PSYC 354 Summer 2014 Lecture One: Course Introduction General ...
PSYC 354 Summer 2014 Lecture One: Course Introduction General Information Course: Development of Children’s Thinking Instructor: Tyler Wereha Email: [email protected] Office: RCB 4303 (Fridays 12:30 pm – 1:20 pm) T.A.s: Kristina Gicas Email: [email protected] Joe Thompson Email: [email protected] The Course: No textbook – just readings (ejournals on psych info) Evaluation: • Midterm = 30% • Final = 30% • Assignment 1 = 20% • Assignment 2 = 15% • InClass Assignment = 5% Exams: • 610 short answer questions (30 marks) • Based on objectives presented in lectures (Thinkingbased) • 2 hour exams • Questions will be drawn from study questions you will receive in class • Midterm: June 20th 2014 • Final: August 6th 2014 Assignments: • Assignment 1: Commentary Paper (4 pages) Due: June 6th 2014 • Assignment 2: Observation Paper (4 pages) Due: July 18th 2014 • InClass Assignments: Spontaneous Topics to be discussed in Lectures: Developmental Theory • Models of Development
PSYC 354 Summer 2014 • Metatheoretical Assumptions • Evidence • Conceptual Analysis Cognitive Development • Piaget • Vygotsky • Information Processing Infant Social Cognitive Development Language Development/Meaning Social Cognition (“Theories of Mind”) Moral Development Developmental Psychology v. Developmental Science Involves: • Developmental Psychology • Cognitive Science • Philosophy • Linguistics • Biology • Neuroscience • Evolutionary Theory • Primatology • Sociology • Anthropology • Robotics • History “Broader Perspective” drawing from a number of different areas (interdisciplinary) Philosophy? Question: Is there a role for philosophy in psychology? Is it important? • It has a part in all disciplines, but there is a cutoff point before it goes full circle and becomes obsolete. • Based on critical thinking • Origins of psychology comes from philosophy • Expansion of thought “Openmindedness” • Doesn’t really create a conclusive course of action No empiricism • Useful to generating questions leading to empirical testing Has Science Killed Philosophy? Stephen Hawking’s opinion There are issues that appear to be empirical but they are not empirical poses a problem in psychology
PSYC 354 Summer 2014 Video: Hawking v. Philosophy Debate • There is a continuity between philosophy and science ethics and morals • Distortions of philosophy taking into account higher powers and • Philosophy is a clarifier of issues not a solution leads to the scientific methods • Science is ethics free, it’s the implications of science that have ethical questions drawn from it • “The Ethics of Science” Philosophy Science has a philosophy, or ethics contrast to what Wolpert thinks How do you tell between good or bad science? What makes the answer the right answer? Firstorder investigations (psychology) Secondorder investigations (philosophy) investigating what the psychologists are doing Progress in Philosophy? It is the clarifiers of questions, it is important in science Doesn’t gain knowledge asks questions of understanding Metatheoretical Assumptions (Often unacknowledged) philosophical assumptions on which theories are based Two “World Views” General Philosophical Starting Points (How you approach problems) 1. Individualistic (Split) Dualist Assumptions Cognitivist Assumptions Idea of a “split” between the infant and the world or the between the infant and others how to overcome the split 2. Relational: Start from Relations (Systems) Enactivism Interactionism Embodied Cognition Relational Constructivism Developmental Systems Theory Process Approaches Idea that problematizes the split different starting point (split overtime based from activity) Evolutionary Assumptions • NeoDarwinian Theory v. More “Developmental” Approaches (E.g. Evo devo, DST, and etc.) • What view of evolution and how does that influences you in thinking about development? Metaphors
PSYC 354 Summer 2014 • • • • • • Reduction • •
Brain = “Computer” Memories = Take up “Space” in a “Memory Store” Mental Images = “Pictures” Genes = “Blueprints” for development “Adultlike” Competencies Metaphors are good starting point to get people thinking from different views but can pose problems when conclusions are based on them Reducing to lower levels (no actual explanation given; promissory notes) Problem to reducing to other levels no additional explanation is given (not really saying a damn thing)
Influence Ways of Thinking in Various Areas: • i.e. Knowledge, language, meaning, evolution, development, the nature of the mind Different Starting Points (Split v. Relational View) • E.g. Individual minds or social processes? Dualism/Cognitivism: Once dominant, giving way to other ways of thinking/approaches • E.g. Skinner v. Chomsky (language acquisition) Debates There are so many debates in science. Why? • Can critical experiments come up with the answers to all our problems? • No! We think that all questions are empirical, but they are not Interpretation • Human factor comes in • Understanding positions means digging deeper • Going past the comfort zone Epistemology: Theory of Knowledge Children’s development of knowledge; examine assumptions about knowledge Main Approaches: 1. Empiricism Knowledge comes from the outside world 2. Nativism Knowledge is innate 3. Constructivism Knowledge Empiricism “Knower acquires a copy of reality; reality is impresses on the mind” – Tubla rasa (Locke)
PSYC 354 Summer 2014 Location: Knowledge is “out there” Acquisition: Passive and Observation Nativism The claim that children are born with knowledge Location: Knowledge is “within knower” Acquisition: Passive and Maturation Empiricism and Nativism Debates “Family Feud” between nativism and empiricism Question: Why is this the case? • You either know something or you know nothing • Nature of knowledge is a very passive conception Constructivism (Piaget) Knowledge acquisition is reciprocal Knowledge doesn’t exist before activity very important “Received” view of Piaget It is in a whole different continuum (different view) It is an active view of knowledge Knowledge is constructed Location: Nowhere, doesn’t preexist Acquisition: Through activity Minds and Computers Computational view of mind; information processing approaches Thinking: The manipulation of internal representation that’s represent the world But how do these representations acquire their meaning? Information v. Knowledge Assignment Discussion: Commentary Paper: Due on June 6th 2014 • Hamlin, J. K., & Wynn, K. (2011). Young infants prefer prosocial to antisocial others. Cognitive Development, 26, 3039. Morality…covered at the end of course Assignment Discussion Reading 1. Preliminary brief read through 2. Multiple reads (it will be quicker) 3. Active reading (underline and take notes) 4. Don’t make it painful (read outside, beer and patio) Next Week’s Readings 1. Newcombe, N. (2011). What is neoconstructivism?Child Development Perspectives, 5, 157160.
PSYC 354 Summer 2014 2. Macado, A., & Silva, F. J. (2007). Toward a richer view of the scientific method: The role of conceptual analysis. American Psychologist, 62, 671 681. 3. Gottlieb, G. (2007). Probablistic epigenesist. Developmental Science, 10, 111
PSYC 354 Summer 2014 • Metatheoretical Assumptions • Evidence • Conceptual Analysis Cognitive Development • Piaget • Vygotsky • Information Processing Infant Social Cognitive Development Language Development/Meaning Social Cognition (“Theories of Mind”) Moral Development Developmental Psychology v. Developmental Science Involves: • Developmental Psychology • Cognitive Science • Philosophy • Linguistics • Biology • Neuroscience • Evolutionary Theory • Primatology • Sociology • Anthropology • Robotics • History “Broader Perspective” drawing from a number of different areas (interdisciplinary) Philosophy? Question: Is there a role for philosophy in psychology? Is it important? • It has a part in all disciplines, but there is a cutoff point before it goes full circle and becomes obsolete. • Based on critical thinking • Origins of psychology comes from philosophy • Expansion of thought “Openmindedness” • Doesn’t really create a conclusive course of action No empiricism • Useful to generating questions leading to empirical testing Has Science Killed Philosophy? Stephen Hawking’s opinion There are issues that appear to be empirical but they are not empirical poses a problem in psychology
PSYC 354 Summer 2014 Video: Hawking v. Philosophy Debate • There is a continuity between philosophy and science ethics and morals • Distortions of philosophy taking into account higher powers and • Philosophy is a clarifier of issues not a solution leads to the scientific methods • Science is ethics free, it’s the implications of science that have ethical questions drawn from it • “The Ethics of Science” Philosophy Science has a philosophy, or ethics contrast to what Wolpert thinks How do you tell between good or bad science? What makes the answer the right answer? Firstorder investigations (psychology) Secondorder investigations (philosophy) investigating what the psychologists are doing Progress in Philosophy? It is the clarifiers of questions, it is important in science Doesn’t gain knowledge asks questions of understanding Metatheoretical Assumptions (Often unacknowledged) philosophical assumptions on which theories are based Two “World Views” General Philosophical Starting Points (How you approach problems) 1. Individualistic (Split) Dualist Assumptions Cognitivist Assumptions Idea of a “split” between the infant and the world or the between the infant and others how to overcome the split 2. Relational: Start from Relations (Systems) Enactivism Interactionism Embodied Cognition Relational Constructivism Developmental Systems Theory Process Approaches Idea that problematizes the split different starting point (split overtime based from activity) Evolutionary Assumptions • NeoDarwinian Theory v. More “Developmental” Approaches (E.g. Evo devo, DST, and etc.) • What view of evolution and how does that influences you in thinking about development? Metaphors
PSYC 354 Summer 2014 • • • • • • Reduction • •
Brain = “Computer” Memories = Take up “Space” in a “Memory Store” Mental Images = “Pictures” Genes = “Blueprints” for development “Adultlike” Competencies Metaphors are good starting point to get people thinking from different views but can pose problems when conclusions are based on them Reducing to lower levels (no actual explanation given; promissory notes) Problem to reducing to other levels no additional explanation is given (not really saying a damn thing)
Influence Ways of Thinking in Various Areas: • i.e. Knowledge, language, meaning, evolution, development, the nature of the mind Different Starting Points (Split v. Relational View) • E.g. Individual minds or social processes? Dualism/Cognitivism: Once dominant, giving way to other ways of thinking/approaches • E.g. Skinner v. Chomsky (language acquisition) Debates There are so many debates in science. Why? • Can critical experiments come up with the answers to all our problems? • No! We think that all questions are empirical, but they are not Interpretation • Human factor comes in • Understanding positions means digging deeper • Going past the comfort zone Epistemology: Theory of Knowledge Children’s development of knowledge; examine assumptions about knowledge Main Approaches: 1. Empiricism Knowledge comes from the outside world 2. Nativism Knowledge is innate 3. Constructivism Knowledge Empiricism “Knower acquires a copy of reality; reality is impresses on the mind” – Tubla rasa (Locke)
PSYC 354 Summer 2014 Location: Knowledge is “out there” Acquisition: Passive and Observation Nativism The claim that children are born with knowledge Location: Knowledge is “within knower” Acquisition: Passive and Maturation Empiricism and Nativism Debates “Family Feud” between nativism and empiricism Question: Why is this the case? • You either know something or you know nothing • Nature of knowledge is a very passive conception Constructivism (Piaget) Knowledge acquisition is reciprocal Knowledge doesn’t exist before activity very important “Received” view of Piaget It is in a whole different continuum (different view) It is an active view of knowledge Knowledge is constructed Location: Nowhere, doesn’t preexist Acquisition: Through activity Minds and Computers Computational view of mind; information processing approaches Thinking: The manipulation of internal representation that’s represent the world But how do these representations acquire their meaning? Information v. Knowledge Assignment Discussion: Commentary Paper: Due on June 6th 2014 • Hamlin, J. K., & Wynn, K. (2011). Young infants prefer prosocial to antisocial others. Cognitive Development, 26, 3039. Morality…covered at the end of course Assignment Discussion Reading 1. Preliminary brief read through 2. Multiple reads (it will be quicker) 3. Active reading (underline and take notes) 4. Don’t make it painful (read outside, beer and patio) Next Week’s Readings 1. Newcombe, N. (2011). What is neoconstructivism?Child Development Perspectives, 5, 157160.
PSYC 354 Summer 2014 2. Macado, A., & Silva, F. J. (2007). Toward a richer view of the scientific method: The role of conceptual analysis. American Psychologist, 62, 671 681. 3. Gottlieb, G. (2007). Probablistic epigenesist. Developmental Science, 10, 111
