Realms of Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood

The Life Span

Human Development for Healthcare Professionals, Chapter 6

Physical and Brain-Related Changes

Physical growth is slowing drastically Motor skills

– By age 6, gross motor skills are fairly well established– By age 10, fine motor skills are established

Brain Growth– Frontal lobes growing– Myelinization still occurring fairly rapidly– Initial development of logic skills

Cognitive Development

Piaget’s Concrete Operations– Occurs from roughly ages 6 to 12– Knowledge is constructed, not simply stamped in– Construction occurs as a process of

accommodation and assimilation– Children at this age are capable of learning how to

reverse relationships– Formal operational thought: occurs when children

can start to evaluate their own ideas.

Achievements of the Concrete Operational Child

Memory and attention– Memory Terminology

Sensory Memory Short-term (working) memory Long-term memory Rehearsal Recognition and Recall Declarative: semantic and episodic Nondeclarative: procedural

Achievements of the Concrete Operational Child

Memory and attention– Improvements in digit span test– Knowledge base

Eyewitness memory Ability to chunk

– Advanced logical thinking– Narrative Skills– Memory Strategies– metacognition

Achievements of the Concrete Operational Child

Problem solving Progress in Middle Childhood– By the time children hit the age of 7 or 8, they have

started to draw upon a wide variety of knowledge and experiences to help with solving problems. One area where this really takes off is with peer interaction.

– Cooperative Learning Environments Zone of Proximal development

Social Cognition

Perspective taking and social relationships– Friendship Development

Stage Forms of Shared Experience

Social Perspective taking

Interpersonal negotiation strategies

0 Unreflective imitation or enmeshment

Undifferentiated

/Egocentrism

Physical force; impulsive fight or flight

1 Unreflective sharing of expressive enthusiasm

Differentiated

/Subjective

1-way, unilateral power; orders or obedience

2 Reflective sharing of similar perceptions or experiences

Reciprocal

/Self-reflective

Cooperative exchange; Reciprocity: persuasion or deference

3 Empathic sharing of beliefs and values

Mutual/Third person Mutual compromise

4 Interdependent sharing of vulnerabilities & self

Intimate/In0depth/Societal (generalized other)

Collaborative integration of relationship dynamic (commitment)