The document summarizes cognitive development throughout childhood from infancy to adolescence. It discusses Piaget's stages of cognitive development, including the sensorimotor stage in infancy where children learn through their senses and actions. In early childhood, children develop symbolic thinking and theory of mind. Middle childhood is characterized by concrete operational thought, while adolescence involves formal operational thinking and advanced information processing. The document also reviews factors that influence language development and intelligence testing in children.

1. Cognitive Development Throughout
Childhood
By Taylor Potter
Psychology 1170
Lethbridge College
Figure 1

2. Cognitive Development in Infancy
• Birth to 2 years old
• Begins to develop simple sentences
• Learns behaviours through classical and
operant conditioning, and observing models
• Learns about the world through their
senses and motor actions (sensorimotor
stage) (Boyd et al., 2015)
• Infants as young as 3 months can
remember objects and actions for up to a
week
• Develops schematic learning which enables
them to distinguish between familiar and
unfamiliar stimuli
Figure 2

3. Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
• Ages 3-6 years old
• Develops into the preoperational stage which
involves using symbols in thinking and
communication
• Thinks of the world one variable at a time
(centration) and has difficulty seeing others
perspectives (egocentrism) (Boyd et al., 2015)
• Ability to develop more complex sentences
• Develops theory of mind (others actions are
based on their own ideas)
Figure 3

4. Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood
• Ages 7-11 years old
• Develops concrete operational stage which involves thinking
logically about events and objects in the real world
• By age 5 or 6, grammar and pronunciation of their first
language is virtually mastered
• More complete and complex sentences
• Ability to solve simple problems
• More social and emotional advances
Figure 4

5. Cognitive Development in Adolescence
• Ages 12-18 years old
• Advanced information processing in most individuals
• Teens become more proficient in metacognition and metamemory
• Operational stage of development reached including ability to
think logically about abstract ideas
• Develops formal operational stage
Metacognition: knowledge about how the
mind thinks and the ability to control and
reflect on one’s own thought processes
(Boyd et al., 2015)
Metamemory: knowledge about how memory
works and the ability to control and reflect
on one’s own memory function (Boyd et al., 2015)
Figure 5

6. Similarities and differences between the childhood
stages of development
Similarities Differences
• All age groups have ways to
test intelligence
• Each stage has significant
behavioural change or
learning curve
• Each stage identifies the
major concepts of the stage
(i.e. language, memory,
information processing)
• Different stages of Piaget’s
level of development based
on age
• Language is more complex as
you age in childhood
• Ability to understand others
and the real world differs

7. What are the Positive Components of Piaget’s
Stages of Development?
• Focuses on qualitative development and has an impact on education
• Many educational programs are developed on his theory and taught
at which the level they are developmentally prepared
• A number of instructional strategies have been produced on
Piaget’s theory, including:
- supportive environment
- utilizing social interactions and peer teaching
- helping children with learning disabilities

8. What are the Flaws of Piaget’s Stages of
Development?
• Piaget insisted that all stages of development are reached and
cannot be skipped
• Piaget reports that each stage of development happens within
his time frame he set on each stage, while Erikson argues that
developmental change is continual

9. Infancy and Attachment
• The majority of parents manage to respond to their infant in
sensitive ways that enhance the development of a close
relationship
• The father and mother interact differently with the infant, but
the infant is dependent on both
• Attachment behaviours include:
- stranger anxiety
- separation anxiety
- social referencing
Figure 6

10. Effects on Toddler Cognitive Development in
Daycare Settings
• High quality, cognitively enriched
daycares have beneficial effects on
children’s overall cognitive development
• Coupled with insensitive mothering,
insecure attachment is amplified by the
child
• Insecure attachment: avoiding or ignoring
the caregiver and showing little emotion
when they depart or return (Boyd et al.,
2015)
Figure 7

11. Theory of Mind in Early Childhood
• Age 3: understands some aspects of the link between people’s
thinking, feelings, and behaviour
• Age 4: basic principle that each person’s actions are based on his
or her representation of reality
• Ages 4-5: cannot understand that other people can think of them
• Ages 5-7: understands the reciprocal nature of thought

12. How Does an Infant Begin to Learn a
Language?
• Phonological awareness: a child’s
understanding of the sounds patterns
of the language (Boyd et al., 2015)
• Things that facilitate in an infant
learning a language are:
- Nursery rhymes
- Games involving repetitive words
Figure 9

13. What are Some Intelligence Tests
Performed on Children?
• Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC-IV)
- Verbal comprehension index
- Perceptual reasoning index
- Working memory index
- Processing speed index
• Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon created the first intelligence test
(IQ Test)
Figure 10
Figure 10

14. Is This Relevant to Me Personally?
• Yes it is! Being a former gymnastics instructor, a part time nanny, and future
registered nurse, knowing how children behave is crucial to satisfying their needs
of daily living as well as:
- To better understand and predict the behaviours of children, and what is
appropriate behaviour for their age
- To keep them happy and entertain them in ways that are suitable for their
cognitive abilities

15. Will I use this information in my professional life?
• I will use this information in my
professional life as a registered
nurse as I am wanting to work in
pediatrics
• Whether or not I work in pediatrics
or another unit, children will likely
be involved in some way and being
able to relate to them and know how
they are cognitively developed will
help when explaining procedures to
them
Figure 11
Figure 12

16. References
Boyd, D., Johnson, P., Bee, H. (2015). Lifespan Development. (5th Canadian ed.). Toronto, ON: Prentice Hall Canada Inc.
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Figure 9: Retrieved November 2, 2015, from http://mathandreadinghelp.org/cimages/multimages/26/baby-mom.jpg
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Figure 11: Retrieved November 2, 2015, from http://www.guyandtheblog.com/files/2011/12/nurse-and-kid.jpg
Figure 12: Retrieved November 2, 2015, from http://img.medicalexpo.com/images_me/photo-g/78888-163989.jpg
http://psychology.about.com/od/piagetstheory/p/piagetcriticism.htm