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Related Concept Videos

The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

38
The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...
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Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

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The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
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Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development from Childhood into Adulthood01:25

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development from Childhood into Adulthood

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Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development emphasizes the role of thinking in a child's learning process, suggesting that children are naturally curious about their environment. His approach to development is discontinuous, proposing that cognitive abilities progress through distinct stages, each with unique characteristics. Central to Piaget's theory is schemata—mental structures that allow individuals to understand and interpret the world.
Schemata: Building Blocks of...
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Cognitive Learning01:21

Cognitive Learning

233
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
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Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

239
Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children...
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Observational Learning01:12

Observational Learning

152
Albert Bandura's observational learning, also known as imitation or modeling, occurs when a person observes and imitates another's behavior. It is a quicker process than operant conditioning. A well-known example is the Bobo doll study, where children who saw an adult acting aggressively towards the doll were more likely to act aggressively when left alone, compared to those who observed a nonaggressive adult. Many psychologists view observational learning as a form of latent learning...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2025

Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
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Preschool Children's Science Learning: Instructional Approaches and Individual Differences.

Amanda Grenell1, Jasmine R Ernst2, Stephanie M Carlson2

  • 1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University.

Early Education and Development
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Explicit instruction effectively teaches preschoolers about sinking and floating. Learner characteristics like age and socioeconomic status also influence science learning outcomes.

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Area of Science:

  • Early Childhood Education
  • Science Education
  • Cognitive Development

Background:

  • Early science skills are crucial for later achievement, with gaps appearing in preschool.
  • Understanding effective teaching methods for foundational science concepts in young children is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the effectiveness of Explicit Instruction and Discovery Learning for teaching preschoolers about sinking and floating.
  • To examine how individual differences (age, socioeconomic status, IQ, executive function) predict learning in this context.

Main Methods:

  • 93 typically developing 4-5-year-olds were randomly assigned to Explicit Instruction, Discovery Learning, or Control groups.
  • A pre-post-test design assessed knowledge of sinking and floating.
  • Measures of executive function and IQ were administered.

Main Results:

  • Children in the Explicit Instruction group showed significantly greater learning gains than the other groups.
  • Age and socioeconomic status were unique predictors of learning.
  • Prior knowledge interacted with instructional condition, particularly in Discovery Learning.

Conclusions:

  • Explicit instruction is more effective for teaching sinking and floating concepts to preschoolers compared to discovery learning or no instruction.
  • Learner characteristics, including age, socioeconomic status, and prior knowledge, play a significant role in science learning.
  • Instructional approaches should consider individual learner differences for optimal effectiveness.