Cognitive Development in Infants & Toddlers Chapter 5

Cognitive Development in Infants & Toddlers

Chapter 5

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology

• Child is an active seeker of information• Major Themes– Method Clinique (clinical method) – Constructivism– Schemes (Schemata)– Organization– Adaptation– Reflective Abstraction


• Method Clinique– Pose problem to the child– Observe child’s attempt to solve the problem– Probe with questions to determine underlying

strategy and information needed to solve the problem

– Problems:• With prelinguistic infants, inferences must be

made


• Constructivism– Each experience is represented in a unique way by

each individual– Construction of representation is based on:• History• Strategy• Social/Environmental support

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology• Scheme (Schemata)– Organized representation of• Actions (e.g. reflexes)• Thoughts (e.g. concepts)• Processes (e.g. problem solving strategies)

– Schemata provide the framework with which we interpret new experiences and construct new schemata or integrate new information into existing schemata


• Organization– Across development Schemata are constantly

differentiated and integrated– Schemata are organized into increasingly complex

systems– Organizations may reflect hierarchical or network

organizations


• Adaptation– Tendency of the organism to modify itself to meet

environmental demands– System seeks equilibrium with its environment

through two processes• Assimilation• Accommodation

– Process of reaching equilibrium is termed equilibration

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology• Reflective Abstraction– Process of construction of an internal

representation from external stimuli• Recognition or awareness of some external stimulus• Processing the stimulus in one’s working memory

(controlled) • Modification (accommodation) of cognitive structures

(schemata) to form a representation of experience

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology• Stages of Cognitive Development – Qualitatively different ways of knowing the world– Sequence is universal– Timing of onset of each stage is unique and

depends on• Neurological maturation• Experience with others and the outside world


• Sensorimotor (Infancy-Early toddlerhood)• Preoperational (Early childhood)• Concrete Operational (Middle childhood)• Formal Operational (Adolescence)

Piaget’s Theory of Genetic Epistemology• Characteristics of Sensorimotor Thought– Knowledge is based on direct sensory and motor

experience– Mental representation is based on direct

representation of sensory and motor experience– Symbolic representation emerges late in the stage– Key accomplishments:• Person permanence • Object permanence• Symbolic representation• Sense of intentionality and primitive cause-effect


• Stages of Sensorimotor Thought– Primary Reflexes– Primary Circular Reactions– Secondary Circular Reactions– Coordination of Secondary Schemes– Tertiary Circular Reactions– Transition to Symbolic Thought

Language Development in Infancy & Toddlers

• What is language?– Semanticity—symbolic representation of object, actions,

events, concepts– Productive—seemingly infinite combinations of words that

lead to utterances that can be understood– Displacement—allows reference to objects, actions,

events, and concepts in their absence– Arbitrary—no direct relationship between the sound and

structure of a word and the object, action, event, or concept it represents


• Structures of Language– Phonology/Grapheme– Morphology– Syntax– Semantics– Pragmatics


• Theories of Language Development– Learning/Environmental Theories• Skinner—Operant Conditioning• Bandura—Vicarious Learning (modeling and imitation)

– Nativist Theory • Chomsky—Language Acquisition Device (innate

structure containing universals of language)


• Nativist Theory – All physiologically intact humans have capacity to

develop language– Unclear whether non-human animals develop

language– Physical structures specialized for language

• Wernicke’s area—comprehending words and producing spoken and written langauge• Broca’s area—production of speech

– Sensitive periods render the young child at an advantage in learning language


• Nativists critiqued based on – Lack of evidence of innate knowledge of

“universals of language”– Lack of experimental studies to refute nativists’

assumptions (depravation studies)


• Interaction Theories:– Cognitive:• Language and cognition are directly linked• As cognitive development proceeds, children move

through increasingly complex representational systems (e.g. object permanence to utterances)• Connectionist or Network models seem to be most

persuasive for the cognitive approach; increased complexity of networks are linked to increased facility with language (support from empirical rsch and computer simulations


• Social Interactionist– Biopsychosocial Model of language development• Interactions with others in the environment (ala

Vygotsky’s ideas)• Appropriate stimulation during sensitive periods• Corrections provide feedback and expansion without

negative demeanor• Child’s gestures coupled with words are accepted and

recast• Code-switching


• Precursors to Language Development in Infancy– Perceptual skills—auditory acuity and

discrimination– Social interactions—opportunities to hear the

native language– Shared attention to distinctive features [directed

by competent language user]


• Development of Language through Infancy and Toddlerhood

• Prelinguistic– Neonates: reflexive, non-intentional sounds– Young infants (roughly the first 2-4 months)• Variation in cries• Distinctive sounds indicating pleasure• Gazing with apparent intent


• Development of Language through Infancy and Toddlerhood

• Linguistic/Comunicative– Gestures coordinated with sounds (6 to 8months) – Babbling with presence of syllables (consonant-

vowel repetitions; cross cultural)– Echolalia (immediate repetition of words—8-12

months)– Can begin to link gestures with one-word

utterances to establish communicative competence


• http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/speechandlanguage.asp#mychild

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/speechandlanguage.asp#mychild

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/speechandlanguage.asp#mychild

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Cognitive Development in Infants & Toddlers Chapter 5