guidance from others.\u00a0His sociocultural theory<\/strong> emphasizes the importance of culture and interaction in the development of cognitive abilities. He believed that through guided participation known as scaffolding, with a teacher or capable peer, a child can learn cognitive skills within a certain range known as the zone of proximal development.\u00a0Have you ever taught a child to perform a task?\u00a0Maybe it was brushing their teeth or preparing food.\u00a0Chances are you spoke to them and described what you were doing while you demonstrated the skill and let them work along with you all through the process.\u00a0You gave them assistance when they seemed to need it, but once they knew what to do-you stood back and let them go.\u00a0This\u00a0is scaffolding and can be seen demonstrated throughout the world.\u00a0This\u00a0approach to teaching has also been adopted by educators.\u00a0Rather than assessing students on what they are doing, they should be understood in terms of what they are capable of doing with the proper guidance. You can see how Vygotsky would be very popular with modern day educators.\u00a0We will discuss Vygotsky in greater depth in upcoming lessons.<\/p>\n

Putting it all together: Ecological Systems Model<\/h2>\n

Urie Brofenbrenner (1917-2005) provides a model of human development that addresses its many influences.\u00a0Brofenbrenner recognized that human interaction is influenced by larger social forces and that an understanding of those forces is essential for understanding an individual.\u00a0The\u00a0individual is impacted by microsystems<\/strong> such as parents or siblings; those who have direct, significant contact with the person.\u00a0The\u00a0input of those is modified by the cognitive and biological state of the individual as well.\u00a0And these influence the person\u2019s actions which in turn influence systems operating on him or her.\u00a0The\u00a0mesosystem<\/strong> includes larger organizational structures such as school, the family, or religion.\u00a0These institutions impact the microsystems just described.\u00a0For example, the religious teachings and traditions may guide the child\u2019s family\u2019s actions or create a climate that makes the family feel stigmatized and this indirectly impacts the child\u2019s view of self and others.\u00a0The\u00a0philosophy of the school system, daily routine, assessment methods, and other characteristics can affect the child\u2019s self-image, growth, sense of accomplishment, and schedule thereby impacting the child, physically, cognitively, and emotionally.\u00a0These mesosystems both influence and are influenced by the larger contexts of community referred to as the exosystem.\u00a0A community\u2019s values, history, and economy can impact the organizational structures it houses.\u00a0And the community is influenced by macrosystems<\/strong> which are cultural elements such as global economic conditions, war, technological trends, values, philosophies, and a society\u2019s responses to the global community.\u00a0In sum, a child\u2019s experiences are shaped by larger forces such as the family, schools, and religion, and culture.\u00a0All of this occurs in an historical context or chronosystem.\u00a0Bronfenbrenner\u2019s model helps us combine each of the other theories described above and gives us a perspective that brings it all together.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t

Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div>