Cognitive Development in infancy and toddlerhood
I. Six Perspectives in Studying Cognitive Development
1. Behaviorist Approach
● Focuses on how behavior changes in response to experience.
● Learning occurs through classical and operant conditioning.
● Classical Conditioning: Associating stimuli (e.g., blinking when seeing a camera flash).
● Operant Conditioning: Learning through reinforcement and punishment.
2. Psychometric Approach
● Measures intelligence using IQ tests and developmental quotients (DQs).
● Developmental tests assess a baby’s abilities compared to age norms.
● Intelligence is assessed by what infants can do rather than what they know.
3. Piagetian Approach
● Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years): Infants learn through senses and motor activity.
● Six Substages of Sensorimotor Stage:
1. Use of Reflexes (0-1 month): Infants exercise inborn reflexes.
2. Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months): Repeating pleasurable behaviors.
3. Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months): Interest in environment and repeating
actions (e.g., shaking a rattle).
4. Coordination of Secondary Schemes (8-12 months): Goal-directed behavior.
5. Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months): Experimentation and curiosity.
6. Mental Combinations (18-24 months): Symbolic thought, problem-solving, pretend
play.
4. Information-Processing Approach
● Studies how infants perceive and handle information.
● Habituation: Decreased response to repeated stimulus.
● Dishabituation: Renewed response to a new stimulus.
● Visual and auditory processing play a role in infant learning.
5. Cognitive Neuroscience Approach
● Links brain processes with cognitive functions.
● Implicit Memory: Unconscious recall (e.g., habits, motor skills).
, ● Explicit Memory: Conscious recall (e.g., facts, names).
● Working Memory: Temporary storage of actively processed information.
6. Social-Contextual Approach
● Guided Participation: Learning through interactions with caregivers.
● Inspired by Vygotsky’s theory of social learning.
II. Language Development
A. Prelinguistic Speech
● Includes crying, cooing, babbling, and imitation.
● Babbling (6-10 months) is the repetition of consonant-vowel sounds.
B. Gestures
● Pointing (11 months) shows early social cognition.
● Symbolic gestures (12-13 months) function like words (e.g., sniffing for a flower).
C. First Words and Sentences
● Holophrase: A single word conveying a complete thought.
● Telegraphic Speech: Short sentences with essential words (e.g., "Want cookie").
● By age 3, speech is fluent, complex, and grammatically structured.
D. Role of Parents & Caregivers
● Child-Directed Speech (CDS): High-pitched, simplified speech aids language development.
● Frequent reading aloud fosters vocabulary and literacy skills.
III. The Benefits of Reading Aloud
● Improves vocabulary, comprehension, and early literacy skills.
● Three reading styles:
1. Describer: Focuses on explaining pictures.
2. Comprehender: Encourages deeper understanding.
3. Performance-Oriented: Reads with emphasis on themes and questions.
Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
I. Physical Development
I. Six Perspectives in Studying Cognitive Development
1. Behaviorist Approach
● Focuses on how behavior changes in response to experience.
● Learning occurs through classical and operant conditioning.
● Classical Conditioning: Associating stimuli (e.g., blinking when seeing a camera flash).
● Operant Conditioning: Learning through reinforcement and punishment.
2. Psychometric Approach
● Measures intelligence using IQ tests and developmental quotients (DQs).
● Developmental tests assess a baby’s abilities compared to age norms.
● Intelligence is assessed by what infants can do rather than what they know.
3. Piagetian Approach
● Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years): Infants learn through senses and motor activity.
● Six Substages of Sensorimotor Stage:
1. Use of Reflexes (0-1 month): Infants exercise inborn reflexes.
2. Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months): Repeating pleasurable behaviors.
3. Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months): Interest in environment and repeating
actions (e.g., shaking a rattle).
4. Coordination of Secondary Schemes (8-12 months): Goal-directed behavior.
5. Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months): Experimentation and curiosity.
6. Mental Combinations (18-24 months): Symbolic thought, problem-solving, pretend
play.
4. Information-Processing Approach
● Studies how infants perceive and handle information.
● Habituation: Decreased response to repeated stimulus.
● Dishabituation: Renewed response to a new stimulus.
● Visual and auditory processing play a role in infant learning.
5. Cognitive Neuroscience Approach
● Links brain processes with cognitive functions.
● Implicit Memory: Unconscious recall (e.g., habits, motor skills).
, ● Explicit Memory: Conscious recall (e.g., facts, names).
● Working Memory: Temporary storage of actively processed information.
6. Social-Contextual Approach
● Guided Participation: Learning through interactions with caregivers.
● Inspired by Vygotsky’s theory of social learning.
II. Language Development
A. Prelinguistic Speech
● Includes crying, cooing, babbling, and imitation.
● Babbling (6-10 months) is the repetition of consonant-vowel sounds.
B. Gestures
● Pointing (11 months) shows early social cognition.
● Symbolic gestures (12-13 months) function like words (e.g., sniffing for a flower).
C. First Words and Sentences
● Holophrase: A single word conveying a complete thought.
● Telegraphic Speech: Short sentences with essential words (e.g., "Want cookie").
● By age 3, speech is fluent, complex, and grammatically structured.
D. Role of Parents & Caregivers
● Child-Directed Speech (CDS): High-pitched, simplified speech aids language development.
● Frequent reading aloud fosters vocabulary and literacy skills.
III. The Benefits of Reading Aloud
● Improves vocabulary, comprehension, and early literacy skills.
● Three reading styles:
1. Describer: Focuses on explaining pictures.
2. Comprehender: Encourages deeper understanding.
3. Performance-Oriented: Reads with emphasis on themes and questions.
Physical and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
I. Physical Development
