Question

Describe the concrete-operational period. Provide an example.

Describe the formal-operational period. Provide an example.

Review Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Describe what you would add to improve this theory.

Review Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory. Describe what you would add to improve this theory.

Evaluate the genetic/hereditary and environmental factors that influence intelligence.

Identify and describe 2 hereditary factors.

Identify and describe 2 environmental factors.

Determine your position on which set of factors (hereditary or environmental) has the most influence on intelligence.

Briefly describe research that supports your position.

Review the characteristics of the gifted, traditional, and special needs children.

Summarize the pros and cons of the integrated classroom.

Answer 1

Concrete-Operational Period

The concrete operational stage is the third in Piaget's theory of cognitive development. This stage lasts around seven to eleven years of age, and is characterised by the development of organized and rationale thinking. While their thinking still tends to be very concrete, children become much more logical and sophisticated in their thinking during this stage of development.

The child is now mature enough to use logical thought or operations (i.e. rules) but can only apply logic to physical objects (hence concrete operational). Children gain the abilities of conservation (number, area, volume, orientation) and reversibility. However, although children can solve problems in a logical fashion, they are typically not able to think abstractly or hypothetically.

Conservation

Conservation is the understanding that something stays the same in quantity even though its appearance changes. To be more technical conservation is the ability to understand that redistributing material does not affect its mass, number, volume or length.

Conservation Task Example:

Orange Juice

Piaget's developmental stages are associated with the achievement of specific milestones. The ability to master the conservation task is the classic milestone achievement of a child who has entered the concrete operational stage. Here is an example of the conservation task:

Start with two drinking glasses, which both hold eight ounces of fluid. Place them on a table in front of a child. Let's say that one of the glasses is three inches tall and the other one is six inches tall. Naturally, the glasses look very different from one another even though they are able to hold the same amount of fluid.

Next, fill the shorter glass to the brim with orange juice and then pour the juice from the shorter glass into the taller glass. The child is then asked which glass can hold more juice, the tall glass or the short glass. Any response other than 'they hold the same amount of orange juice' is incorrect and thus demonstrates a lack of concrete operational thought.

The child who recognizes that even though the shape of the orange juice has changed its volume remains consistent has mastered the conservation task. He has demonstrated the ability to mentally manipulate the orange juice and recognize that even though it looks different, it is the same amount.

Understanding Reversibility

One of the most important developments in this stage is an understanding of reversibility or awareness that actions can be reversed. An example of this is being able to reverse the order of relationships between mental categories.

An example of reversibility is that a child might be able to recognize that his or her dog is a Labrador, that a Labrador is a dog, and that a dog is an animal.

Observations:

One of the key characteristics of the concrete-operational stage is the ability to focus on many parts of a problem. While kids in the preoperational stage of development tend to focus on just one aspect of a situation or problem, those in the concrete operational stage are able to engage in what is known as "decentration." They are able to concentrate on many aspects of a situation at the same time, which plays a critical role in the understanding of conservation.

This stage of cognitive development also serves as an important transition between the preoperational and formal operational stages. Reversibility is an important step toward more advanced thinking, although at this stage it only applies to concrete situations.

While kids at earlier stages of development are egocentric, those in the concrete operational stage become more sociocentric. In other words, they are able to understand that other people have their own thoughts. Kids at this point are aware that other people have unique perspectives, but they might not yet be able to guess exactly how or what that other person is experiencing. This growing ability to mentally manipulate information and think about the thoughts of others will play a critical role in the formal operational stage of development, when logic and abstract thought become critical.

Formal Operational Stage

The formal operational stage begins at approximately age twelve and lasts into adulthood. As adolescents enter this stage, they gain the ability to think in an abstract manner by manipulate ideas in their head, without any dependence on concrete manipulation. He/she can do mathematical calculations, think creatively, use abstract reasoning, and imagine the outcome of particular actions.

An example of the distinction between concrete and formal operational stages is the answer to the question “If Kelly is taller than Ali and Ali is taller than Jo, who is tallest?” This is an example of inferential reasoning, which is the ability to think about things which the child has not actually experienced and to draw conclusions from its thinking.

The child who needs to draw a picture or use objects is still in the concrete operational stage, whereas children who can reason the answer in their heads are using formal operational thinking.