PSYC 315 Chapter 7: Module 3 Textbook Notes - PSYC 315
Document Summary
Concepts: general ideas or understandings that can be used to group together objects, events, qualities or abstractions that are similar in some way. Crucial for helping people make sense of the world. Infinite number of possible concepts because there are infinite ways in which objects or events can be similar. E. g. objects can have similar shapes, materials, sizes, tastes and so on. Tells us how to react emotionally to new experiences: animate objects, inanimate objects. Nature and nurture: children"s concepts reflect the interaction between their specific experiences and their biological predispositions to process information in particular ways. The active child: from infancy onward, many of children"s concepts reflect their active attempts to make sense of the world. How change occurs: researchers who study conceptual development attempt to understand no only what concepts children form but also the processes by which they form them. Sociocultural context: the concepts we form are influenced by the society in which we live in.
