...Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget is a Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. Piaget believed that children play an active role in the growth of intelligence. He regarded children as philosophers who perceive the world as he or she experiences it (ICELS). Therefore in Piaget’s most prominent work, his theory on the four stages of cognitive development, much of his inspiration came from observations of children. The theory of cognitive development focuses on mental processes such as perceiving, remembering, believing, and reasoning. Through his work, Piaget showed that children think in considerably different ways than adults do and as such he saw cognitive development as a progressive reorganization of mental processes resulting from maturation and experience (1973). To explain this theory, Piaget used the concept of stages to describe his development as a sequence of the four following stages: sensory – motor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations. There are three elements however to understanding his theory of cognitive development. They are schema, the fours process that enable transition from on stage to another, and finally the four stages themselves. He began his studies by making naturalistic observations. Piaget made careful, detailed observations of children, typically his own children or their friends, from these he wrote diary descriptions charting their development...
Words: 2023 - Pages: 9
...Piaget’s model can be summarised as development being comprised of three aspects, schemas, stages and accommodation and assimilation the construction of schemas. Schemas to Piaget are “a mental concept that informs a person about what to expect from a variety of experiences and situations.” (Study.com, 2015). The stages a child goes through to develop (Sensory motor, pre-operational, concrete operational and the formal operational) are all characterised by different traits which can observably affect the child’s cognition; The sensory motor period is characterised by a lack of understanding of object permanence, if they can’t see it, it does not exist until they develop a theory of mind whilst the preoperational stage is characterised by egocentrism,...
Words: 1452 - Pages: 6
...“Cognitive Development is the construction of thought processes, including remembering, problem solving and decision making from childhood through adolescense to adulthood.” (Answer.com) According to Jean Piaget, cognitive development progresses gradually through a series of stages. “Jean Piaget was born in 1896 in Menchates, Switzerland. Piaget begain the study on child behaviour through his own kids.” (Newkrik, E) He studied his kids intellectual development from infancy. While conducting his studies on his kids, Piaget developed a theory which was sub divided into four stages of intellectual development. Piaget’s intellectual development theory was divided into four stages and was also known as stage theory. The first stage is Senserimotor stage which starts from the birth of the child till age two. This stage is also named as infancy. According to Piaget, infant “presume that the world profoundly lacks permanence.” (Mitchell P, Ziegler F 2007) Piaget subdivided the stage of infancy into six further stages. In a brief this stage says that the child depends on seeing, feeling, sucking and they learn how to feel though their environment. In this stage it was proven that the infact has the ability to coordinate separate activites. For instance, the coordination between looking and reaching. Object permanence was one of the important concepts developed during this stage. “Object permanence is the awareness that an object continues to exist even when it is not in view.” (In a Nutshell)...
Words: 1273 - Pages: 6
...Cognitive Development in Early Childhood Early childhood is not only a period of amazing physical growth, it is also a time of remarkable mental development. Cognitive abilities associated with memory, reasoning, problem-solving and thinking continue to emerge throughout childhood. When it comes to childhood cognitive development, it would be impossible to avoid mentioning the work of psychologist Jean Piaget. After receiving his doctoral degree at age 22, Jean Piaget began a career that would have a profound impact on both psychology and education. Through his work with Alfred Binet, Piaget developed an interest in the intellectual development of children. Based upon his observations, he concluded that children are not less intelligent than adults, they simply think differently. Albert Einstein called Piaget's discovery "so simple only a genius could have thought of it."Piaget created a theory of cognitive development that described the basic stages that children go through as they mentally mature. He believed that children are like "little scientists," actively trying to make sense of the world rather than simply soaking up information passively. Schemas One of the key concepts in Piaget's theory is the use of schemas. According to Piaget,schemas are cognitive frameworks or concepts that help people organize and interpret information. As experiences happen, this new information is used to modify, add to or completely change previously existing schemas. For example, a young...
Words: 2022 - Pages: 9
...research child development. These perspectives include psychoanalytic, learning, cognitive, contextual, and evolutionary/sociobiological perspectives (Papalia, Olds, & Feldman, 2008). Researchers use theories to explain child development. The theories are important because they propose ideas or explanations to describe development and to predict kinds of behaviors. In this paper, I will discuss and describe three theories of development, their key concepts, their similarities, their differences, how the domains of development influence each other, and how understanding development helps those who work with developing children. Three Theories of Development: Some important theories of child development include Freud’s psychosexual theory, Erickson’s psychosocial theory, and Piaget’s cognitive-stage theory. “Sigmund Freud believed that people are born with biological drives that must be redirected to make it possible to live in society” (Papalia et. al, 2008). He proposed that development happens throughout five stages in a child’s life. The first stage is referred to as the oral stage. It occurs between birth and 18 months. During this stage, the baby’s chief source of pleasure involves mouth-oriented activities (Papalia et. al, 2008). The second stage is referred to as the anal stage. It occurs between one year and three years of age. During this stage, the child derives sensual gratification from withholding and expelling feces (Papalia et. al, 2008). The third stage is referred...
Words: 2487 - Pages: 10
...DeWanna McIntyre ECE332: Child Development Professor Jessica Lindquist-Karci February 14, 2016 A Classroom Plan “A preschool classroom, based on Piaget’s Stage Theory” Today many preschoolers from 3-5 are learning new things in the world of education; it is up to parents and teachers to assure a quality education. When we think of a quality education we first look at the one that started it off. Jean William Fritz Piaget was a pioneer in child development who studies were influenced by the observations of his own children. This gave him an interest to study the thought processes of young children. Although his study is criticized by many, Piaget’s theories are used in many classrooms throughout the world. It is Piaget’s belief that people move through stages of development which allow them to think in new and more complex ways. He states that every interaction affects the cognition in every child. He developed a theory of cognitive development that corresponds to his hope for the educational process. He states that each child moves biologically through four stages of development. The first stage is Sensory-motor which is discovered at birth to two; According to Piaget, all humans are born with an innate (inborn, existing from birth) tendency to organize their thinking into structures. These mental structures are known as schemas. Piaget (1952) believed that these stages are universal - i.e. that the same sequence of development occurs in children all over...
Words: 2346 - Pages: 10
...Developmental theories in psychology are efforts to comprehend the stages of one's growth and development. We recognize the stages throughout a child's lifespan to adulthood and the effects of environmental and social influences. These theories name the sources of growth, language and learning skills. The big debate in psychology is are these emotions caused by nature or nurture. It is impossible to tell which one is right. However both play an important role in a person's lifespan influencing the person we grow to be. All developmental theories have good points and can be the base to research and forming educated analyzes. They help us to better understand child development and social growth. Piaget's cognitive stages of development proposes that during each stage of a persons life from adolescence to adulthood new skills are learned. As a person develops in age their skills and abilities also progress. Piaget's theory consist of fours major developmental stages. They are sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. The sensorimotor stage occurs from birth to the age of two. In this developmental stage children use simple motor activities such as looking, listening and touch understand and learn about their surrounding environment. The second stage preoperational stage ranges from ages 2 to 7. In this stage children mentally represent events and objects with figurative play. At this age children are unable to look at situations from other peoples...
Words: 1019 - Pages: 5
...Child's Perception of Death Lisa Woolfolk Northcentral University Abstract Children do not perceive death is the same way as adults (citation). This paper examines a child’s perception of death and the development changes that children experience when trying to understand death. Articles by psychologists Maria H. Nagy and Sylvia Anthony are compared and contrasted to other scholarly articles on death and bereavement therapy, in particular therapy for children. Researchers Nagy and Anthony’s proposed model of children’s concepts of death shows the developmental changes children experience when trying to understand death. Their research is validated by Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development (citation). Piaget’s model is accepted by professional psychologists as a scholarly index of the cognitive development of children. Piaget’s theory supports articles by Nagy and Anthony (citation). Barbara Kane’s research supports Maria Nagy and Anthony’s developmental model, however Kane’s research disputes Nagy’s suggestion that children tend to personify death (citation). Finally, the research of Gerald P. Koocher is compared and contrasted to Nagy and Anthony’s article. Koocher’s research links Piaget’s developmental model to the development of the children's conceptualizations of death. Koocher’s article also suggests that culture is an important factor that influences the conceptualization of death (citation). My particular field of study is...
Words: 1260 - Pages: 6
...Theories of Development Amanda M. Glover Walden University There are dozens of developmental theories. There are theories that believe developmental a child learn behavior and other theories believe children are subjects of their environment. There is an age-old debate, dating back to the earliest Greek philosophers, of whether knowledge is innate-that is we are born with it-or whether it is learned through experience (Cohen, 2011). There is no proven scientific way to determine if nature or nurture controls a child’s behavior and how they develop. The developmental theories that I lean toward the most are as a Piaget’s cognitive stages of development, Freud’s psychosexual development, and Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. Piaget’s cognitive stages of development suggest that at each stage of a person’s life they learn a new skill and as they process in age their skills progress. He has identified four major stages; sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Sensorimotor occurs from birth to 2, at this stage the child is learning to use his or her hands, feet, and eyes. He or she learns to walk and crawl or use the bathroom. The next stage is preoperational occurs from 2-7, at this stage a child “engages in symbolic thought, but dominated by perception” (Perdue University , 2009). The third stage is concrete operational this occurs from ages 7 to 11. At this stage a child’s thoughts are more rational and logical. Children become...
Words: 1314 - Pages: 6
...Cognitive Theory: An Annotated Bibliography History of Education in America Pamela Allen November 12, 2007 INTRODUCTION The study of child development has inspired many theories. Psychologists have tried to understand why there is a difference between a child’s level of intelligence, motivation, social skills, and mannerisms. The cognitive theory helps explain each step of a child’s development with different aspects of each. The study of development of children is important to help parents, teachers and caregivers’ insight in the different ways children grow and learn. Cognitive theory helps explain how senses, environment, and an individual’s brain effect how and what kind of personality develops and possibly predicting a future. If parents believe that intelligence can be strongly influenced by experience, they make special efforts to help them learn, if believed inborn and unchangeable, they are less likely to make any effort. Children have their own internal drives and needs as well as heredity endowments that influence development. The cognitive theory is only a stepladder and there may be different equations added in either direction but we are given a building block foundation. Cognitive theories emphasize the mental aspect of development like logic and memory and focus on Jean Piaget’s theory children are born with an inborn ability to adapt to their environment. STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE TO BE INVESTIGATED ...
Words: 3059 - Pages: 13
...A behaviorist theory, operant conditioning, and a cognitivist theory, Piaget’s theory of stages of cognitive development, have multiple similarities and differences. A behaviorist theory is based on the fundamental idea that behaviors that are reinforced will tend to continue, while behaviors that are punished will eventually end. Piaget’s Stage Theory of Cognitive Development is a description of cognitive development as four distinct stages in children. These stages are sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete, and formal. The term operant conditioning was coined by B. F. Skinner. His approach was to “focus on the external, visible causes of behavior, rather than try to unpack the internal thoughts and motivations” (Skinner, 1958, p. 48). Skinner understood that reinforcements come in two forms such as negative and positive forms. The negative reinforcements typically are characterized by the removal of an “undesired or unpleasant outcome after the desired conduct” (Alexander, 1996, p. 119). Skinner hypothesized that the response is strengthened as something considered negative is removed. On the other hand, the positive reinforcements are favorable outcomes or events that are given to the person after the desired behavior such as in the form of rewards or praises. Skinner suggested that, to reach these goals, the “reinforcement is for the person’s behavior to increase” (Casas, 2002, p. 133). On the other hand, there are positive and negative reinforcement. The two forms of punishment...
Words: 1155 - Pages: 5
...Describe and evaluate Piaget’s theory of cognitive development Cognitive development is looking at the way children learn and process information. Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was a psychologist looking into the development of cognitive processes; his research is still highly influential today for studies carried out on cognitive development in children. Piaget believed intelligence is the balance which a person achieves between themselves and the environment and that this was achieved by the actions on the world of a young person who is developing. Piaget constructed several concepts to define the stages of child development; he was fascinated by the way that all children seemed to go through the same stages of discovering the world at the same time. Piaget’s research suggested a stage theory on each stage the children had a distinct type of thinking. The first stage of four which Piaget defines is the sensorimotor stage (0-2 years). The baby is able to understand the world by using its senses and motor actions. They are able to pretend to play and use single words towards the end of its sensorimotor stage. An important feature of the sensory motor stage is object permanence and the development of this. Learning that objects do not disappear when they are out of sight. However there are problems with Piaget’s research on this stage of development, this has been discovered by other researchers carrying out studies using heart-rate, rate of sucking and habituation technique...
Words: 1245 - Pages: 5
...Introduction Over the years there have been a countless number of theorists developing their own models on Cognitive Development, with the two most recognised being the theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Semenovich Vygotsky. Although it is difficult to present the title of ‘superior theory’ to either one of these theorists, the merging of certain aspects of each scheme provides teachers with an ability to devise effective learning strategies that cater for individual students. As a direct result of these Piagetian and Vygotskian concepts, students possess the ability to develop and learn at a rate more specified to their learning ability. Review of Literature Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, the assimilation-accommodation model, is composed of four stages, sensorimotor (0 - 2 years), preoperational (2 – 7 years), concrete operational (7 – 11 years) and formal operational (11 – adult). Candida Peterson (2004) claims that within Piaget’s theory, each stage must be sufficiently achieved by the individual in order to advance to the next stage, although there is debate about whether we all do reach the final stage. Piaget believes that the most significant aspect of a child's cognitive development is the interaction between peers, rather than elders, the outside environment, as illustrated by Youniss (1982). Piaget recognised that the rate of cognitive development is determined by four factors, biological maturation, activity, social interaction and equilibration, as illustrated...
Words: 1330 - Pages: 6
...teen pregnancy and inclining abortion rates have caused many to question the morals of the upcoming generation. This is not only faced in Singapore, but many other nations are also facing serious moral issues with the children these days. Therefore, for today’s programme, I will be focusing on different age groups; children between the age 3 and 5, Primary 5 students (10-11 years old) and High School Seniors/Junior College students (16-17 years old), and teach these students about right or wrong of fundamental moral principles. To learn about cognitive development of young children and teenagers, we will look into Jean Piaget’s theories. Piaget is widely respected by all, including those who have criticized or used his theories. He was one of the first psychologists that focused directly relevant to contemporary theories of moral TEACHING FUNDAMENTAL MORAL PRINCIPLES TO Page 3 STUDENTS AT DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS development. Hence during...
Words: 2327 - Pages: 10
...Term | Definition or Description | How will you remember? (examples from your life or books, articles, tv, etc or you can put the definition in your own words) | human development | the scientific study of the changes that occur in people as they age from conception until death | changes that occur in people as they age | longitudinal design | research design in which one participant or group of participants is studied over a long period of time | group of participants is studied over a long period of time | cross-sectional design | research design in which several different age-groups of participants are studied at one particular point in time | different age-groups of participants are studied at one particular point in time | cross-sequential design | research design in which participants are first studied by means of a cross-sectional design but are also followed and assessed for a period of time | followed and assessed for a period of time | nature | the influence of our inherited characteristics on our personality, physical growth, intellectual growth, and social interactions | inherited characteristics | nurture | the influence of the environment on personality, physical growth, and intellectual growth, and social interactions | the influence of the environment | genetics | the science of inherited traits | inherited traits | DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) | special molecule that contains the genetic material of the organism | special...
Words: 2239 - Pages: 9
