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Led by Jean Piaget Simulacrum
One of the seven topics of OCR GCSE Psychology — how the mind develops, from Piaget's stages of cognitive development to the learning theories of mindset and meaning, hosted by Piaget himself.
Led by Jean Piaget Simulacrum
The question
How does a child's thinking change as they grow — and by what mechanism? You will establish what develops (the brain, the nervous system, intelligence), then study Piaget's four invariant stages (sensori-motor, pre-operational, concrete-operational, formal operational), the mechanisms of assimilation and accommodation, and the concepts of object permanence, egocentrism, and conservation. You will tell the story of Piaget's 1952 conservation-of-number study and criticise the theory using the reductionism/holism debate.
Outcome
You can explain Piaget's stages and mechanisms, tell the story of his 1952 conservation study, and criticise the theory using the reductionism/holism debate.
Sub-units
Led by Jean Piaget Simulacrum
The question
How much of development is done to the child — by experience, praise, and teaching? You will study Dweck's fixed and growth mindsets and her findings on praising effort, Willingham's case against learning styles and for the importance of meaning, and tell the story of the Blackwell et al. (2007) mindset study. You will criticise the learning theories using the nature/nurture debate, and see how both Piaget and the learning theorists have shaped education through key stages, readiness, growth mindsets, and teaching for meaning.
Outcome
You can explain the learning theories of development, tell the story of Blackwell et al. (2007), and contrast the learning account with Piaget's stage theory and its applications to education.
Sub-units