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