Piaget’s Cognitive Stages of Development

SECTIONS 1 AND 2, HDFS 129

CODY GRIMM

How did Piaget Study?

Piaget Studied his own children, and developed his Cognitive Developmental approach from these observations.

We build our own version of the world

Processes of Development

SchemesOrganization Assimilation & Accommodation Disequilibrium

Schemes

First step to building your own view in the world

Your Newborn Brain=

Organization

Refers to the organization of thought and behaviors into an overall category.

DRIVING

Assimilation

The use of your existing schemes to classify information.

+ =

Accommodation

The adjustment of schemes to make room for new information.

+ =

Disequilibrium

Is an imbalance of what’s understood and what’s encountered.

Cognitive Development Stages

Sensorimotor Stage6 Substages

Preoperational Stage2 Substages

Concrete Operational Stage Formal Operational Stage

Sensorimotor Stage

Lasts from birth to 2 years of life Infants begin to understand the world through

use of movement and their senses

Substage 1: Simple Reflexes

First month after birth Coordination comes from reflexive behaviors

Rooting Sucking

Actively structuring experiences

Substage 2: First Habits and Primary Circular Reactions

Develops between 1 and 4 months Coordinates by two schemes:

Habit Circular Reaction

Substage 3: Secondary Circular Reactions

Develops between 4 to 8 months More object oriented Repetition due to consequences

Substage 4: Coordination of Secondary Circular Reactions

Develops between 8 and 12 months Infants coordinate vision and touch, hand and

eyes Coordination of schemes

Substage 5: Tertiary Circular Reactions, Novelty, and Curiosity

Develops between 12 and 18 months Intrigued by actions they can make happen Schemes develop further

Substage 6: Internalization of Schemes

Develops between 18 to 24 months Infants are able to use primitive symbols Expression of events in simple ways

Sensorimotor: Errors

Object Permanence The A-Not-B Error

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched.

Infants most important accomplishment!

A-Not-B Error

Preoperational Stage Lasts from approximately 2 to 7 years of age Children begin to represent the world with

words, images, and drawings—begin to form stable concepts and reasoning

Substage 1: Symbolic Function Occurs between 2 and 4 Ability to mentally represent objects that are

not present Two activities within this stage:

Egocentrism Animism

Substage 2: Intuitive Thought

From about 4 to 7 years old Children begin to use primitive reasoning, and

want to know the answers to A LOT of questions

Preoperational: Errors

CentrationConservation

NumberMatterLength

Centration

Is the key focus on one characteristics at the exclusion of all others

Key concept for preoperational errors Conservation

The awareness that altering a items basic appearance does not change the basic properties

Conservation: Number

Conservation: Matter

Conservation: Length

Concrete Operational Stage Lasts approximately from 7 to 11 years of age Children can operate concretely, and reason

logically, as long as it can be applied to something specific.

Concrete Operational Continued

Activities associated:SeriationTransitivity

A

B

C

Formal Operational Stage Final Piagetian Stage Lasts approximately from 11 to 15 years of

age Individuals move beyond concrete thought to

more abstract and logical thinking.

Abstract, Idealistic, and Logical Thinking

Quality of abstract thinking: “I began thinking about why I was thinking about what I was. Then I began thinking about why I was thinking about what I was thinking about what I was.”

Extended thoughts about their own desires and what ideal characteristics they strive for

Use of hypothetical-deductive reasoning

Adolescent Egocentrism

Heightened self-consciousness, and the hope that others accept you simply by who you are.

Adolescent Egocentrism falls into two categoriesImaginary AudiencePersonal Fable

Imaginary Audience

The feeling that one is the center of the stage Very present in early adolescents

Personal Fable

Sense of personal uniqueness and invincibility Uniqueness

No one truly understands them Invincibility

Engagement in risky behavior

Summary