6.2: Stages of Cognitive Development
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This page is a draft and is under active development.
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Stages of Cognitive Development
Cognitive development is important as infants develop an understanding of what is occuring as it is happening. Infants and toddlers are learning more about the world around them as they develop and build an understanding of who they and others are.
As with other stages of development, infant and toddler's cognitive development is going to be influenced by biological, environmental, and cultural factors.
Infancy (0-12 Months)
0-3 Months: Early Exploration and Sensory Awareness
- Responds to sensory input: Reacts to bright lights, sounds, and touch.
- Visually tracks moving objects: Follows objects with their eyes.
- Shows interest in faces: Gazes at faces, especially the caregiver's.
- Begins to recognize familiar sounds and smells: May turn towards the sound of a parent's voice or the smell of milk.
- Demonstrates early reflexes: Sucking, grasping, rooting.
3-6 Months: Developing Object Awareness and Basic Understanding
- Shows interest in reaching for objects: Begins to coordinate looking and reaching.
- Explores objects with mouth and hands: Bangs, shakes, and mouths toys.
- Starts to recognize familiar faces and objects: Smiles at familiar people.
- Develops a basic understanding of cause and effect: May repeat actions that produce interesting results (e.g., shaking a rattle).
- Begins to anticipate familiar routines: May get excited when seeing a bottle or being placed in a high chair.
6-9 Months: Emergence of Object Permanence and Problem-Solving
- Develops early object permanence: Understands that an object still exists even when it's out of sight (e.g., looks for a dropped toy).
- Imitates simple actions and sounds: May copy clapping or babbling.
- Shows more intentional behavior: Can manipulate objects to achieve a goal (e.g., knocking over a block to reach another).
- Begins to understand simple words and gestures: May respond to "no" or wave "bye-bye."
9-12 Months: Refining Object Permanence and Exploring Object Use
- More advanced understanding of object permanence: Can find hidden objects after watching them being hidden.
- Explores objects in more complex ways: Puts things in containers, takes them out.
- Begins to understand the function of common objects: May try to brush hair with a brush or drink from a cup.
- Uses gestures to communicate needs and wants: Points, reaches, waves.
- Shows increasing curiosity and explores the environment actively.
Toddlerhood (1-3 Years)
12-18 Months: Symbolic Thinking and Problem-Solving
- Developing symbolic thought: Begins to understand that objects and words can represent other things.
- Engages in simple pretend play: May pretend to drink from an empty cup.
- Imitates more complex actions: Copies adults doing household tasks.
- Shows increasing problem-solving skills: Tries different ways to fit objects together.
- Follows simple one-step directions.
- Points to familiar objects when named.
18-24 Months: Expanding Symbolic Play and Language
- More elaborate pretend play: Feeds dolls, talks on a toy phone.
- Rapid language development: Starts to use two-word phrases.
- Understands and follows two-step directions.
- Identifies familiar objects in pictures.
- Begins to sort objects based on simple features (e.g., color).
- Develops a sense of self and recognizes own name.
2-3 Years: Advanced Symbolic Thought and Categorization
- Engages in complex pretend play with roles: Playing house, doctor.
- Uses longer sentences and asks many "why" questions.
- Understands concepts like "big" and "little."
- Sorts objects by more complex categories (e.g., animals, food).
- Matches objects to pictures.
- Begins to understand the concept of numbers and counting.
- Shows early understanding of time concepts (e.g., "now," "later").
- Can solve simple puzzles.