Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan (College Board AP® Psychology): Flashcards
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Define schema.
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Cards in this collection (44)
Define schema.
A schema is an organized mental framework or representation of knowledge about a person, object, event, or concept.
What is the name of the first schema a child develops, which separates the self from the environment?
The first schema a child develops is the body schema, which separates the self from the environment.
Define constructivism.
Constructivism is Piaget's view that children actively build their own understanding of the world through exploration, action, and reflection.
____________________ is the state of cognitive balance in which a child's schemas are sufficient to understand their current experiences.
Equilibrium is the state of cognitive balance in which a child's schemas are sufficient to understand their current experiences.
Define assimilation.
Assimilation is the process of incorporating new information into an existing schema without changing that schema.
True or False?
A child who sees a bat flying and calls it a bird, then creates a new schema for flying mammals after learning the truth, is demonstrating assimilation.
False.
This is accommodation, since the child modifies their existing schema rather than simply fitting the bat into it.
Define accommodation.
Accommodation is the process of modifying an existing schema, or creating a new one, in response to information that does not fit.
What term describes the discomfort that occurs when new information cannot be assimilated into existing schemas?
The discomfort that occurs when new information cannot be assimilated into existing schemas is called disequilibrium.
True or False?
Piaget believed that cognitive development is driven entirely by environmental experience, with no biological component.
False.
Piaget believed development follows an innate, biologically driven timetable, while environmental experience shapes the specific content a child learns.
True or False?
According to Piaget, children's thinking is just a less developed, smaller-scale version of adult thinking.
False.
Piaget argued that children's thinking is qualitatively different from adult thinking, not simply a less developed version of it.
During which stage does an infant explore the world entirely through senses and physical actions?
An infant explores the world entirely through senses and physical actions during the sensorimotor stage, from birth to approximately two years old.
Define object permanence.
Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight.
True or False?
In the A-not-B task, a child who has developed object permanence continues to search for the toy under location A after watching it hidden under location B.
False.
A child who has developed object permanence searches under location B, showing they understand the toy exists independently of their own previous actions.
Define egocentrism.
Egocentrism is a child's inability to see the world from another person's perspective, assuming others see, think, and feel exactly as they do.
What task did Piaget and Inhelder use to test egocentrism in young children?
Piaget and Inhelder tested egocentrism using the Three Mountains Task.
In Baron-Cohen's Sally-Anne task, what answer shows that a child has developed theory of mind?
A child with theory of mind says Sally will look in the basket, understanding that Sally holds a false belief about the marble's location.
The belief that inanimate objects are alive and have feelings, such as a child saying a chair is mean after tripping over it, is known as ____________.
The belief that inanimate objects are alive and have feelings, such as a child saying a chair is mean after tripping over it, is known as animism.
Define conservation.
Conservation is the understanding that quantity remains the same even when the appearance of an object or material changes.
What term describes a preoperational child's tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation at a time?
A preoperational child's tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation at a time is called centration.
True or False?
A child in the concrete operational stage can mentally reverse a transformation, such as imagining liquid poured back into its original glass.
True.
Concrete operational children can perform reversible mental operations, allowing them to mentally undo a transformation and return to the original state.
What three cognitive abilities define the formal operational stage?
The formal operational stage is defined by hypothetical reasoning, abstract thinking, and metacognition.
Which alternative model proposes that cognitive abilities develop continuously rather than in discrete stages?
The information processing model proposes that cognitive abilities develop continuously and gradually rather than in discrete stages.
True or False?
Dasen's research in Cote d'Ivoire found that children in all cultures develop formal operational reasoning in exactly the same way and timing as Piaget described.
False.
Dasen found that children used symbols and specific examples to reach general conclusions, a different reasoning style to Piaget's Swiss sample, suggesting cognitive development is shaped by culture.
Define fluid intelligence.
Fluid intelligence is the ability to reason quickly, think flexibly, and solve novel problems.
Define crystallized intelligence.
Crystallized intelligence is accumulated knowledge and expertise built through experience.
True or False?
Crystallized intelligence tends to decline sharply from early adulthood onward, in the same way that fluid intelligence does.
False.
Crystallized intelligence tends to remain stable or even increase through much of adulthood, while fluid intelligence peaks early and gradually declines.
What happens to processing speed as adults age?
Processing speed decreases progressively from early adulthood onward, slowing the rate at which the brain takes in, interprets, and responds to information.
Older adults often ______________ for reduced fluid intelligence by drawing on their greater crystallized knowledge and experience.
Older adults often compensate for reduced fluid intelligence by drawing on their greater crystallized knowledge and experience.
Define dementia.
Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of conditions characterized by progressive decline in memory, thinking, language, and the ability to carry out everyday tasks.
What is the most common form of dementia?
The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease.
True or False?
Dementia is simply a normal part of the aging process rather than a result of damage to brain cells.
False.
Dementia results from damage to brain cells and their connections and is not a normal part of aging.
Besides memory loss, which executive ability is commonly impaired by dementia?
Dementia commonly impairs executive function, causing difficulty planning, organizing, and making decisions.
According to Vygotsky, what primarily drives cognitive development?
According to Vygotsky, cognitive development is primarily driven by social interaction with more knowledgeable others.
True or False?
Vygotsky viewed the child as a lone scientist who discovers knowledge entirely through independent exploration.
False.
Vygotsky viewed the child as a little apprentice, learning through guided participation with others; the lone scientist view belongs to Piaget.
Define internalization.
Internalization is the process by which external guidance from others becomes a child's own internal thinking.
True or False?
According to Vygotsky, cognitive development follows universal stages, while Piaget argued that development is shaped by cultural context.
False.
The directions are reversed: Vygotsky argued development is shaped by cultural context, while Piaget proposed universal stages.
Define zone of proximal development (ZPD).
The zone of proximal development is the range of tasks a child cannot yet do independently but can achieve with guidance from a more knowledgeable other.
What does the abbreviation MKO stand for in Vygotsky's theory?
MKO stands for more knowledgeable other, the person who guides a child's learning.
Attempting a task that is far too advanced for a child's current level, even with help, can lead to ____________ or frustration rather than meaningful learning.
Attempting a task that is far too advanced for a child's current level, even with help, can lead to confusion or frustration rather than meaningful learning.
Define scaffolding.
Scaffolding is the support a more knowledgeable other provides to help a child work within their zone of proximal development.
Who developed the concept of scaffolding to describe Vygotsky's supportive learning process?
Wood, Bruner, and Ross (1976) developed the concept of scaffolding.
True or False?
Effective scaffolding stays constant throughout learning and is never withdrawn, even once a child masters a task independently.
False.
Effective scaffolding is responsive and temporary, with support progressively withdrawn as the child becomes more competent.
According to Vygotsky, what role does language play in cognitive development?
According to Vygotsky, language is crucial for thought and learning, rather than merely a result of cognitive development.
What type of research method has primarily been used to support Vygotsky's theory?
Vygotsky's theory has primarily been supported by observational and naturalistic research.
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