CHCECE005 - Genetic Epistemology Theory & Sensorimotor Stage

[cheekysquirrel]

Hi all, I'm having trouble with one of the questions in my workbook:

Research Piaget’s genetic epistemology theory on the internet or by visiting a library. How many stages are there and what do the terms ‘assimilation’, ‘accommodation’ and ‘equilibrium’, mean? Why did Piaget consider that young children remain egocentric throughout the Sensorimotor stage and can become aware of object permanence?

So far I have:
There are four primary stages in the genetic epistemology theory.
The sensorimotor stage is from birth-2 years old. Preoperational stage is from 2-7 years. Concrete operational is 7-11 years. Formal operational is from 11 years onward.
“Assimilation” is when a child uses existing knowledge to deal with a new object/event.
“Accommodation” is when existing knowledge does not fit in or work with a new object/event and needs to be changed.
“Equilibrium” is when a child’s existing knowledge can explain what is perceived around the child, as a state of cognitive balance.

My problem is the last part of the question- Egocentrism and object permanence in the sensorimotor stage. I'm not entirely sure what they're asking of me, and quite frankly, I'm struggling to understand the phrasing used in most articles. If anyone could help me out, I'd really appreciate it. I'm an external student, so I don't have any classmates to talk to.

Thanks in advance.

[panga38]

Egocentrisim, also know as egocentric thinking is when children cannot take another person's perceptual perspective. Infancy is characterised by extreme egocentrism, where the child has no understanding of the world other than her own current point of view. Children's' thoughts and communications are typically egocentric (i.e. about themselves). Egocentrism refers to the child's inability to see a situation from another person's point of view. According to Piaget, the egocentric child assumes that other people see, hear, and feel exactly the same as the child does. i must admit that I have met many adults who are ego centric as well.

'Object permanence means knowing that an object still exists, even if it is hidden. It requires the ability to form a mental representation (i.e. a schema) of the object. For example, if you place a toy under a blanket, the child who has achieved object permanence knows it is there and can actively seek it. At the beginning of this stage the child behaves as if the toy had simply disappeared. The attainment of object permanence generally signals the transition to the next stage of development which is the pre- operational stage.

Both the above theories are based on the premise that changes in knowledge structures drive changes in fundamental cognitive capabilities and that the seemingly natural progression of cognitive capabilities emerge in an orderly way because certain ways of thinking must be mastered, and for the foundation for subsequent ones. The later ones cannot emerge until the early ones have been mastered. This is piaget's theory not mine.

As with other major contributors of theories of development, several of Piaget’s ideas have been challenged by later research. For example, several contemporary studies support a model of development that is more continuous than Piaget’s discrete stages (Courage & Howe, 2002; Siegler, 2005, 2006). Many others suggest that children reach cognitive milestones earlier than Piaget describes (Baillargeon, 2004; de Hevia & Spelke, 2010).

Source: Boundless. “Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development.” Boundless Psychology. Boundless, 20 Aug. 2015. Retrieved 08 Dec. 2015 from https://www.boundless.com/psychology/te ... 270-12805/

If I may ask, what course are studying? This is serious psychology.
xoxo

[cheekysquirrel]

I'm doing the first stage of a diploma of early childhood care and education, many of the units are the same as the Cert III. That question was in my textbook- 'the Early Childhood Educator for Certificate III.'

If it's serious psychology, I feel a bit better about struggling to understand it! I do have an answer for that last portion now, but it's pretty dumbed down:

"Piaget considered that young children remained egocentric throughout the Sensorimotor stage while becoming aware of object permanence because they are working to figure out how objects and the world around them work in regards to themselves. They begin to realise that the objects they want are permanent, even if they can’t see them, and they look for them in order to gratify themselves, rather than anyone or anything else. For example, a ball has been hidden- the child knows that the ball still exists, and wants to play with it, so he or she searches for it."

I may still be completely off the mark with that answer though :-/

[panga38]

Iam not sure if it is me reading into your response a bit too much but reads as if you have confused the terms. Trying breaking down your response into manageable bits,asking your self one key question, what do I want to say to the person reading this answer about my understanding of the terms? It is a tough theory but keep it simple;

So take a breath and approach the task in this order; Explain the concept and what it means and its implications for current practice or early childhood practice .
See example below;

Egocentricim;

Egocentrisim is the failure of perspective-taking that characterises young children who are unable to infer what another person is thinking, feeling, or seeing. In this stage, they are unable to infer accurately the perspective of others, instead they attribute they perspectives of others to their own perspective instead. It is an inability to decenter from one's own perspective. Piaget( 1951) suggested that egocentrism was a primary characteristic of children's thought processes until around 6 to 7 years of age, or when they are able to form mental representations during problem solving. However, while egocentrism is regarded typically as a problem of early cognitive development, such seemingly childish thought may not be entirely absent even in later periods of development or adulthood. Piaget and others have suggested that children learn how to take the perspectives of others better through interacting with their peers than with adults. Hence classroom activities that emphasise cooperative learning, peer group discussion, and cross-age teaching are well-suited to introduce instances of cognitive conflict that require better appreciation of the perspective of others.

Now try the other term
XOXO

[cheekysquirrel]

Yes, I was trying to relate object permanence to egocentricity, as that was how the question came across to me. How does this sound?

"Piaget considered that young children remained egocentric throughout the Sensorimotor stage because at that time, they do not have the mental capacity to understand the view of another person. Their knowledge is what is right in front of them, which is why at the earliest stages, an object that is out of sight essentially does not exist. As they move through the Sensorimotor stage and head towards the preoperational stage, their brains develop further, their memory improves, and they learn that an object that has been hidden from them or taken away still exists- this is object permanence."