Piagets Cognitive Development

Cognition: How people think & Understand. Piaget developed four stages to his theory of cognitive development: Sensori-Motor Stage Pre-Operational Stage Concrete Operational Stage Formal Operational Stage.

Sensori-Motor Stage (0-2 years)

Sensory contact understanding. The child explores the world surrounding them using its senses Initially sucking/grasping reflex and moving onto reaching for objects out of reach.

Object permanence

Major development within this stage.

Initially the baby cannot understand an object exists out of sight. As the baby reaches around 7/8 months a child will begin to understand the object/person still exists when out of sight.

Pre-Operational Preconceptual stage(2-4yrs old)

Toddler can understand the use of symbols and language. This is an example of symbolic thinking. I.E pretend play. Language is now understood.

Development of..
Animismchild understands bad table, believes inanimate objects have feelings as they do. EgocentricismCan only see the world from their own point of view

All these developments take place in the Pre-Operational Stage.

(Example of object permanence)

Preoperational IntuitiveStage (4 to 7 years)

"Operation" - Forms of mental action through which older children solve problems and reason logically Key feature of stage is extensive representation
Pre-op kids develop theory of mind (understanding of mental processes)

Concrete Operational Stage

(7-12 years)

The children are now able to conserve, They understand that although the appearance has changed the thing it self does not.

What is CONSERVATION?

the awareness that a quantity remains the same despite a change in its appearance

Formal Operational Stage

adulthood )

(12 years-

Most of previous characteristics discussed have now developed. The child shows logical thinking and is able to work through abstract problems and use logic without the presence of concrete manipulation. E.g. If Kelly is taller than John and John is taller than Pete who is the tallest? This is an example of inferential reasoning.

Inductive reasoning
Example: Pendulum problem
Formal operational children will systematically test all possibilities before arriving at a conclusion

How fast?

THANK YOU!