Scribd
Upload
4K views

Cognitive Development of Infants and Toddlers

Cognitive development in infants and toddlers refers to changes in thinking abilities. Key developments include learning language skills like babbling and first words, as well as exploring objects. Piaget's stages of cognitive development describe infants progressing from simple reflexes to understanding cause and effect and eventually representing the world through symbols. Socio-emotional development involves forming attachments to caregivers and developing emotions like joy and fear. Erikson's psychosocial theory outlines how children develop hope through secure attachments or mistrust through neglect during the first year.

Uploaded by

mae fuyonan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
4K views

Cognitive Development of Infants and Toddlers

Cognitive development in infants and toddlers refers to changes in thinking abilities. Key developments include learning language skills like babbling and first words, as well as exploring objects. Piaget's stages of cognitive development describe infants progressing from simple reflexes to understanding cause and effect and eventually representing the world through symbols. Socio-emotional development involves forming attachments to caregivers and developing emotions like joy and fear. Erikson's psychosocial theory outlines how children develop hope through secure attachments or mistrust through neglect during the first year.

Uploaded by

mae fuyonan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 21

Cognitive

Development of
Infants and Toddlers
Cognitive Development
This refers to the development in the way a baby thinks
It includes his/her language, communication and
exploration skills
Examples of Cognitive Abilities: paying attention,
remembering, learning to talk, interacting with toys and
identifying faces
PIAGET’S COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
-developmentbegins from reflexive behaviors to more refined and more
coordinated activities.
* SENSORIMOTOR STAGE- infants construct an understanding of the world by
coordinating sensory experiences with physical, motoric actions
1. Simple reflexes
2. First habits and primary circular reactions phase
3. Secondary circular reactions phase
4. Coordination of reactions stage secondary circular
5. Tertiary circular reactions, novelty, and curiosity
6. Internalization of schemes (invention of new means through mental combination)
STAGE 1 -Simple reflexes
Which lasts from birth until around 1 month of age, includes inborn
motor and sensory reflexes, such as sucking and palmar reflexes

STAGE 2- First habits and primary circular reactions phase


Observes the primary circular reaction in which an infants
happens to experience an event and then attempts to repeat the
action

STAGE 3- Secondary circular reactions phase


Which takes place between 4-8 months, is a secondary circular
reaction when an infants repeats an action with a specific,
desired consequence or to achieved an unrelated consequence
STAGE 4- Coordination of reactions stage secondary circular
Which occurs approximately between 8-12 months, comprises the use
of familiar means to obtain ends. It entails deliberate planning of steps
to meet a goal or objective

STAGE 5 -Tertiary circular reactions, novelty, and curiosity


Which takes place between 12-18 months of age, is a tertiary
circular reaction in which an infants experiments with their
environments using the properties of one object to manipulate
another object
STAGE 6 -Internalization of schemes (invention of new means
through mental combination)
Which occurs approximately between 18-24 months is characterized
by insight, wherein the child observes other people to manipulate the
environment to reach the desired goal, then the child applies that
knowledge to obtain a particular goal
LEARNING AND REMEMBERING

Do infants learn and remember?

But all of us experienced , Infantile Amnesia- the


inability to recall events that happened when we were
very young.
Reports of childhood usually involves memories of
significant events
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Stages in producing language
1. Cooing, which comprises largely vowel sounds

2. Babbling, which comprises consonant as well as vowel sounds; to most people's


ears, the babbling of infants growing up among speakers from different language
groups sounds very similar
3. One-word utterances; these utterances are limited in both the vowels and the
consonants they utilize (Ingram, 1999 cited by Sternberg, 2003)

4. Two-word utterances and telegraphic speech

5. Basic adult sentence structure (present by about age 4 years) with continuing
vocabulary acquisition.
Holophrases- infants use of one-word utterances

Overextension error- error in early word use in which a child


uses a single word to label multiple different things in a manner
that is inconsistent with adult usage.

Telegraphic Speech- two-word or three-word utterances with


rudimentary syntax but with articles and prepositions missing
Noam Chomsky (1965, 1972) - claims that humans have an
innate language acquisition device (LAD).

This LAD is a "metaphorical organ that is responsible for


language learning.

Professor Laura-Ann Petito and her colleagues conducted a


recent study that concluded that "by 5 months of age, babies are
already specializing by using the left side of their brains for
language sounds and the right side for expression emotion
SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
OF INFANTS AND TODDLERS
ATTACHMEN
T
- A strong emotional
connection that develops
early in life between infants
and their caregivers.
For healthy socio-emotional
development, the infant
needs to establish an
enduring emotional bond
characterized by a tendency
to seek and maintain
closeness to a specific
figure, during stressful
situation.
According to Dr. John
Bowly, the father of
attachment theory, the
beginnings of attachment
occur within the first 6
months of a baby's life
with a variety of built-in
signals that baby uses to
keep her caregiver
engaged. The baby cries,
gazes into her mother's
eyes, smiles, etc. In the
next few months, the
baby develops in her
degree of attachment to
her parents. She smiles
more freely at them than
at any stranger whom
she seldom sees.
Temperament
Temperament is word that
captures the ways that
people differ, even at birth,
in such things as activity
level, attention span,
persistence, and ability to
regulate their emotions" (K.
Pasek and R. Golinkoff,
2003). Every baby
expresses personality traits
we call temperament. How
a child responds
emotionally to objects,
events, and peopleis a
reflection of his individual
temperament.
Nine Different Temperament Categories
Activity level- Some babies are placid or inactive. Other babies thrash
about a lot and, as toddlers, are always on the move. At this stage,
they must be watched carefully.
The mood. Some babies are very smiley and cheerful. Although securely
attached emotionally to their teachers, others have a low-key mood and
look more solemn or unhappy.

Child's threshold for distress. Some babies are very sensitive. They
become upset very easily when stressed. Other babies can more
comfortably wait when they need a feeding or some attention.

The rhythmicity of children. Some babies get hungry or sleepy on a


fairly regular and predictable basis. Other babies sleep at varying times,
urinate or have bowel movements at unpredictable times, and get
hungry at different times. They are hard to put on a "schedule."
The intensity of response in each baby. When a baby's threshold for
distress has been reached, some babies act restless Others act cranky or fret
just a little. Still others cry with terrific intensity or howl with despair when
they are stressed. They shriek with delight and respond with high energy
when reacting to happy or challenging situations.

Approach to new situations. Some infants are very cautious They are
wary and fearful of new teachers, being placed in a different crib, or being
taken to visit a new setting. Other infants’ approach new persons, new
activities, or new play possibilities with zest and enjoyment.
Distraction. Some children can concentrate on a toy regardless of
surrounding bustle or noise in a room. Others are easily distracted.
Adaptability of each child. Some children react to strange or difficult
situations with distress, but recover fairly rapidly. Others adjust to new
situations with difficulty or after a very long period.
Child's attention span. Some children have a long attention span. They
continue with an activity for a fairly long time. Others flit from one activity to
another.
The Development of Emotions
Early infancy (birth to six months)
Between six and ten weeks, a social smile
emerges, usually accompanied by other
pleasure-indicative actions and sounds,
including cooing and mouthing. This social
smile occurs in response to adult smiles
and interactions.
They may smile when they see a toy they
have previously enjoyed.
Later infancy months (7-12)
-infants begin expressing fear, disgust, and anger because
of the maturation of cognitive abilities. Anger, often
expressed by crying, is a frequent emotion expressed by
infants. Although some infants respond to distressing
events with sadness, anger is more common.
separation anxiety-Infants seven to twelve months old may
cry in fear if the mother or caregiver leaves them in an
unfamiliar place

Toddlerhood years (1-2)


During the second year, infants’ express emotions of
shame or embarrassment and pride. These emotions
mature in all children and adults contribute to their
development.
Erikson's Psychosocial theory

Hope: Trust vs. Mistrust (Infants, 0 to 1 year)


 Psychosocial Crisis: Trust vs. Mistrust.
 Virtue: Hope
The first stage of Erik Erikson's centers around the
infant's basic needs being met by the parents. If the parents’
expose the child to warmth, regularity, and dependable affection,
the infant's view of the world will be one of trust. Should the
parents fail to provide a secure environment and to meet the
child's basic need a sense of mistrust will result. If caregivers
are consistent sources of food, comfort, and affection, an infant
learns trust that others are dependable and reliable. If they are
neglectful, or perhaps even abusive, the infant instead learns
mistrust that the world is in an undependable, unpredictable,
and possibly a dangerous place.
Will: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt (Toddlers, 2 to 3 years)
• Psychosocial Crisis: Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt
•Main Question: "Can I do things myself or must I always rely on
others?"
• Virtue: Will

The parents' patience and encouragement help foster autonomy in


the child. Highly restrictive parents, however, are more likely to
instill in the child a sense of doubt and reluctance to attempt
new challenges.
If caregivers encourage self-sufficient behavior, toddlers develop a
sense of autonomy- a sense of being able to handle many
problems on their own. But if caregivers demand too much too
soon, refuse to let children perform tasks of which they are
capable, or ridicule early attempts at self-sufficiency, children
may instead develop shame and doubt about their ability to
handle problems

You might also like