Key Concepts in Piagetian and Developmental Psychology

Core Concepts in Piagetian Theory

• Finalism: The belief that there are causes for everything.
• Formal vs. Concrete Operational Thinking: Formal thinking involves second-order mental operations.
• Script Relationships: The relationships connecting elements of a script or event schema are temporary.
• Transition to Operational Stage: Driven by a dynamic natural tendency to seek a balanced cognitive relationship with the world.
• Horizontal Gaps: Refers to the unevenness in the acquisition of concepts.
• Operational Thinking: Characterized by the reversibility of thought (note: corrected from irreversibility).
• Accommodation: The incorporation of new content through the readjustment of the individual's mental structure.
• Criticisms of Piaget: The stage of formal operations does not appear to be universal.

Developmental Milestones and Self-Perception

• Self-Esteem: The set of characteristics or attributes used to define oneself.
• Preschool Self-Concept: A tendency to describe oneself based on internal personal attributes.
• School-Age Self-Concept (8-12 years): Often described in terms of "all or nothing" thinking.
• Adolescent Self-Esteem: Overall positive self-worth in girls is often determined by interpersonal abilities.
• Internal Self-Model: Appears during the operational stage.

Cognitive and Social Development

• Information Storage: Strategies like repetition and organization appear at 7 years with instruction.
• Symbolic Play: Important because the child expresses their internal world.
• Preoperational Stage: The most important developmental aspect is the development of the symbolic function.
• 11-Year-Old Thought: Characterized by trust in inferred reality.
• Intellectual Realism: Observed when children draw "X-rays" of objects.
• Friendship: Conflicts between friends are perceived as more dangerous.
• Metacognition: Fully present during the school-age stage.
• Body Schema: Associated with symbolic aspects of development.
• Critical Periods: A concept rooted in ethology.
• Vygotsky’s Theory: Posits that the genesis of higher cognitive processes is social.
• Cognitive Extroversion: Secondary circular reactions begin at 4 months.
• Socio-moral Emotions: Guilt and shame are linked to developmental progress.

Parenting and Attachment

• Permissive Parenting: May promote education that leads children to be more immature.
• Ainsworth’s Attachment: Includes the anxious-ambivalent style.
• Caregiver Responsiveness: Impatient and low levels of responsiveness to a child's signals impact attachment.