Relationship of Cognition to Developmental Theories - Essay Example

1. How does moral development change from infancy through middle childhood?

How does cognition develop from infancy through middle childhood?

            Cognition develops in infancy through active exploring using cognitive structures. Piaget’s cognitive theory explained that for the child to discover his surroundings has to develop his intelligence through organization and adaptation. The organization takes place when a child systematically combines existing structures with interrelated actions and ideas. Adaptation on the other hand is when a child adjusts to the demand of his surroundings by employing assimilation and accommodation. A child is said to have assimilated experiences when it is interpreted in terms of cognitive structures. Existing cognitive structures are used to understand new events. While accommodation is the modification of what is learned from earlier experiences. For example, as the child gazes at an object, he tries to grasp to reach it.  However, as he ages, he recognizes primitive structures thus refined action is expected. The same holds in the child’s knowledge of a dog. For his first encounter, he may define a dog to be a thing that barks. However, for successive exposures, he may look at the dog as an animal with four legs.

What is a script and how it supports and interferes with memory? 

            Script represents the typical sequence of actions that is related to an event and may serve to guide future behavior in similar settings (Sigelman & Rider, p145).  Children are observed to use scripts at most at the age of three. Scripts support memory by providing a sequence of actions to help the child in recalling familiar events and apply it to similar settings. For instance, a child who had been in the supermarket has to fall in line, pay at the counter, get the receipt, and carry his goods. However, the script may also interfere with memory when the situation presented is very different from the usual setting the child is used to. Meaning the experience is inconsistent with the script. As a result, the child tends to forget information.

Explain the relationship of language to memory

            Development of language starts by mastering phonology first, then semantics, followed by morphology, and syntax. The child has to listen to words from other people before he imitates and understands the meaning to respond with words also using simple to complex sentences. Language has a relationship with memory since it can enhance it. For instance, if the child is provided with pictures associated with names and sounds, the child may have a better recollection of them. Thus, children who were presented with a cat photo that sounded like a cat could easily identify the photo of a cat even if mix with other pictures and even mimic the cat’s sound. Children who are equipped with language are better communicators. They can request information, answer questions, share their feeling, describe things, and even make arguments. All these may make the child move out from his egocentric self to be involved with other people in his environment.

What is the theory of the mind and how does it develop?

            Theory of mind or mind-reading skill is the understanding that people have their state of mind such as desires, beliefs, and intentions that may guide behavior. It begins to develop with joint attention. This is when a child looks at an object, points to it, and encourages others to see it. This shows that the child is aware that others have different perceptions from him. Pretend play is also a useful sign for the theory. In this, children could distinguish pretend tea parties from real ones. Imitation is yet another sign that the child acts with intentions behind those actions. Emotional understanding which is the last component of the theory is when a child may comfort playmates who cry. The theory of the mind influences social development because it directs actions appropriate for certain situations. 

How does moral development change from infancy through middle childhood?

            Moral development changes from infancy to middle adulthood through social learning experiences. As the child is subjected to rules and regulations, he may learn that not all actions are acceptable and carries them until middle childhood. Actions sanctioned with punishment are something to be avoided. The changes in moral development are explained in Kohlberg’s moral theory which starts from conventional, to individualism, conventional, conscience, post-conventional, and ends in universal ethics.  Changes all depend on the child’s environment.