Throughout unit 3 of Psych we have learned a lot about human development and how we grow to be the people we are today. I have found this unit to be extremely fascinating because while talking about some of these theory’s and concepts I remember myself as a little kid thinking the way I did. It is interesting to have explanations to why children think the way they do and how they develop and grow to think more logically and understanding.
Learning about Piaget Theory of how kids look at the world probably caught my attention the most because I was able to connect all of these stages to real life examples that I remember.
Growing up with siblings close in age with me, everything was a competition, including who got more of something. During the Preoperational Stage the competitiveness was the worst and now I have learned why. When it came time for desert with my brother and I we would all have Oreo cookies and a glass of milk. My mom could never give us different shaped glasses of milk because whichever glass was higher filled we automatically thought was more milk, even though it was the same amount. I also remember always pulling apart my Oreo cookies so I would have more, even though in reality it was the same amount.
The thought process we had as little kids now makes sense to me. In the Preoperational Stage children begin to form theory of mind which means they are able to create ideas about the mental state of their own and others and the way feelings and perceptions predict behavior. Despite this fact, children are still egocentric which means they cannot take another’s viewpoint. Relating to my example from when I was little, the Preoperation Stage makes children unable to understand the concept of conservation which means quantity remains the same despite changes in shape, like the different glasses of milk.
Lecture 11 – Josh Wede Pennsylvania State University