four stages of cognitive development
Sensorimotor stage (birth to ~24 months).
Thought concerns only what the child can directly sense and explore. During this stage, typically at around 8 months, children develop “object permanence,” understanding that even if they can’t see an object, it still exists—the infant can generate a mental image of something no longer there.
Preoperational stage (~2 to 7 years).
The child can maintain ideas about how the world works without explicit examples in front of him. Thoughts are increasingly symbolic; imaginary play abounds. However, reasoning is intuitive—no logic, no cause and effect. This is when kids can’t yet demonstrate “conservation of volume.” Identical beakers A and B are filled with equal amounts of water. Pour the contents of beaker B into beaker C, which is taller and thinner. Ask the child, “Which has more water, A or C?” Kids in the preoperational stage use incorrect folk intuition—the water line in C is higher than that in A; it must contain more water.
Concrete operational stage (7 to 12 years).
Kids think logically, no longer falling for that different-shaped-beakers nonsense. However, generalizing logic from specific cases is iffy. As is abstract thinking—for example, proverbs are interpreted literally (“‘Birds of a feather flock together’ means that similar birds form flocks”).
Formal operational stage (Adolescence onward).
Approaching adult levels of abstraction, reasoning, and metacognition.
If you temporarily inactivate the Temporo parietal junction, people don’t consider someone’s intentions when judging them morally.
see also
Die Entwicklung des Gehirns
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Erstellt: 15-05-22 07:46