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Developmental Psychology - Physical, Cognitive Development Age 0–2

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    Study Guide Developmental Psychology – Physical, Cognitive Development : Age 0 – 2 1. Cognitive Development: Age 0 – 2 During the first two years of life, babies experience rapid cognitive growth. Much of what we know about early thinking comes from the work of Jean Piaget , a Swiss psychologist. In the 1920s, Piaget noticed that children think and understand the world differently at different ages. Piaget believed that children move through a series of cognitive development stages , much like physical growth stages. While children may move through these stages at different speeds, Piaget argued that all children — boys and girls — go through the same stages in the same order. 1.1 The Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to Age 2) The first stage of Piaget’s theory is called the sensorimotor stage , which lasts from birth to about age two. During this stage, infants learn through direct interaction with the world. They learn by looking, listening, touching, grasping, and sucking. At first, babies react to the world automatically. Over time, they begin to understand that their actions cause things to happen . For example, a baby may learn that shaking a rattle makes noise. This is the beginning of understanding cause and effect . 1.2 The Six Substages of the Sensorimotor Period Piaget divided the sensorimotor stage into six smaller substages : Stage 1: Reflexes (Birth to 1 Month) Newborns rely entirely on reflexes, such as sucking and grasping. Their thinking abilities are very limited at this point. Stage 2: Primary Circular Reactions (1 to 4 Months) Infants accidentally perform actions that feel good, such as sucking on a pacifier. When they like the result, they repeat the action.

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    Study Guide Stage 3: Secondary Circular Reactions (4 to 8 Months) Babies begin to explore how their actions affect the environment. For example, they may repeatedly shake a toy to hear the sound it makes. Stage 4: Coordination of Reactions (8 to 12 Months) Infants now perform goal - directed behaviors . They intentionally take steps to reach a goal, such as crawling to grab a toy. Around this time, object permanence begins to develop. Object permanence is the understanding that objects still exist even when they are out of sight. Babies may start looking for a toy that has been hidden. Stage 5: Tertiary Circular Reactions (12 to 18 Months) Toddlers experiment with cause and effect in new ways. They intentionally change their actions to see different results, such as waving to make a parent smile. Stage 6: Mental Representation (18 to 24 Months) Toddlers begin to use symbols and mental images. This is called representational (symbolic) thought . For example, they use words like “dog,” “milk,” “mama,” or “papa” to stand for real objects or people. 1.3 Schemas: Building Blocks of Thinking Piaget called basic mental structures schemas . In infancy, schemas help organize sensory and motor experiences. Reflexes form the earliest schemas, which later become more complex. For example, a baby who repeatedly sees and touches a rattle eventually forms a mental image of it. This mental representation allows the child to recognize the rattle later, even when it is not being touched. 1.4 How Cognitive Development Happens: Adaptation and Equilibrium Piaget believed cognitive growth occurs through two main processes: adaptation and equilibrium . Adaptation Adaptation is how children adjust their thinking to fit new experiences. It includes two parts: • Assimilation : Using existing ideas to understand something new.

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    Study Guide Example: A child calling a whale a fish because it lives in the ocean. • Accommodation : Changing existing ideas when new information does not fit. Example: Learning that whales are mammals, not fish. Equilibrium Equilibrium is the search for balance between what a child knows and what they experience. When children realize their understanding does not match reality, they adjust their thinking. This process helps children move forward in development and make better decisions. 1.5 Evaluating Piaget’s Theory Most psychologists today agree with Piaget’s main idea: new thinking skills build on earlier ones . Researchers also support his view that infants and toddlers are active learners who explore their world on purpose. However, Piaget’s theory has also been criticized. Researchers such as Robbie Case, Pierr Dasen, Kurt Fischer, and Elizabeth Spelke argue that development is not as neatly divided into stages as Piaget suggested. Children may move through stages differentl y or in a different order. Piaget called this variation decalage , but he did not fully explain it. Critics also believe Piaget underestimated young children. Research shows that toddlers and preschoolers can show empathy, use logic, and understand others’ perspectives earlier than Piaget thought. Cognitive development is also influenced by social and cultural environments . Children in enriched environments often have more opportunities to develop cognitive skills than children in deprived environments. 1.6 Early Understanding and Symbols Studies suggest that infants understand more than once believed. Even by three months , babies show awareness of how the physical world works. They pay extra attention to events that seem impossible, such as objects floating or passing through walls. This shows early symbolic and logical thinking.

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    Study Guide 1.7 Memory Development Memory plays a major role in early cognitive development. Memory is the ability to encode (take in), store, and recall information. Researchers describe three types of memory: • Sensory memory (less than 1 second) • Short - term memory (less than 30 seconds) • Long - term memory (can last indefinitely) Babies begin forming long - term memories during the first six months . They may recognize caregivers and familiar places. These early memories help children form categories and understand the world more clearly. 1.8 Language Development in the First Two Years Language development begins early and is closely tied to cognitive growth. Psycholinguists , who study language development, believe language depends on a child’s ability to use symbols. As the brain develops, children gain representational thinking , which supports language learning. Learning language is also influenced by imitation and reinforcement . Children copy the speech of caregivers, and caregivers respond, encouraging further communication. Psycholinguists study three parts of language: • Content : What is meant • Form : What is said • Use : How and to whom it is said Linguist Noam Chomsky proposed that humans are born with an innate ability to learn language, called the language acquisition device . Language learning also happens within a social and cultural context . Family members, peers, teachers, and media all shape how children learn to communicate and understand the world.

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