PIAGET’S THEORY OF COGNITIVE STAGESHow do children develop cognition (thinking, problem solving, memory)?
AP PSYCHOLOGY CHAPTER 9
JEAN PIAGET
Swiss Psychologist (1896-1980) 1920s - studied the cognitive
abilities of children, especially his own 3 kids
Concentrated on the errors children make
Explained how thought of a child is fundamentally different from adults
Discontinuous stage model – children undergo a revolution at each stage, signifies movement to next stage.
CHILDHOOD ADAPTATION
As children develop, they must make mental adaptions as they observe and experience the world.
A schema is a mental structure we use to organize and simplify our knowledge of the world around us.
Assimilation – Fitting new knowledge into mental schemas. Cocker spaniel = dog Collie = dog
Accommodation – The process of adjusting old schemas to fit new information and experiences. Cat dog , must form new schemes for cat
Cognitive development results from continual interweaving of assimilation and accommodation.
FOUR STAGES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTSTAGE ONE – SENSORIMOTOR STAGE
(birth – age 2) Concrete Actions – Reflexes, uses senses and
motor abilities to learn: looking, touching, hearing, putting things in their mouth.
Begin to show deliberate interaction with objects – grabbing, pushing
Milestone: Mental Representation – forming internal
images of objects and events Object permanence– (Approx. 6 months)
Knowledge that an object exists even when it is not in sight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue8y-JVhjS0
STAGE TWO – PREOPERATIONAL STAGE (ages 2-6 or 7) Acceleration of the use of symbols and language
Pretend Piaget described this stage in terms of what child cannot
do: Egocentrism- Seeing the world only from your own point of
view, not understanding other’s perspectives http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OinqFgsIbh0&feature=related Animistic thinking- thinking inanimate objects have life and
mental processes Centration – the inability to take into account more than one
factor at a time. Not having the understanding of conservation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLj0IZFLKvg Irreversibility- inability to think though a series of events and
then mentally reverse the course. Ex: going forwards and backwards in a math problem 7+2=9; 9-2=7 Ex: understanding family relationships (understanding your cousin’s
mom is your mom’s sister, and you have the same grandma)
STAGE THREE - CONCRETE OPERATIONAL (ages 7-11) Things are the same even if they change appearance Understand nature of identity
Girls, boys, sisters, brother Are capable of conservation, reversible thinking, and
cause and effect Conservation- Understanding that physical properties of
objects can remain the same even when their form or appearance changes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA04ew6Oi9M
Mental Operations- solving problems by manipulating them in your mind.
Begin to think logically and rationally Question Santa Claus
Limitation: Abstract thought Freedom, democracy, peace, justice
STAGE FOUR - FORMAL OPERATIONAL
(age 12-adulthood) Capability of abstract, hypothetical reasoning Think about the future Ideas can be classified Can reason about situations they have not
experienced – empathy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw36PpYP
PZM&feature=bf_next&list=PL3A2A77133AAF0077
CRITICISMS OF PIAGET
Changes in thought are more continuous and gradual rather than jumping from one stage to another Some Children understand far more than Piaget
gave them credit for; Some Adults understand less than Piaget gave them credit for
Preschoolers are not as egocentric as Piaget Thought Most 3-4 year olds can take another perspective When 4 year olds play with 2 year olds, they
simplify their speech Young children understand when others are sad
Cognitive development depends on education and culture