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Chapter 4
Five cognitive theories about the cognitive development of a child:
1. Piaget’s theory
2. Information processing theories
3. Core-knowledge theories
4. Socio-cultural theories
5. Dynamic system theories
Piaget’s theory
He sees the child as a researcher; the child acquires knowledge through experience.
Piaget is a constructivist. Children are motivated to learn without instructions or rewards
from others.
Development is a continuous process and a discontinuous process.
Main aspects of continuity:
o Assimilation: a process in which incoming information is processed on basis of the
knowledge the child already has.
o Accommodation: a process in which new incoming information is processed on the
basis of knowledge the child did not have before.
o Balance: a process in which a balance is created between assimilation and
accommodation.
when a child does not understand something it is in a phase of non-equilibrium.
Central characteristics of Piaget’s theory of urbanism:
o Qualitive change: the older a child becomes, the more interpretations of certain
behavior change.
o Broad applicability: the thinking about certain subjects is influenced by the general
way of thinking.
o Brief transitions: explains the period of transition in the way of thinking.
o Invariant sequence: each child runs all stages in the same order.
Four stages:
o Sensorimotor phase:
0-2 years.
Important concepts:
Object permanence: object doesn’t disappear, when covered.
o From the age of 8 months.
A-not-B-error: object hidden under cloth and then under another
cloth. Child must search for object and children up to 12 months do
not understand this process and will search for first location.
Deffered imitation: children in the last six months of this phase are
able to imitate certain behaviors of other people.
o Preoperational phase:
2-7 years.
What children experience in language and pictures is expressed and
processed.
Important concepts:
Symbolic representation: using object for a not intended purpose.
o From an age of 3 years.
, Egocentrism: limitation of thinking. Children are perceiving the world
from their own point of view and are not able to imagine the
perspective of others.
Children have difficulty with centration; focusing on a single observable
object or event.
Children are not able to estimate quantities yet; they don’t have
conservation concept.
o Concrete operational phase:
7-12 years.
Children are taught to reason logically about concrete things.
o Formal operational phase:
From the 12th year.
Abstract and hypothetical situations/objects are deliberated and understood.
Criticisms:
o Theory is unclear about the mechanisms that arise in a child’s thinking and how they
advance in cognitive growth.
o Babies and small children are cognitively more competent than Piaget believes.
o Piaget underestimates the influence of the social world on the children’s cognitive
developments.
o In Piaget’s model, the thinking behavior of children seems more consistent than it
actually is.
Some implications influenced by Piaget’s concept:
o Different ways of thinking at different ages need to be considered in education.
o Children learn the best through physical and mental interaction with their
environment.
o Children’s learning can be promoted by combining physical activity with asking
quastions.
Information processing theories
Focusing on the structure of the cognitive system and the mental activities used to solve
problems by using attention and memory.
Task analysis: identification of goals, relevant information in the environment and potential
problem solving strategies.
Job analysis better understanding of behavior.
o Computer simulation can be formulated.
Child is a limited capacity processing system.
o Limitations of the hardware have to do with memory of the computer and the
efficiency in carrying out basic operations.
o Limitations software are related with strategies and information available for certain
tasks.
o Human thinking is limited by similar factors:
Memory capacity
Efficiency of thought processes
Availability of useful strategies and knowledge
o Child is problem solver; problemsolving is a process of reaching a goal by using a
strategy to overcome obstacles/problems.
This theory also addresses how change takes place.
Memory is crucial aspect.
Chapter 4
Five cognitive theories about the cognitive development of a child:
1. Piaget’s theory
2. Information processing theories
3. Core-knowledge theories
4. Socio-cultural theories
5. Dynamic system theories
Piaget’s theory
He sees the child as a researcher; the child acquires knowledge through experience.
Piaget is a constructivist. Children are motivated to learn without instructions or rewards
from others.
Development is a continuous process and a discontinuous process.
Main aspects of continuity:
o Assimilation: a process in which incoming information is processed on basis of the
knowledge the child already has.
o Accommodation: a process in which new incoming information is processed on the
basis of knowledge the child did not have before.
o Balance: a process in which a balance is created between assimilation and
accommodation.
when a child does not understand something it is in a phase of non-equilibrium.
Central characteristics of Piaget’s theory of urbanism:
o Qualitive change: the older a child becomes, the more interpretations of certain
behavior change.
o Broad applicability: the thinking about certain subjects is influenced by the general
way of thinking.
o Brief transitions: explains the period of transition in the way of thinking.
o Invariant sequence: each child runs all stages in the same order.
Four stages:
o Sensorimotor phase:
0-2 years.
Important concepts:
Object permanence: object doesn’t disappear, when covered.
o From the age of 8 months.
A-not-B-error: object hidden under cloth and then under another
cloth. Child must search for object and children up to 12 months do
not understand this process and will search for first location.
Deffered imitation: children in the last six months of this phase are
able to imitate certain behaviors of other people.
o Preoperational phase:
2-7 years.
What children experience in language and pictures is expressed and
processed.
Important concepts:
Symbolic representation: using object for a not intended purpose.
o From an age of 3 years.
, Egocentrism: limitation of thinking. Children are perceiving the world
from their own point of view and are not able to imagine the
perspective of others.
Children have difficulty with centration; focusing on a single observable
object or event.
Children are not able to estimate quantities yet; they don’t have
conservation concept.
o Concrete operational phase:
7-12 years.
Children are taught to reason logically about concrete things.
o Formal operational phase:
From the 12th year.
Abstract and hypothetical situations/objects are deliberated and understood.
Criticisms:
o Theory is unclear about the mechanisms that arise in a child’s thinking and how they
advance in cognitive growth.
o Babies and small children are cognitively more competent than Piaget believes.
o Piaget underestimates the influence of the social world on the children’s cognitive
developments.
o In Piaget’s model, the thinking behavior of children seems more consistent than it
actually is.
Some implications influenced by Piaget’s concept:
o Different ways of thinking at different ages need to be considered in education.
o Children learn the best through physical and mental interaction with their
environment.
o Children’s learning can be promoted by combining physical activity with asking
quastions.
Information processing theories
Focusing on the structure of the cognitive system and the mental activities used to solve
problems by using attention and memory.
Task analysis: identification of goals, relevant information in the environment and potential
problem solving strategies.
Job analysis better understanding of behavior.
o Computer simulation can be formulated.
Child is a limited capacity processing system.
o Limitations of the hardware have to do with memory of the computer and the
efficiency in carrying out basic operations.
o Limitations software are related with strategies and information available for certain
tasks.
o Human thinking is limited by similar factors:
Memory capacity
Efficiency of thought processes
Availability of useful strategies and knowledge
o Child is problem solver; problemsolving is a process of reaching a goal by using a
strategy to overcome obstacles/problems.
This theory also addresses how change takes place.
Memory is crucial aspect.
