Topic: How do we develop

AO3: Analyse and evaluate psychological information, ideas, processes and procedures to make
judgements and draw conclusions.

Evaluating Piaget’s stages of Cognitive Development

Strengths:

Real work application: Piaget’s work has practical applications and can be used in education to
help children to develop into the next stage.

Research support: Research shows the existence of the stages which increases the validity of the
theory.

Useful and Scientific Methods: Piaget’s data came from interviews and observations with children
which means there is a lot of in depth data which increases the validity of the theory.

Weaknesses:

Lack of research support: Some studies show children develop earlier than Piaget’s theory which
reduces the validity of the theory.

Not useful: Piaget’s theory did not look at the influence of social interactions or cultural setting
which could impact the child’s development.

Subjective: Piaget’s data came from interviews and observations with children. The children may
have lied or provided socially desirable responses and the observations may be subjective to the
interpreter.

Lack of reliability: Repeating Piaget’s research in a more natural setting produced different results
therefore the theory is not reliable.

Piaget and Inhelder (1959) Evaluation

Strengths
Validity: Piaget provided a lot of detail about children’s development. We know when children stop
being egocentric.

Reliability: Piaget used careful controls in his study. The same mountain was used every time.

Qualitative Validity: Piaget used qualitative data. Data is in detail and from the individual which
makes it valid.

Validity: Children were from Switzerland and familiar with mountain scenery so the task is argued
5to be a natural task.

Weaknesses

Validity: Piaget’s study did not have a realistic task. Children were asked to look at mountains so
the study lacks mundane realism.

Qualitative Validity: Piaget used qualitative data. Participants may give socially desirable
responses which reduces the validity.

Generalizability: Piaget did not have a range of cultures. He only used Swiss children.

Counter research evidence

Helen Borke (1975) stated that children were not egocentric but they found the ‘three mountains
task’ too hard as the task was unrealistic.

Borke changed the wooden doll to Grover (a character from Sesame Street) and the mountain model
was on a turn table that the children could turn themselves.

Borke found that children of 3 years old accurately recalled the view of Grover over 79% of the time
and children ages 4 years old correctly recalled 93% of the time.

Dweck’s mindset theory

Strengths 

Research Support: Dweck’s theory of development has support by scientific evidence.For example,

Yeager and Dweck found that using a growth mindset improved 1500 low achieving students grades.

Free will: Dweck’s theory acknowledges that we have free will. Dweck believes we have the power
to change our thinking and thoughts about challenges and that we can move mindsets.
Useful: Dweck’s theory is useful. For example, we can use the theory in schools. Teachers are now
instructed to praise effort and give continuous feedback about how to improve their work, rather
than being grade focused.

Weaknesses

Lacks research support: For example David Dadau (2017) wrote an article questioning the theory
as he believed that just because you believe you have a growth mindset doesn’t increase your
abilities.

Not useful: For example, the methods used to support the theory include questionnaires which are
lack validity because participants might lie and provide socially desirable responses.