engleski

Importance of Social Context for the Cognitive Development of Pre-school Children

The changes in cognitive development largely depend on the characteristics of ones living environment. Both, the characteristics of the person and mediator are important. Vygotsky emphasises the importance of the person's social context for his/her cognitive development. The main goal of our research was to assess whether the level of child's cognitive development is connected with his/her social context. We have compared cognitive abilities of children living in three different social contexts: 1. two-parent family (from the birth), 2.single parent family (three years minimum), 3.parentless children living in orphanages. Sample: 120 children, age 6-7, tested in a year prior to entering regular 1st grade. Cognitive status was assessed by intelligence tests and scool aptitude tests. Children were tested in kindergartens and orphanages in Zagreb and Osijek. We have found significant differences in all test results between children living in orphanages and all other children. There were no differences in intellectual level between children living in two-parent and single-parent families. At some school aptitude sub-tests children from two-parent families scored better. The findings confirm the importance of mediators for the child cognitive development.

child cognitive development; social context

nije evidentirano