1. PSYC 50
Developmental Psychology
SECTION 3: INFANCY
Chapter 6: Cognitive Development in Infancy
PIAGET’S THEORY OF INFANT DEVELOPMENT
Cognitive Processes
 Schemes – actions or mental representations that organize
knowledge.
 Assimilation – occurs when children incorporate new
information into their existing knowledge (schemes).
 Accommodation – occurs when children adjust their
schemes to fit new information and experiences.
 Organization – Piaget’s concept of grouping isolated
behaviors into a higher-order, more smoothly functioning
cognitive system; the grouping or arranging of items into
categories.
 Equilibration – a process by which children reorganize
their schemes to return to a state of equilibrium when
disequilibrium occurs.
The Sensorimotor Stage of Development
 Sensorimotor stage – the first of Piaget’s stages, which
lasts from birth to about 2 years of age; infants construct
an understanding of the world by coordinating sensory
experiences (such as seeing and hearing) with motoric
actions.
 Substages:
o Simple reflexes – corresponds to the first month
after birth; the basic means of coordinating
sensation and action is through reflexive
behaviors, such as rooting and sucking.
o First habits and primary circular reactions –
develops between 1 and 4 months of age;
infant’s reflexes evolve into adaptive schemes
that are more refined and coordinated.
o Secondary circular reactions – develops between
4 and 8 months of age; the infant becomes more
object-oriented, or focused on the world,
moving beyond preoccupation with the self in
sensorimotor interactions.
o Coordination of secondary circular reactions –
develops between 8 -12 months of age; several
significant changes take place involving the
coordination of schemes and intentionality.
o Tertiary circular reactions, novelty, and curiosity
– between 12 and 18 months of age; infants
become intrigued by the variety of properties
that objects possess and by the multiplicity of
things they can make happen to objects.
o Internalization of schemes – between 18 and 24
months of age; the infant’s mental functioning
shifts from a purely sensorimotor plane to a
symbolic plane, and the infant develops the
ability to use primitive symbols and form
enduring mental representations.
 Object permanence – understanding that objects and
events continue to exist, even when they cannot directly
be seen, heard, or touched.
LEARNING AND REMEMBERING
Conditioning
 Operant conditioning – in which the consequences of the
behavior produce changes in the probability of the
behavior’s occurrence.
Attention
 The focusing of mental resources.
Imitation
 Deferred imitation – imitation that occurs after a time of
delay or hours or days.
Memory
 Memory – a central feature of cognitive development,
pertaining to all situations in which an individual retains
information over time.
 Implicit memory – memory without conscious
recollections; involves skills and routine procedures that
are automatically performed.
 Explicit memory – conscious memory of facts and
experiences.
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN INTELLIGENCE
 Developmental quotient (DQ) – an overall developmental
score that combines subscores in motor, language,
adaptive, and personal-social domains in the Gesell
assessment of infants; developed by Arnold Gesell (1934).
 Bayley Scales of Infant Development – developed by
Nancy Bayley that are widely used in the assessment of
infant development. The current version has three
components: a mental scale, a motor scale, and an infant
behavior profile.
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
What is Language?
 Language – a form of communication, whether spoken,
written, or signed, that is based on a system of symbols.
 Infinite generativity – the ability to produce an endless
number of meaningful sentences using a finite set of
words and rules.
Language’s Rule Systems
 Phonology – the sound system of the language, including
the sounds that are used and how they may be combined.

2.  Morphology – units of meaning involved in word
formation.
 Syntax – the ways words are combined to form acceptable
phrases and sentences.
 Semantics – the meaning of words and sentences.
 Pragmatics – the appropriate use of language in different
contexts.
How Language Develops
 Babbling and other Vocalizations
o The purpose of these early communications is to
attract attention from caregivers and others in
the environment.
 Crying – can signal stress
 Cooing – gurgling sounds made in the
back of the throat and usually express
pleasure during interaction with the
caregiver.
 Babbling – includes strings of
consonant-vowel combinations, such
as “ba,ba,ba,ba.”
 Gestures – showing and pointing. May
wave bye-bye, nod to mean “yes,”
show an empty cup to want more milk,
and point to a dog to draw attention to
it.
 Recognizing Language Sounds
 First Words
 Two-word Utterances
o Telegraphic speech – the use of short and precise
words without grammatical markers such as
articles, auxiliary verbs, and other connectives.
e.g. Mama give ice cream.
Mommy give Tommy ice cream.
Biological and Environmental Influences
 Biological influences
o Evolution and the Brain’s Role in Language
 Aphasia – a loss or impairment of
language ability caused by brain
damage.
 Broca’s area – an area in the brain’s
left frontal lobe next to the part that
directs the muscle movements
involved in speech production.
 Wernicke’s area – an area of the
brain’s left hemisphere that is involved
in language comprehension.
o Language Acquisition Device – Chomsky’s term
that describes a biological endowment that
enables the child to detect the features and rules
of language, including phonology, syntax, and
semantics.
 The Behavioral View and Environmental Influences
o The Behavioral View
o Interaction with People
Reflection:
1. Would it be good idea for parents to hold large flash cards of
words in front of their infant to help the infant learn language?
Why or why not? What do you think Piaget would say about this
activity?
References:
Kail, R. V. and Cavanaugh, J. C. (2013). Human Development: A Life Span View. 6th
edition. Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd.
Santrock, J.W. (2006). Life-Span Perspective.10th Edition. McGraw-Hill. New York.
Prepared by:
Mrs. Maria Angela L. Diopol
Instructor