Chapter 3: Cognitive Development in the Early Years: Part I (p. 77 – 99).
1. What does it mean that Piaget’s theory is a constructivist theory?
2. Define assimilation and accommodation. How are they different?
The Sensorimotor Stage:
1. How can we study what infants know if they cannot talk?
a. Habituation paradigm:
i. Orienting response
ii. Habituation
iii. Dishabituation response
b. Preferential response paradigm (what is it, and how can we use it to assess visual and auditory developments during infancy)?
2. Object concept:
a. Intercessory integration
i. How do we know that infants as old as 1 month are able to understand that the way something feels corresponds to the way it looks (i.e., that a bumpy pacifier both feels bumpy in their mouth also appears to be bumpy)?
b. Object permanence
c. Representational thought
i. Why is this important for understanding cognitive development?
d. Hidden object test:
i. When do children typically pass the hidden object test?
3. Infant memory
a. Recognition:
i. How do we know that infants are capable of recognition?
1. Habituation studies.
b. Recall
i. How is recall different from recognition?
ii. Deferred imitation
iii. Describe Meltzoff’s (1988) study on deferred imitation:
iv. Separation anxiety:
1. When does it typically develop?
2. Why does it develop? What other aspects of cognitive ability allow for separation anxiety to emerge?
c. Intentional behavior
Preoperational Stage
1. Symbolic thinking
2. Pretend play
3. Centration
a. Give an example of centration
4. Decentration
a. When does decentration typically emerge?
5. Executive functions
a. Three aspects of executive functions (executive toolkits):
i. Working memory
ii. Self-regulation
iii. Cognitive flexibility
6. Number conservation task:
7. Understanding the mind:
a. Preoperational egocentrism.
b. Theory of Mind:
i. Level 1 vs level 2 visual perspective taking
ii. Diverse beliefs and desires
iii. False belief tasks
Reflection Questions:
1. Why do you think that understanding cognitive development in infants would be useful for your work and practice?
2. What would you like to discuss in greater detail during class? Explain why you chose this topic.
3. What concepts were surprising or confusing? Explain.
