Development notes
Weblecture 6
6B cognitive development: 3 dimensions
1. quantitative and qualitative development.
quantitative: smooth, continuous changes
qualitative: distinct changes in structure, entirely different kind of capacity, often made up of
small gradually changes
2. domain-general (global) and domain-specific (local)
general: broad changes in mental capacities, used in every domain of knowledge
specific: each domain has its own unique change.
3. foundational constraints and emergent constraints
foundational: development is limited from the outset, often due to genetics. For example: not
able to fly.
Emergent: development is emerging over time, in response to environment, depending on
specific experiences
Piaget's theory:
qualitative changes
domain-general development
emergent constraints
preoperational stage:
2-7 years
emergence of language
only one aspect of a problem, rest ignored (centration)
fails on tasks of:
o classification
o conservation
o seriation
o transitive reasoning
logical operators:
compensation: change in one dimension compensates for a change in another dimension
reversibility: 'undo' things can return to intial state
identity: noting that values stay the same
--> lack of logical operators lead to:
centration: focusing excessively on one dimension of a transformation while ignoring other relevant
dimensions.
conservation task: do children use logical operators?
identity
compensation
reversibility
(rope, stones, water volume)
seriation task:
seriation of objects: order obejct to shared property (lentgth, size)
transitive reasoning: make logical inferences about relations (A>B, B>C, A>C)
,classification tasks
classification tasks: sorting objects, consistent criterium (color, shape, size)
class-inclusion relations: hierarchy of superordinate and subordinate categories
animal -> dog
information integration theory: younger children focus on one dimension of a problem (intentions
or consequences):
7-12 years of age
child now has mental operators that he previously lacked
responds correctly on conservation-, seriation- and classification tasks
no hypothetical reasoning
formal operational period
from >12 years of age
hypothetico-deductive reasoning: think systematically about different possibilities that might
depart from current reality
scientific model: isolating individual variables and seeing how they change when they are
systemetically manipulated one at a time
not all people achieve this stage, not even in adulthood
pendalum task:
what variables determine the rate of the swing
systemetically control variables so as to unambiguously isolate length as the only critical
variable
Why did children fail Piaget’s tasks?
Piaget: children lack the requisite cognitive structures
Other explanations:
o Children lack cognitive abilities that the task tests (memory, attention, inhibition)
o Children don’t understand which elements of the task are relevant (wrong focus)
o Children try to please the experimenter (they anticipate the ‘desired’ response)
Core domain: basic universal cognitive components.
Spatial knowledge: cognitive map. Mental representation of the spatial layout that can be
used for navigation. Allocentric and egocentric.
Allocentric spatial representations:
o Using beacons: noticing that an object is located directly under or right next to
another salient and permanent object
o Using landmarks: being able to use distance and direction from salient objects
o Geometric cues: noticing that the environment has a particular shape
>5 years: children can combine landmark and geometric information.
Age 3-7: language and mathematical skills develop
Number specific domain:
Foundational constraints: number/estimation skills. Quantitative development
Emergent constraints: number-rich language. Qualitative shift in number concepts.
Intuitive theories: ideas about how something works, never learned about through formal
instruction
, Influences on development
Piaget: experience leads to development
Vygotsky: You develop, then learn things and then develop again. (sociocultural influences)
Vygotsky’s view
Zone of proximal development
o Next level of a skill
o Next step in cognitive development
Scaffolding. Adults guide children in a manner that enables the child to take part in a more
advanced task then they could perform alone (support without doing it for them).
Theories about learning and development
1. Constructivism: Development always precedes learning; children first need to meet a
maturation level before learning occurs
2. Behaviourism: Learning and development cannot be separated but occur simultaneously.
Essentially, learning is development.
3. Vygotsky: Learning precedes development
Weblecture 7 and Keil chapter 7
Basic emotions: appear early in development, universal in human species. (closely linked to
amygdala)
Complex emotions: build on and occur developmentally later than basic emotions. (other brain
regions in interaction with amygdala)
Functionalist approach: emotions are ways of mobilizing ourselves to take action toward a goal;
stresses the function of emotional responses.
The 6 basic (primary) emotions:
Joy
Anger
Sadness
Disgust
Surprise
Fear
Appear very early in development
Are considered human universals
Self-conscious emotions: the emotional experience itself requires some degree of self-awareness.
(guilt, shame, embarrassment, pride, jealousy, envy, empathy)
Machiavellian emotions: meant to influence others and don’t simply reflect an internal state.
Weblecture 6
6B cognitive development: 3 dimensions
1. quantitative and qualitative development.
quantitative: smooth, continuous changes
qualitative: distinct changes in structure, entirely different kind of capacity, often made up of
small gradually changes
2. domain-general (global) and domain-specific (local)
general: broad changes in mental capacities, used in every domain of knowledge
specific: each domain has its own unique change.
3. foundational constraints and emergent constraints
foundational: development is limited from the outset, often due to genetics. For example: not
able to fly.
Emergent: development is emerging over time, in response to environment, depending on
specific experiences
Piaget's theory:
qualitative changes
domain-general development
emergent constraints
preoperational stage:
2-7 years
emergence of language
only one aspect of a problem, rest ignored (centration)
fails on tasks of:
o classification
o conservation
o seriation
o transitive reasoning
logical operators:
compensation: change in one dimension compensates for a change in another dimension
reversibility: 'undo' things can return to intial state
identity: noting that values stay the same
--> lack of logical operators lead to:
centration: focusing excessively on one dimension of a transformation while ignoring other relevant
dimensions.
conservation task: do children use logical operators?
identity
compensation
reversibility
(rope, stones, water volume)
seriation task:
seriation of objects: order obejct to shared property (lentgth, size)
transitive reasoning: make logical inferences about relations (A>B, B>C, A>C)
,classification tasks
classification tasks: sorting objects, consistent criterium (color, shape, size)
class-inclusion relations: hierarchy of superordinate and subordinate categories
animal -> dog
information integration theory: younger children focus on one dimension of a problem (intentions
or consequences):
7-12 years of age
child now has mental operators that he previously lacked
responds correctly on conservation-, seriation- and classification tasks
no hypothetical reasoning
formal operational period
from >12 years of age
hypothetico-deductive reasoning: think systematically about different possibilities that might
depart from current reality
scientific model: isolating individual variables and seeing how they change when they are
systemetically manipulated one at a time
not all people achieve this stage, not even in adulthood
pendalum task:
what variables determine the rate of the swing
systemetically control variables so as to unambiguously isolate length as the only critical
variable
Why did children fail Piaget’s tasks?
Piaget: children lack the requisite cognitive structures
Other explanations:
o Children lack cognitive abilities that the task tests (memory, attention, inhibition)
o Children don’t understand which elements of the task are relevant (wrong focus)
o Children try to please the experimenter (they anticipate the ‘desired’ response)
Core domain: basic universal cognitive components.
Spatial knowledge: cognitive map. Mental representation of the spatial layout that can be
used for navigation. Allocentric and egocentric.
Allocentric spatial representations:
o Using beacons: noticing that an object is located directly under or right next to
another salient and permanent object
o Using landmarks: being able to use distance and direction from salient objects
o Geometric cues: noticing that the environment has a particular shape
>5 years: children can combine landmark and geometric information.
Age 3-7: language and mathematical skills develop
Number specific domain:
Foundational constraints: number/estimation skills. Quantitative development
Emergent constraints: number-rich language. Qualitative shift in number concepts.
Intuitive theories: ideas about how something works, never learned about through formal
instruction
, Influences on development
Piaget: experience leads to development
Vygotsky: You develop, then learn things and then develop again. (sociocultural influences)
Vygotsky’s view
Zone of proximal development
o Next level of a skill
o Next step in cognitive development
Scaffolding. Adults guide children in a manner that enables the child to take part in a more
advanced task then they could perform alone (support without doing it for them).
Theories about learning and development
1. Constructivism: Development always precedes learning; children first need to meet a
maturation level before learning occurs
2. Behaviourism: Learning and development cannot be separated but occur simultaneously.
Essentially, learning is development.
3. Vygotsky: Learning precedes development
Weblecture 7 and Keil chapter 7
Basic emotions: appear early in development, universal in human species. (closely linked to
amygdala)
Complex emotions: build on and occur developmentally later than basic emotions. (other brain
regions in interaction with amygdala)
Functionalist approach: emotions are ways of mobilizing ourselves to take action toward a goal;
stresses the function of emotional responses.
The 6 basic (primary) emotions:
Joy
Anger
Sadness
Disgust
Surprise
Fear
Appear very early in development
Are considered human universals
Self-conscious emotions: the emotional experience itself requires some degree of self-awareness.
(guilt, shame, embarrassment, pride, jealousy, envy, empathy)
Machiavellian emotions: meant to influence others and don’t simply reflect an internal state.
