THE COGNITIVE PLANNING IN INFANTS: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

This paper presents a review of the literature about cognitive planning in infants. The studies reviewed were organized according to four perspectives which were identified: (1) the developmental approach; (2) the information processing perspective; (3) the functional approach, and (4) the cognitive change perspective. The compiled information allows viewing the infant as a flexible individual, with capacity to adapt its thought process to challenging and attractive problem situations, thanks to the ability to handle rather abstract representations from very early ages. In terms of methodology, two polarities can be observed in this paper: First, the declarative – procedural one which refers to protocols of task administration. Second, the open and closed one which refers to the type of task used by researchers. In this respect, the paper poses questions about the tasks used and their relevance to the analysis and understanding of planning processes in the preschool years

Keywords

• planning
• development
• functioning
• cognitive change
• representation
• preschoolers