A & a Development

A mechanism in Piaget's theory that explains how individuals shift from one state of thought to the next. The shift occurs as individuals experience cognitive conflict or a disequilibrium in trying to understand the world. Eventually, the individual resolves the conflict and reaches a balance, or equilibrium of thought.

Piaget First stage of development, birth-2 years.
In this stage infants construct an understanding of the world by coordinating sensory experiences (seeing, hearing) with physical, motoric actions.

Piaget, second stage, 2-7 years
Children begin to represent their world with words, images, and drawings. Symbolic thought goes beyond simple connection of information and action.
egocentrism

Piaget, third stage, 7-11 years
Children can perform [operations] mental actions that allow individuals to do mentally what they earlier did physically
Logical reasoning replaces intuitive thought as long as the reasoning can be applied to specific or concrete examples.
[conservation] recognize that the properties of an object doesn't change through transformations that alter their appearance
Can classify objects into different sets [classification]

Piaget, fourth stage, 11-15 years
Characterized by
abstract: make-believe, hypothetical situations, verbal problem solving
  ~metacognition: thinking about thought itself
logical thought think like a scientist
idealistic: ideal characteristics and qualities they desire
not homogeneous early and late portions of this stage

Ability to think in hypothetical ways produces unrestrained thoughts with unlimited possibilities.
Flights of fantasy may submerge reality and the world is perceived too subjectively and idealistically.
Assimilation dominant process

As adolescents test their reasoning against experience, intellectual balance is restored.
Through accommodation, adolescents begin to adjust to the upheaval they have experienced.
Late formal thought may appear in the middle adolescent years 15-20.

Thought that is reflective, relativistic, and contextual;
  a solution to a problem at work (with a boss or coworker) may not be the best solution at home (with a romantic partner)
provisional: skeptical, search for truth is an ongoing process
realistic: thinking can't always be abstract sometimes better to be realistic
open to emotions and subjective: realize emotions affect thinking

Emphasizes how culture and social interaction guide cognitive development                       

Development inseperable from social and cultural activities

Involves learning to use the tools of society

Actively seek out info increases cognitive development

nNeed social interaction, stimulating environments

ZPD Lies between an upper and lower limit, includes range of tasks
Tasks in the ZPD too difficult to perform without assistance
As verbal instruction or demonstration is given  they organize info in existing mental structures and can eventually perform the task alone

1. Thinking in terms of principals [saying something different than they do]
2. Thinking of all possibilities [pseudostupidity]
3. Thinking about thinking [metacognition]

heightened self-consciousness, reflected in beliefs that others are as interested in them as they are themselves, and in their sense of personal uniqueness and invulnerability

imaginary audience: intense feeling that everyone is watching you, imagination product of ego centrism and self conscious feelings
personal fable: feeling that you are so different special and unique that you can get away with things others can't
leads to risky behaviors "that happens to other people not me"
feeling that normal consequences won't apply for you "people just don't understand me"
** no one totally overcomes these feelings but the behavior eventually diminishes

Psychosocial theory that includes eight stages of human development.

Each stage consists of a unique developmental task that confronts individuals with a crisis that must be faced

  1.Truth vs mistrust

  2. Autonomy vs shame and doubt

  3. Initiative vs guilt

  4.  Industry vs inferiority

  5. Identity vs identity confusion

  6. Intimacy vs isolation

  7. Generativity vs stagnation

  8. Integrity vs dispair

Erikson's 5 developmental stage occurring during adolescence
individuals are faced with deciding who they are, what they are all about, and where they are going in life.
flexible incorporate new ideas about yourself and get rid of obsolete info
can grow and change without losing ones self lifelong process beginning in ado

Identity is a gradual life long process, formed through small decisions that eventually make up the core of what the individual is about
Occurs in cycles of crisis and resolution
Periods of decision making where one must choose from several options
Four statuses of Identity

crisis: period of identity development when one must choose among meaningful alternatives
commitment: period of identity development when one shows a personal investment in what they are going to do

State of adolescents when they have not yet experienced an identity crisis (explored alternatives) or made any commitments
undecided about occupational and ideological choices show little interest
  EX: a 13 year old girl  has neither begun to explore her identity in a meaningful way nor made an identity commitment

The state adolescents are in when they have made a commitment but have not experienced an identity crisis
Often occurs when parents hand down commitments to their teens who have not had an adequate opportunities to explore different options on their own
Parents want kid to be a doctor so he plans on going pre-med without exploring any other options

The state of adolescents who are int he midst of an identity crisis but who have not made a clear commitment to an identity
  EX: Sasha not quite sure of the path she wants to follow but visited counseling center and got information about different careers

An adolescent who has undergone an identity crisis and made a commitment
  EX: Marcelo explored a variety of different career options and eventually got his degree in science education to become a high school teacher