Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Childhood cognition refers to the mental processes and abilities that develop during childhood, including perception, attention, memory, language, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Developmental psychology is the study of how individuals change physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally over their lifespan.
Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development: Jean Piaget proposed a theory that outlines four stages of cognitive development in children - sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational stage, and formal operational stage.
Executive Functioning: Executive functioning refers to a set of skills involved in goal-directed behaviors such as planning, organizing thoughts/activities, attention regulation, self-control/inhibition. These skills are important for effective cognition during childhood.