Psychology Classes Visit ELA-8 to Witness Cognitive Development in Action

After learning about the stages of cognitive development and the potential reasons why Darlington students might be advanced beyond the typical student, Mr. Jacobs' senior Psychology classes paid a visit to Thatcher Hall. There, they got to hang out with younger students to see if certain cognitive development has anything to do with things taught in school. 

The idea of conservation explained by psychologist Jean Piaget, seen by pouring water from two identical cups into two different cups, caused almost all of the younger students to believe that the amounts of water were then different. In the middle grades, almost every student understood that the water had simply shifted form.

Additionally, many of the younger kids had difficulty grasping abstract concepts. That is not surprising at all, since the area of your brain dealing with abstract thought is the last area to develop.

We also asked questions related to Lawrence Kohlberg's theory on morality. It was predicted that younger students would avoid misbehaving simply to avoid punishment, and that the older students would avoid misbehaving either because it was against the rules or because it was wrong. While we have many exceptionally bright students at Darlington, this prediction also held true for the most part. 

Overall, it was a great opportunity, and the seniors and I would like to thank Mrs. Deaton, Mrs. Watkins, Coach Smith and their classes for having us.