Clarissa Darnell

July 12, 2013

Content of Piaget's theory

Jean Piaget is considered one of the most important theorists in the field of psychology,
as there is hardly a study of childrens thinking that does not refer to Piaget (page 120). This
accreditation was brought about because of his work to create an intellectual development theory
that was thorough and easily persuasive. In order to effectively grasp and understand the
elements and components of Piagets theory, it is useful to analyze and consider how it coincides
with what makes up the content of a development theory.
Piaget was classified as a constructivist and his theoretical ideologies were much inspired
by his work with Alfred Binet and the development and use of the IQ test. As he asked children
questions during his work with Binet, Piaget was intrigued by the incorrect responses that
children gave and how they seemed to have certain, common logic to their wrong answers. He
was also influenced by Charles Darwin and the biological ideas of cognitive development as it
displays similarities of that of embryonic growth as the organized structure becomes increasingly
differentiated over time.
Taking a closer look at the methodology to Piagets work, it is noted that he first spent
time observing children during spontaneous activities while closely documenting what he saw in
terms of development. From his observations, he developed a clinical method for testing it.
Piaget did not use standardized tests, as he felt this forced children to provide responses that
were not genuine. Rather, he devised an open-ended clinical interview method of speaking with
children by asking questions in order to see how the children would responds and solve the
problems given. Piagets methods were often criticized as he did not use a method of
standardized interviewing as he would provide a standardized question and then would
sometimes change or modify his responses during the interview with a child if he thought it

Clarissa Darnell

July 12, 2013

would help him better understand that childs thinking. Not only has this caused some criticism,
but it has also been difficult for others to replicate because it depends specifically on the
individual child being interviewed and the responses that child provides. Piaget was not
particularly concerned with the responses given by the children, but rather the reasoning behind
their responses.
Examining the structure of his theory, it is understood to be an integrated stage theory
that categorizes human development into general stages, or periods, across the range of birth
through adulthood resulting in a holistic developmental ideology. Piaget loosely associated
specific age ranges to the stages within his theory, but attached little importance to the age range
associated with a specific stage because he recognized that children pass through the stages at
different rates. However, he did propose that children do progress through the stages in the same
order, in which Piaget explained with the term, invariant sequence.
The goal within each stage of Piagets theory is to attain equilibrium. When this is not
achieved, there is a time of disequilibrium when there is a discomfort with not understanding;
being the motivation for driving development forward. A person cannot successfully move to the
next stage within this developmental theory without first resolving the conflict and moving back
to a place of equilibrium within the present stage. As development progresses and there is
movement into the next stage, the information or skills ascertained in the previous stage is
incorporated and transformed as each stage involves a preparation for the shift in thinking and
final attainment. It is also emphasized by Piaget within the stage theory that the stages are
considered invariant, in that everyone will move through the stages in the same sequence, and
universal, in that all cultures go through the same stages in the way that they think.

Clarissa Darnell

July 12, 2013

Piagets theory consists of four periods, or stages, of development in which each period is
characterized by a specific difference in terms of the way a child thinks. At birth, a child enters
Period I, Sensorimotor Intelligence, in which is subdivided into six stages that explain the way in
which children up until the age of two years, organize their physical, reflexive action schemes
for dealing with certain things happening in the world (page 120). Within the first period of
development infants begins to exhibit a much more sophisticated level of thinking, specifically a
dramatic shift or change and cognitive transition at nine months of age. This is also the time that
language begins to emerge, signally a transition to the next stage. At this point, Piaget explained
that children progress into Period II, Preoperational Thought, in which children learn to more
effectively use language in social contexts and well as to think and use symbols and internal
images. During this period, from age two to seven years, a childs thinking was described as
very different from that of an adult in that it is unsystematic and illogical. Period III, Concrete
Operations, follows, in which a childs development is categorized from seven to eleven years of
age. During this period, children begin to think systemically when referring to concrete objects
and activities. Piagets most famous experiment exemplifies this period as it dealt with
illustrating the period in which children gain the capability to demonstration concentration,
specifically achieving conservation of liquids at about seven years. Lastly, the final period, the
culminating stage, covers a broad age range and a child enters at eleven years of age and remains
for the duration of adulthood. Period IV is the Formal Operations period, the highest level of
thought, during which persons exhibit the capacity to apply systematic thinking to abstract and
hypothetical matters.
Another aspect that will assist with clarifying Piagets theory is to understand his use of
specific terminology. Certain terms had the purpose of characterizing the biological tendencies

Clarissa Darnell

July 12, 2013

of childrens activities. One such tendency and related term he used was assimilation, which is
described as the action of taking in, where that be literally such as with eating or digesting food
or in a more intellectual sense where information or objects are taken into our cognitive
structures. A second term, accommodation, describes yet another tendency that Piaget included
within his theory. He explains this as being the opportunity in which changes are made within
our structures when certain objects or information that is taken is doesnt fit into existing
structures. Another term that holds value within Piagets theory is that of Egocentrism, which is
the inability for one to distinguish own perspective from that of others. This plays a large role in
Period II of Piagets theory in that within the preoperational period children see the world only in
relation to themselves. Egocentrism declines within Period III, Concrete Operations, but is
thought to remerge during periods in which high levels of stress arise and can reoccur numerous
times throughout ones life.
A debate that is encompassed within most all theoretical ideologies is that of Nature
versus Nurture, and it is worth examining while analyzing Piagets theory. Both sides of the
debate can be justified within Piagets theory. Piaget believed that development is not governed
by internal maturation, in that they were not genetically determined or external teachings, but
rather through an active construction process in which children build differentiated and
comprehensive cognitive structures through their own activities. Piaget did not feel that the
thinking of children was shaped by adult teachings or other environmental influences, rather than
the children must interact with the environment in order to foster development and construct
their own knowledge. He recognized that children are constantly exploring, manipulating and
trying to make sense out of the environment, in which they in turn they are able to active
construct new and more elaborate structures. These beliefs highlight the nurture side of the

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July 12, 2013

debate within reason. To explain how Piagets theory lends justification to the nature side of the
debate, in which children are born with the knowledge and understanding they comprehend, one
can see how Piaget explained his belief that children are born with certain, innate behaviors, such
as an infants such reflex. Piaget acknowledges that these innate behaviors are critical within the
first little bit of life but then much less significant on the influence of development afterward, as
the nurture, environmental, aspect takes over.
Piagets developmental theory has notable strengths as well as criticisms, both worth
addressing in order to fully appreciate the theory. His theory has proven to be a strong guide for
research and practice and provides a rich description of childrens thinking. However, he is
thought to have underestimated the thinking of children and overestimate adult thinking. Also he
does not provide a lot of information about how the structures translate into behavior and how
social and emotional factors play a role in cognition. Even with the criticisms, the
developmental, Constructivist theory of Jean Piaget continues to be an influential aspect of
understanding young children, early development, and therefore the implications of such on
educating children. Although thorough and complex in entirety, it is critical to evaluate the entire
content of Piagets theory to evoke the greatest understanding and the implications of the
ideologies included.