Transcript Cognitive Development and Language: Piaget and Vygotsky

Developmental Theories of
Learning
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Outline
Overview of Development
 Piaget’s Stages of Development
 Case’s Central Conceptual Structures

Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Jean Piaget
Brilliant Swiss
 PhD in biology
 Job administering
intelligence tests to
children



Intrigued by children’s
mistakes on test
Realized errors were
systematic and
reflective of the child’s
reasoning
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Assumptions
A small number of mental structures are the
basis for thinking in a variety of domains
 Children actively construct mental structures
 The nature of mental structures change as
children move to a new stage in development
 Stage: Thinking and behavior in variety of
situations reflect the basic mental structure



Within a stage, the mental structures are in a state of
equilibrium
Disequilibrium forces children to change their mental
structures and enter a new stage of development
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Characteristics of Stages

Advancement to a new stage represents a
qualitative change in thinking

Changes are abrupt
Progress through stages in culturally invariant
sequence
 Each stage includes the cognitive structures and
abilities of the previous stage
 Children progress through the stages in exact
order



Individual differences in the rate of passing through
through stages
May not reach highest stage
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Piaget’s Stages of Development
Sensorimotor
Age
Key Characteristic
(in years)
0-2
Thinks via senses
Pre-Operational
2-7
Concrete
Operations
7-11
Formal
Operations
11+
Can use mental symbols
Thinks unidirectionally
Egocentric
Thinks concretely
Reversibility
Thinks abstractly
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Sensorimotor
Stage
Sensorimotor: Understand the
environment from physical actions
 Reflexes become more adaptive as infants
learn to apply movements to novel
situations

 Behave

in goal-directed manner
A-not-B error
Sensorimotor Stage
From 0;2(3), Laurent evidences a circular reaction which
will become more definite and will constitute the beginning
of systematic grasping; he scratches and tries to grasp, lets
go, scratches and grasps again, etc. On 0;2(3) and 0;2(6)
this can only be observed during feeding. Laurent gently
scratches his mother’s bare shoulder. But beginning 0;2(7),
the behavior becomes marked in the cradle itself. Laurent
scratches the sheet which is folded over the blankets, then
grasps it and holds it a moment, then lets it go, scratches it
again and recommences without interruption.
Quoted from Piaget (1936, as cited in Miller, 2002)
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos

Sensorimotor Stage:
Object Permanence
Object Permanence: Object exists even when
one cannot sense it



Phase 1: If an object disappears, will not search for it
Phase 2: Only search for object if partially hidden or
the object is taken while the child was engaged
Phase 3: A-not-B Error


Will search for an object in its first hiding spot
Phase 4: Continue to search for an object until it is
found
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Pre-Operational Stage

Children enter the Pre-Operational stage when
they acquire Object Permanence

Reflects the ability to mentally represent objects
Pre-Operations: Use symbols to represent
objects and events
 Egocentrism: Incomplete differentiation of self
and the world




Difficulty taking another person’s points of view
“Americans are stupid. If I ask them where the rue du
Mont-blanc is, they cannot tell me.”
Unidimensionality: Focus only on one
dimension of a problem
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Pre-Operational Stage
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Concrete Operational Stage

Conservation: Physical properties of an object stay the
same despite superficial changes in appearance


Performance on the conservation tasks reflects the presence or
absence of mental operations
Mental operation: Internalized mental action on an object or
event
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Concrete Operational Stage
Concrete Operations: Perform mental
operations on concrete objects
 Children understand:

 Reversibility:
Operations are reversible and
the object will keep the same properties
despite transformations
 If
pour the water back into the original glass, there
will be the same amount
 Class
inclusion: One category can be
included in another
Class Inclusion

E: What is your nationality?
 C:

E: How come?
 C:

I am Swiss
Because I live in Switzerland
E: Are you also Genevan?
 C:
No, that is not possible. I am already
Swiss, I cannot also be Genevan.
Quoted from Miller (2002)
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Formal Operational Stage
Formal operations: Mental operations are not
limited to concrete objects but can also be
applied to verbal logical statements
 Children can think abstractly



What would have happened if the British had not
colonized Nigeria?
Plan a systematic approach to solving a problem

Determine which mixture of five colorless liquids
produces a yellow color
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Critique of Piaget

Characteristics of Stages

Each stage is a qualitative change in cognition


Progress through stages in culturally invariant
sequence



Catastrophe Theory: Sudden changes in cognition may
actually represent a gradual progression
Not all cultures reach Formal Operations
Most adults rarely apply Formal Operations thinking
Each stage includes the cognitive structures and
abilities of the previous stage

Egocentrism: Children asked to describe one picture from a
group so well that another child can select the described
picture (Siegler 1986)

Many Concrete Operations children fail this task
Catastrophe Theory
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Conclusion of Piaget

Contributions of Piaget
 Children
think differently than adults
 Focus on children’s cognition

Main research questions:
 What
mental processes cause children to
think differently than adults?
 How do children represent their environment?
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Robbie Case

Similar to Piaget
 Assumption
that children develop in stages
 Develop more sophisticated mental structures
in each stage

Different from Piaget
 Case
incorporated elements of Information
Processing Theory into the stages
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Robbie Case

Advancement to a new stage is the result of
increased capacity in working memory



Increased efficiency by automatizing processes
Brain maturation increases working memory capacity
Each stage is represented by a different central
conceptual structure


Central Conceptual Structures: Mental network of
concepts used to represent and assign meaning to
problems
Apply within culturally defined domains
Central Conceptual Structure:
Numbers
Predimensional Stage
From Case (1996)
Central Conceptual Structure:
Numbers
Unimensional Stage
From Case (1996)
Item
6 years
8 years
10 years
1 number after 7
1.00
.95
1.00
Count forward
.85
1.00
.95
Count backward
.85
1.00
1.00
Overall
.89
.97
.99
Four numbers before 60
.30
.70
.90
Which is bigger: 69 or 71
.35
.75
.75
How many in between 7 and 9
.25
.75
.90
Overall
.28
.66
.86
Unidimensional
Bidimensional
Integrated Bidimensional
Nine numbers after 999
.15
.25
.50
Which difference is bigger: 9 and 6 or 8 and 3?
.00
.25
.50
How much is 36-19?
.00
.25
.65
Overall
.04
.24
.49
From Okamoto & Case (1996)
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Central Conceptual Structures

Case’s stages

Predimensional: Two independent schemas of
quantity





Non-numerical, Counting
Unidimensional: Merged schemas, but represent on
one dimension
Bidimensional: Can compare two mental number
lines together
Integrated Bidimensional: Generalize relationships
to entire number system
Through development


Children consider more elements
Elements become more organized into a structure
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Domains of Thought
Numerical: Counting and non-numerical
representation
 Social: Theories of mind and scripts of
the sequence of events

 False

belief task
Spatial: Represent a 3D object on paper
and represent the relative locations of
objects
From Case, Stephenson, Bleiker, & Okamoto (1996)
A
B
C
D
Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Implications for Instruction
The learning environment should support
the stage where the learner is at
 Interaction with peers fosters cognitive
development
 Provide a learning situation in which the
child experiences disequilibrium

Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Developmental Overview
Learning Outcomes: More advanced cognitive
structures that assist in thinking and accurately
representing the environment
 Role of the Learner: Actively develop cognitive
structures; Experience disequilibrium
 Role of the Instructor: Ask probing questions to
illustrate the inconsistencies in children’s thinking
 Inputs for Learning: Concrete materials to
manipulate; Cognitive conflicts that prompt
disequilibrium
 Process of Learning: Progression through stages of
cognitive development

Dr. K. A. Korb
University of Jos
Revision

Describe Piaget’s four stages of cognitive
development.
 What
teaching modifications should you make
for each stage?

Describe Case’s four stages of cognitive
development.
 What
teaching modifications should you make
for each stage?