Cognitive Development in Infants & Toddlers

Cognitive Development in Infants & Toddlers Chapter 5

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology • Child is an active seeker of information • Major Themes • Method Clinique (clinical method) • Constructivism • Schemes (Schemata) • Organization • Adaptation • Reflective Abstraction

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology • Method Clinique • Pose problem to the child • Observe child’s attempt to solve the problem • Probe with questions to determine underlying strategy and information needed to solve the problem • Problems: • With prelinguistic infants, inferences must be made

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology • Constructivism • Each experience is represented in a unique way by each individual • Construction of representation is based on: • History • Strategy • Social/Environmental support

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology • Scheme (Schemata) • Organized representation of • Actions (e.g. reflexes) • Thoughts (e.g. concepts) • Processes (e.g. problem solving strategies) • Schemata provide the framework with which we interpret new experiences and construct new schemata or integrate new information into existing schemata

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology • Organization • Across development Schemata are constantly differentiated and integrated • Schemata are organized into increasingly complex systems • Organizations may reflect hierarchical or network organizations

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology • Adaptation • Tendency of the organism to modify itself to meet environmental demands • System seeks equilibrium with its environment through two processes • Assimilation • Accommodation • Process of reaching equilibrium is termed equilibration

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology • Reflective Abstraction • Process of construction of an internal representation from external stimuli • Recognition or awareness of some external stimulus • Processing the stimulus in one’s working memory (controlled) • Modification (accommodation) of cognitive structures (schemata) to form a representation of experience

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology • Stages of Cognitive Development • Qualitatively different ways of knowing the world • Sequence is universal • Timing of onset of each stage is unique and depends on • Neurological maturation • Experience with others and the outside world

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology • Sensorimotor (Infancy-Early toddlerhood) • Preoperational (Early childhood) • Concrete Operational (Middle childhood) • Formal Operational (Adolescence)

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology • Characteristics of Sensorimotor Thought • Knowledge is based on direct sensory and motor experience • Mental representation is based on direct representation of sensory and motor experience • Symbolic representation emerges late in the stage • Key accomplishments: • Person permanence • Object permanence • Symbolic representation • Sense of intentionality and primitive cause-effect

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology • Stages of Sensorimotor Thought • Primary Reflexes • Primary Circular Reactions • Secondary Circular Reactions • Coordination of Secondary Schemes • Tertiary Circular Reactions • Transition to Symbolic Thought

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers • What is language? • Semanticity—symbolic representation of object, actions, events, concepts • Productive—seemingly infinite combinations of words that lead to utterances that can be understood • Displacement—allows reference to objects, actions, events, and concepts in their absence • Arbitrary—no direct relationship between the sound and structure of a word and the object, action, event, or concept it represents

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers • Structures of Language • Phonology/Grapheme • Morphology • Syntax • Semantics • Pragmatics

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers • Theories of Language Development • Learning/Environmental Theories • Skinner—Operant Conditioning • Bandura—Vicarious Learning (modeling and imitation) • Nativist Theory • Chomsky—Language Acquisition Device (innate structure containing universals of language)

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers • Nativist Theory • All physiologically intact humans have capacity to develop language • Unclear whether non-human animals develop language • Physical structures specialized for language • Wernicke’s area—comprehending words and producing spoken and written langauge • Broca’s area—production of speech • Sensitive periods render the young child at an advantage in learning language

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers • Nativists critiqued based on • Lack of evidence of innate knowledge of “universals of language” • Lack of experimental studies to refute nativists’ assumptions (depravation studies)

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers • Interaction Theories: • Cognitive: • Language and cognition are directly linked • As cognitive development proceeds, children move through increasingly complex representational systems (e.g. object permanence to utterances) • Connectionist or Network models seem to be most persuasive for the cognitive approach; increased complexity of networks are linked to increased facility with language (support from empirical rsch and computer simulations

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers • Social Interactionist • Biopsychosocial Model of language development • Interactions with others in the environment (ala Vygotsky’s ideas) • Appropriate stimulation during sensitive periods • Corrections provide feedback and expansion without negative demeanor • Child’s gestures coupled with words are accepted and recast • Code-switching

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers • Precursors to Language Development in Infancy • Perceptual skills—auditory acuity and discrimination • Social interactions—opportunities to hear the native language • Shared attention to distinctive features [directed by competent language user]

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers • Development of Language through Infancy and Toddlerhood • Prelinguistic • Neonates: reflexive, non-intentional sounds • Young infants (roughly the first 2-4 months) • Variation in cries • Distinctive sounds indicating pleasure • Gazing with apparent intent

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers • Development of Language through Infancy and Toddlerhood • Linguistic/Comunicative • Gestures coordinated with sounds (6 to 8months) • Babbling with presence of syllables (consonant-vowel repetitions; cross cultural) • Echolalia (immediate repetition of words—8-12 months) • Can begin to link gestures with one-word utterances to establish communicative competence

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers • http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/ speechandlanguage.asp#mychild

Cognitive Development in Infants & Toddlers