Cognitive Development and Decline
Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky's developmental theories offer us two frameworks for understanding our cognitive processing as we age. Aspects of cognition, such as information processing, attention, or memory can be different in childhood as compared to senior adulthood.
To prepare for this Discussion, review this week's Learning Resources. Consider what Piaget and Vygotsky had to say in their theories of cognitive development.
Post a comprehensive response to the following:
How do the patterns of cognitive development, observed throughout childhood, contrast with those seen in advanced aging?
Is cognitive decline inevitable with aging?
What are some strategies for maintaining and/or enhancing cognition in advanced age?
RESOURCES
Media
Video: Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Aging across the lifespan: Cognitive development [Video file].
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 33 minutes.
In this week's media, presenters Dr. Nina Lyon-Bennett and Dr. John C. Cavanaugh discuss: the development of a sense of self; motor development and Piaget's four stages of cognitive development; theorist Lev Vygotsky and the impact of culture on cognitive development; the differences in information processing between adolescents and adults; practical intelligence; lifelong learning; and physiology and cognition as we get older, including memory issues and information processing.
Readings
Course Text: Kail, R. V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2016). Human development: A life-span view. (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
What makes an individual? While it could be argued that it is one's physiological appearance or how one interacts with others, it is cognition-the mental processes of active acquisition of knowledge and comprehension-that, in many ways, defines who we are.
The brain's higher-level functions encompass language, imagination, perception and planning; shaping our outlook on life and our approach to others. In this week's textbook reading, you will examine elements of cognition such as: thinking, knowing, remembering, judging, and problem-solving across the lifespan.
Discussion -
The Impact of Device Design on Work Flow
To prepare for this Discussion, search the Internet for an example of a mobile device that a health practitioner uses in tasks associated with his/her job.
Post a comprehensive response to the following:
Briefly describe the device and its purpose.
What are positive outcomes from using this device?
What are negative outcomes from using this device?
Should the organization mandate the use of this device? What could happen if the practitioner refused?
How could you convince the health practitioner that this is a useful device that could positively impact patient care?
RESOURCES
Media
Video: Laureate Education (Producer). (2010). Health informatics: Workflow redesign and human factors.