Among child psychologists who have attempted to track the dramatic shifts in cognition, knowledge, and memory that distinguish infants from adults, Jean Piaget has had the greatest influence. Based on intensive observations of a small sample of infants, including his own children, as well as extensive interviews with older children, the Swiss psychologist proposed a theory in which developmental change is qualitative rather than merely quantitative. In other words, an older child thinks differently than an infant, and a teenager thinks differently than an older child, and an adult thinks differently than all of them. Children don’t just know less, remember less, and have less experience than adults, they actually think in completely different ways at different ages. Jean Piaget’s developmental theory, which he referred to as genetic epistemology, proposes that cognitive development proceeds through a series of distinct stages, or periods, and that all children pass through the same stages, in the same order, in a universal and invariant sequence. The start of each stage is marked by a qualitative change from what preceded it. Show
So what changes from stage to stage? Piaget saw the mind as made up of cognitive structures he called schemas, which are mental images or generalizations based on our experience of the world. We use schemas both to organize past experience and to provide a framework for organizing and understanding future experiences. The newborn infant has very little experience, thus very few schemas. Piaget saw infant reflexes, such as the sucking reflex, which allows the newborn to feed immediately, as the earliest schemas. The infant immediately begins gaining experience with the outside world, however, which causes the schemas to begin changing almost at once. The sucking schema will rapidly change to accommodate the fact that a range of objects may be sucked, but not all sucking will produce food, for example. Two processes guide the development of ever more complex schemas: assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation is the process by which new information is placed into existing schemas. A child who has a cat at home, for example, will have no difficulty recognizing the nature of a new cat since the child already has a schema for what a cat is. Real cognitive change, however, comes from the challenges to our existing schemas that the world is always ready to provide. This process is known as accommodation. For example, when that same child encounters his or her first dog, the child will first try to fit this new creature into what is already known (“Kitty?” he or she says tentatively). Fairly brief experience will show that this creature doesn’t fit the schema, however, and so the schemas must change to reflect the new state of the world. A new “doggie” schema, along with a more general “pet” or “animal” schema may be the result. Piaget called the first stage of cognitive development, from birth to about age two, the sensorimotor period, as the child’s development in this stage is largely confined to schemas about sensory functions and motor skills. Piaget believed that during this stage, infants can form schemas only about objects and actions that are actually present. If an object is not currently in sight or within grasp, the child cannot think about it. He based this belief largely on the observation that if an adult covers or hides a toy that the infant is currently reaching for, the child will immediately appear to lose all interest in the toy, without trying to find it. For the infant, out of sight is out of mind. The sensorimotor period ends when the child is able to form mental representations of objects despite being unable to see them, an ability Piaget called object permanence. From about age two to around age seven, children are in the preoperational stage, in which they can think in images and symbols, able to represent something with something else. Unsurprisingly, this is the stage in which language use and pretend play become common. Piaget believed that children at this stage are highly egocentric, meaning they are unable to appreciate the perspectives of others or understand that there is any way to see a situation other than their own. He based this belief on a task in which the child walks around a three-dimensional model of three mountains and is then asked what someone (usually a doll) would see from a particular position. Preoperational children typically select the view that corresponds to their own current perspective, rather than the correct one. The name of the stage, however, comes from children’s performance on tasks requiring conservation: recognition that important properties of a substance remain constant despite changes in shape or appearance. In the classic test of conservation, children watch as water or juice from two identical glasses is poured into two new glasses, one tall and thin and the other short and wide. When asked if one glass contains more than the other, preoperational children typically choose the taller glass. Children at this stage do not understand the mental operations of reversibility (if they poured the water back into the original glasses, they would clearly hold the same amount again) and complementarity (one glass is taller, but the other makes up for that difference by being wider), thus their thinking is preoperational. In the concrete operations stage, ages seven to about twelve, the child becomes able to understand and apply logical principles, thus conservation is no longer a challenge, and the ability to apply such logic to number and amount makes mathematics learning possible. According to Piaget, however, the child’s ability to perform logical operations is limited to real, concrete objects within their experience. The ability to think logically about abstract ideas awaits the development of formal operations, the developmental period that begins with adolescence, and the final stage proposed by Piaget. The fact that Piaget’s developmental sequence ends with adolescence has prompted other theorists to propose several variations on an additional stage of post formal reasoning, to allow for recognition that the adult mind often works differently than that of a twelve-year-old child. The basic elements of Piaget’s theory remain very influential today, especially the insight that adult thinking differs qualitatively from that of young children, along with the recognition that various cognitive milestones are achieved in the same order by all children. Piaget has also been widely criticized, however, especially for underestimating the cognitive abilities of young children by frequently using tasks that the children didn’t understand. A large body of research on infant memory, for example, indicates that children are capable of using mental representations at much younger ages than Piaget believed. Conservation may also appear a lot earlier than Piaget suggested, an insight that requires altering Piaget’s favorite tasks a bit. When the children do the pouring in the liquid conservation task, rather than watching an adult do it, preoperational children frequently answer correctly. Preoperational children are also less egocentric than Piaget imagined, as when the three-mountain task is redesigned a bit to more closely resemble a game children might actually play. Instead of mountains, children look in on a simple maze in which some walls contain windows and some don’t. A doll dressed as a policeman is then placed in the model, as is a doll dressed as a thief. Children are asked to take the perspective of the policeman and decide whether he can see, and therefore catch, the thief. Preoperational children answer correctly at much higher rates than they did on Piaget’s task, perhaps because the task is more relevant to the children’s experience. Furthermore, many psychologists question the wisdom of thinking in terms of rigidly bounded stages, rather than recognizing that children reach some concrete-operational milestones before others. It makes more sense, therefore, to think in terms of individual mental abilities developing rather the whole mind changing at once. Still, Piaget continues to cast a large shadow on the field of study that he created. Reference:
Background and Key Concepts of Piaget's Theory By Dr. Saul McLeod, updated
April 06, 2022 Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that intelligence changes as children grow. A child's cognitive development is not just about acquiring knowledge, the child has to develop or construct a mental model of the world. Cognitive development occurs through the interaction of innate capacities and environmental events, and children pass through a series of stages.
The sequence of the stages is universal across cultures and follow the same invariant (unchanging) order. All children go through the same stages in the same order (but not all at the same rate). How Piaget Developed the TheoryPiaget was employed at the Binet Institute in the 1920s, where his job was to develop French versions of questions on English intelligence tests. He became intrigued with the reasons children gave for their wrong answers to the questions that required logical thinking. He believed that these incorrect answers revealed important differences between the thinking of adults and children. Piaget branched out on his own with a new set of assumptions about children’s intelligence:
What Piaget wanted to do was not to measure how well children could count, spell or solve problems as a way of grading their I.Q. What he was more interested in was the way in which fundamental concepts like the very idea of number, time, quantity, causality, justice and so on emerged. Piaget studied children from infancy to adolescence using naturalistic observation of his own three babies and sometimes controlled observation too. From these he wrote diary descriptions charting their development. He also used clinical interviews and observations of older children who were able to understand questions and hold conversations. Stages of Cognitive Development
Piaget’s Four Stages
Although no stage can be missed out, there are individual differences in the rate at which children progress through stages, and some individuals may never attain the later stages. Piaget did not claim that a particular stage was reached at a certain age - although descriptions of the stages often include an indication of the age at which the average child would reach each stage. The Sensorimotor StageAges: Birth to 2 Years Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:
During this stage the infant lives in the present. It does not yet have a mental picture of the world stored in its memory therefore it does not have a sense of object permanence. If it cannot see something then it does not exist. This is why you can hide a toy from an infant, while it watches, but it will not search for the object once it has gone out of sight. The main achievement during this stage is object permanence - knowing that an object still exists, even if it is hidden. It requires the ability to form a mental representation (i.e., a schema) of the object.
The child begins to be able to store information that it knows about the world, recall it and label it. Learn More: The Sensorimotor Stage of Cognitive Development The Preoperational StageAges: 2 - 7 Years Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:
By 2 years, children have made some progress towards detaching their thought from physical world. However have not yet developed logical (or 'operational') thought characteristic of later stages. Thinking is still intuitive (based on subjective judgements about situations) and egocentric (centred on the child's own view of the world). Learn More: The Preoperational Stage of Cognitive Development The Concrete Operational StageAges: 7 - 11 Years Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:
The stage is called concrete because children can think logically much more successfully if they can manipulate real (concrete) materials or pictures of them. Piaget considered the concrete stage a major turning point in the child's cognitive development because it marks the beginning of logical or operational thought. This means the child can work things out internally in their head (rather than physically try things out in the real world). Children can conserve number (age 6), mass (age 7), and weight (age 9). Conservation is the understanding that something stays the same in quantity even though its appearance changes. But operational thought only effective here if child asked to reason about materials that are physically present. Children at this stage will tend to make mistakes or be overwhelmed when asked to reason about abstract or hypothetical problems. Learn More: The Concrete Operational Stage of Development The Formal Operational StageAges: 12 and Over Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:
From about 12 years children can follow the form of a logical argument without reference to its content. During this time, people develop the ability to think about abstract concepts, and logically test hypotheses. This stage sees emergence of scientific thinking, formulating abstract theories and hypotheses when faced with a problem. Learn More: The Formal Operational Stage of Development Piaget's Theory Differs From Others In Several Ways:Piaget's (1936, 1950) theory of cognitive development explains how a child constructs a mental model of the world. He disagreed with the idea that intelligence was a fixed trait, and regarded cognitive development as a process which occurs due to biological maturation and interaction with the environment. Children’s ability to understand, think about and solve problems in the world develops in a stop-start, discontinuous manner (rather than gradual changes over time). ▪ It is concerned with children, rather than all learners. ▪ It focuses on development, rather than learning per se, so it does not address learning of information or specific behaviors. ▪ It proposes discrete stages of development, marked by qualitative differences, rather than a gradual increase in number and complexity of behaviors, concepts, ideas, etc. The goal of the theory is to explain the mechanisms and processes by which the infant, and then the child, develops into an individual who can reason and think using hypotheses. To Piaget, cognitive development was a progressive reorganization of mental processes as a result of biological maturation and environmental experience. Children construct an understanding of the world around them, then experience discrepancies between what they already know and what they discover in their environment. SchemasPiaget claimed that knowledge cannot simply emerge from sensory experience; some initial structure is necessary to make sense of the world.
Schemas are the basic building blocks of such cognitive models, and enable us to form a mental representation of the world. Piaget (1952, p. 7) defined a schema as: "a cohesive, repeatable action sequence possessing component actions that are tightly interconnected and governed by a core meaning." In more simple terms Piaget called the schema the basic building block of intelligent behavior – a way of organizing knowledge. Indeed, it is useful to think of schemas as “units” of knowledge, each relating to one aspect of the world, including objects, actions, and abstract (i.e., theoretical) concepts. Wadsworth (2004) suggests that schemata (the plural of schema) be thought of as 'index cards' filed in the brain, each one telling an individual how to react to incoming stimuli or information. When Piaget talked about the development of a person's mental processes, he was referring to increases in the number and complexity of the schemata that a person had learned.
Piaget emphasized the importance of schemas in cognitive development and described how they were developed or acquired. A schema can be defined as a set of linked mental representations of the world, which we use both to understand and to respond to situations. The assumption is that we store these mental representations and apply them when needed. Examples of SchemasA person might have a schema about buying a meal in a restaurant. The schema is a stored form of the pattern of behavior which includes looking at a menu, ordering food, eating it and paying the bill. This is an example of a type of schema called a 'script.' Whenever they are in a restaurant, they retrieve this schema from memory and apply it to the situation. The schemas Piaget described tend to be simpler than this - especially those used by infants. He described how - as a child gets older - his or her schemas become more numerous and elaborate. Piaget believed that newborn babies have a small number of innate schemas - even before they have had many opportunities to experience the world. These neonatal schemas are the cognitive structures underlying innate reflexes. These reflexes are genetically programmed into us. For example, babies have a sucking reflex, which is triggered by something touching the baby's lips. A baby will suck a nipple, a comforter (dummy), or a person's finger. Piaget, therefore, assumed that the baby has a 'sucking schema.' Similarly, the grasping reflex which is elicited when something touches the palm of a baby's hand, or the rooting reflex, in which a baby will turn its head towards something which touches its cheek, are innate schemas. Shaking a rattle would be the combination of two schemas, grasping and shaking. The Process of Adaptation
AssimilationPiaget defined assimilation as the cognitive process of fitting new information into existing cognitive schemas, perceptions, and understanding. Overall beliefs and understanding of the world do not change as a result of the new information. This means that when you are faced with new information, you make sense of this information by referring to information you already have (information processed and learned previously) and try to fit the new information into the information you already have. For example, a 2-year-old child sees a man who is bald on top of his head and has long frizzy hair on the sides. To his father’s horror, the toddler shouts “Clown, clown” (Siegler et al., 2003). AccommodationPsychologist Jean Piaget defined accommodation as the cognitive process of revising existing cognitive schemas, perceptions, and understanding so that new information can be incorporated. This happens when the existing schema (knowledge) does not work, and needs to be changed to deal with a new object or situation. In order to make sense of some new information, you actual adjust information you already have (schemas you already have, etc.) to make room for this new information. For example, a child may have a schema for birds (feathers, flying, etc.) and then they see a plane, which also flies, but would not fit into their bird schema. In the “clown” incident, the boy’s father explained to his son that the man was not a clown and that even though his hair was like a clown’s, he wasn’t wearing a funny costume and wasn’t doing silly things to make people laugh. With this new knowledge, the boy was able to change his schema of “clown” and make this idea fit better to a standard concept of “clown”. EquilibrationPiaget believed that all human thought seeks order and is uncomfortable with contradictions and inconsistencies in knowledge structures. In other words, we seek 'equilibrium' in our cognitive structures. Equilibrium occurs when a child's schemas can deal with most new information through assimilation. However, an unpleasant state of disequilibrium occurs when new information cannot be fitted into existing schemas (assimilation). Piaget believed that cognitive development did not progress at a steady rate, but rather in leaps and bounds. Equilibration is the force which drives the learning process as we do not like to be frustrated and will seek to restore balance by mastering the new challenge (accommodation). Once the new information is acquired the process of assimilation with the new schema will continue until the next time we need to make an adjustment to it. Educational ImplicationsPiaget (1952) did not explicitly relate his theory to education, although later researchers have explained how features of Piaget's theory can be applied to teaching and learning. Piaget has been extremely influential in developing educational policy and teaching practice. For example, a review of primary education by the UK government in 1966 was based strongly on Piaget’s theory. The result of this review led to the publication of the Plowden report (1967). Discovery learning – the idea that children learn best through doing and actively exploring - was seen as central to the transformation of the primary school curriculum. 'The report's recurring themes are individual learning, flexibility in the curriculum, the centrality of play in children's learning, the use of the environment, learning by discovery and the importance of the evaluation of children's progress - teachers should 'not assume that only what is measurable is valuable.' Because Piaget's theory is based upon biological maturation and stages, the notion of 'readiness' is important. Readiness concerns when certain information or concepts should be taught. According to Piaget's theory children should not be taught certain concepts until they have reached the appropriate stage of cognitive development. According to Piaget (1958), assimilation and accommodation require an active learner, not a passive one, because problem-solving skills cannot be taught, they must be discovered. Within the classroom learning should be student-centered and accomplished through active discovery learning. The role of the teacher is to facilitate learning, rather than direct tuition. Therefore, teachers should encourage the following within the classroom: o Focus on the process of learning, rather than the end product of it. Critical EvaluationSupport
Criticisms
Piaget vs VygotskyPiaget maintains that cognitive development stems largely from independent explorations in which children construct knowledge of their own. Whereas Vygotsky argues that children learn through social interactions, building knowledge by learning from more knowledgeable others such as peers and adults. In other words, Vygotsky believed that culture affects cognitive development. These factors lead to differences in the education style they recommend: Piaget would argue for the teacher to provide opportunities which challenge the children’s existing schemas and for children to be encouraged to discover for themselves. Alternatively, Vygotsky would recommend that teacher's assist the child to progress through the zone of proximal development by using scaffolding. However, both theories view children as actively constructing their own knowledge of the world; they are not seen as just passively absorbing knowledge. They also agree that cognitive development involves qualitative changes in thinking, not only a matter of learning more things.
Piaget divided children’s cognitive development in four stages, each of the stages represent a new way of thinking and understanding the world. He called them (1) sensorimotor intelligence, (2) preoperational thinking, (3) concrete operational thinking, and (4) formal operational thinking. Each stage is correlated with an age period of childhood, but only approximately. According to Piaget, intellectual development takes place through stages which occur in a fixed order and which are universal (all children pass through these stages regardless of social or cultural background). Development can only occur when the brain has matured to a point of “readiness”. Cross-cultural studies show that the stages of development (except the formal operational stage) occur in the same order in all cultures suggesting that cognitive development is a product of a biological process of maturation. However the age at which the stages are reached varies between cultures and individuals which suggests that social and cultural factors and individual differences influence cognitive development. Schemas are mental structures which contains all of the information we have relating to one aspect of the world around us. According to Piaget, we are born with a few primitive schemas such as sucking which give us a mean to interact with the world. These are physical but as the child develops they become mental schemas. These schemas become more complex with experience. How to reference this article:McLeod, S. A. (2018, June 06). Jean piaget's theory of cognitive development. Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html Listen to a brief summary of this article.Download as older version of this article as a PDF APA Style ReferencesBaillargeon, R., & DeVos, J. (1991). Object permanence in young infants: Further evidence. Child development, 1227-1246. Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a theory of instruction. Cambridge, Mass.: Belkapp Press. Dasen, P. (1994). Culture and cognitive development from a Piagetian perspective. In W .J. Lonner & R.S. Malpass (Eds.), Psychology and culture (pp. 145–149). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Hughes , M. (1975). Egocentrism in preschool children. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Edinburgh University. Inhelder, B., & Piaget, J. (1958). The growth of logical thinking from childhood to adolescence. New York: Basic Books. Keating, D. (1979). Adolescent thinking. In J. Adelson (Ed.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 211-246). New York: Wiley. Piaget, J. (1932). The moral judgment of the child. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Piaget, J. (1936). Origins of intelligence in the child. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Piaget, J. (1945). Play, dreams and imitation in childhood. London: Heinemann. Piaget, J. (1957). Construction of reality in the child. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Piaget, J., & Cook, M. T. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. New York, NY: International University Press. Plowden, B. H. P. (1967). Children and their primary schools: A report (Research and Surveys). London, England: HM Stationery Office. Siegler, R. S., DeLoache, J. S., & Eisenberg, N. (2003). How children develop. New York: Worth. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wadsworth, B. J. (2004). Piaget's theory of cognitive and affective development: Foundations of constructivism. New York: Longman. Download an older version of this article as a PDF How to reference this article:McLeod, S. A. (2018, June 06). Jean piaget's theory of cognitive development. Simply Psychology. www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html Home | About Us | Privacy Policy | Advertise | Contact Us Simply Psychology's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. © Simply Scholar Ltd - All rights reserved |