Jean Piaget Stages of Cognitive Development

Michelle Chen

Catherine Kelso

Birth to Two Years

• Sensorimotor– Experiencing world though senses and actions

(looking, touching, mouthing, grasping)

• Developmental Phenomena – Object Permanence: the awareness that objects

continue to exist even when they are not seen– Stranger Anxiety

Sensorimotor

At this stage, children begin to learn about objects using their senses. Here the girl learns about both herself and the paint. As she touches the paint, she learns of its texture, its capacity to spread; it is likely she has tasted and smelled it as well. She is even learning about mixing colors.

Object Permanence

Before 8 months, children lack object permanence (out of sight, out of mind).

Object permanence is the realization that although an object is not visible, it still exists.

Some people develop this later on.

Stranger Anxiety

This child has been affected by the invisible magnetic force field that attaches young children to their parents, preferably the mother. Comfort is sought in the self as well as the parent.

Separation anxiety, being taken away from the familiar caretaker, goes hand-in-hand with stranger anxiety.

Two to Six Years

• Preoperational– Representing things with words and images but

lacking logical reasoning.

• Developmental Phenomena– Pretend Play– Egocentrism– Language Development

Pretend Play

Here, two children assume familiar roles. They are also more willing to accept illogical events into their realities, like a cat as a child.

Imagination is the route to great stories.

Egocentrism

Queens of the world!While Catherine remains on top of

Alice in Wonderland,

Michelle is busy with her royal duties,

gingerbread house and elegant robes.

For some people this phenomena extends

beyond 6 years.

Language Development

Language development begins by hearing

language.

Seven to Eleven Years

• Concrete Operational– Thinking logically about concrete events,

grasping concrete analogies and performing arithmetical operations.

• Developmental Phenomena– Conservation– Mathematical Transformations

Conservation

Ice pop companies seem to understand child development; by using long and thin packages rather than short and fat containers, little kids think they have MORE. The height dimension provides the belief of the existence of more.

Mathematical Transformation

Michelle applies her logic-mathematical abilities the game of chess. The younger boy beside her (5 years old) has not developed this ability yet and just pretends with the pieces.

Twelve Years to Adult

• Formal Operational– Abstract Reasoning

• Developmental Phenomena– Abstract Logic– Potential for Mature Moral Reasoning

Abstract Logic

We had a hypothesis that if we told the waiters it was Dr. Baldo’s birthday, he would have his picture taken.

Our experiment concluded in support of our original hypothesis, and Dr. Baldo, an epitome of abstract and scientific logic, is shown in the traditional birthday sombrero.

Potential for Mathematical Reasoning

Here, Michelle is studying. Using mathematical reasoning, she is able to solve equations algebraically.

It is amazing what she is able to do while watching Spongebob Squarepants.

What does 2 + 2=

Using logic, the answer is…

Mathematical Reasoning

2+2=5-20=-20

16-36=25-4542-36=52-45

42-(2)(4)(9/2)=52-(2)(5)(9/2)42-(2)(4)(9/2)+(9/2)2=52-(2)(5)(9/2)+(9/2)2

(4-9/2)2=(5-9/2)2

4-9/2=5-9/24=5

2+2=5√

A Metaphor: Protein Folding

• Scientists are creating computer simulations and methods of determining the structures of a protein in its native state.

• As a protein folds, it is constantly in search of the place where it will be most stable.

Stability vs. Change

• Like the folds of a protein, children’s learning processes are in flux; for example, at first objects have no permanence and through time, they become familiar, understood and something to grasp or find. A child’s development is all about change. But as the child changes, the intellect achieves greater stability/understanding of the environment around them. Maybe child development is like the folding protein, constantly in search of the place where it will be most stable.

Final Critique

Using Piaget’s classification system we could easily find images that associated our own personal cognitive development with his scale. However, the strict definitions of each stage did not fully support our personal thoughts towards human maturation.

There are occasions in which we have individually expanded our knowledge in areas of language and mathematical reasoning prior to the expected age. These advancements may have been a response to growing up in rich language and logical-mathematical environments, rather than nature.

Critique 2

We believe genetics affects a person’s ability to learn, and that this influences how a child develops.

Nature and nurture collectively affect the continuous growth of each individual. Although some constants remain, and people will go through each stage eventually, the occurrences tend to occur depending on external and alternative internal factors.

Thank You

Thank you for your recognition, we know we were Thank you for your recognition, we know we were magnificent. Donations at the door.magnificent. Donations at the door.

The Award for being the best!

Ice Cream fried in Rum.