PIAGET’S STAGES OF

COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
Faith Lorenz P. Resuello
Who is Piaget?
• Jean William Fritz
Piaget
• Jean Piaget
• August 9,1896
• September 16, 1980
• Geneva, Switzerland
• Theory of Cognitive
Development
Cognitive
:means relating to the mental process involved
in knowing, learning, and understanding things.

Collins dictionary

Development
:the act or process of growing or causing
something to grow or become larger or more
advanced.
Merriam-Webster
 Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

• Sensorimotor stage: birth to 2 years

• Preoperational stage: ages 2 to 7

• Concrete operational stage: ages 7 to 11

• Formal operational stage: ages 12 and up

Sensorimotor Stage: birth to 2 years
Substages of Sensorimotor Stage
• Reflexes (0- 1 month) - During this substage, the
child understands the environment purely through
inborn reflexes such as sucking and looking.

• Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months) - This

substage involves coordinating sensation and new
schemas. For example a child may suck his or her
thumb by accident then later intentionally repeat the
action. These actions are repeated because the
infant finds it pleasurable.
• Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8
months) - During this substage, the child
becomes more focused on the world and
begins to intentionally repeat an action in
order to trigger a response in the
environment. For example, a child will
purposefully pick up a toy in order to put it
in his or her mouth.
• Coordination of Reactions (8-12 months) -
During this substage, a child starts to show
clearly intentional actions. A child may also
combine schemas in order to achieve a desired
effect. Children begin exploring the environment
around them and will often imitate the observed
behavior of others. The understanding of objects
also begins during this time and children begin to
recognize certain objects as having specific
qualities. For example, a child might realise that
the rattle will make a sound when shaken.
Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months) -
children begin a trial-and-error experimentation
during the fifth substage. For example, a child may
try out different sounds or actions as a way of getting
attention from a caregiver.

Early Representational Thought (18-24 months) -

Children begin to develop symbols to represent
events or objects in the world in the final
sensorimotor substage. During this time, children
begin to move towards understanding the world
through mental operations rather than purely through
actions.
Object Permanence
According to Piaget, developing Obejct
Permanence is one of the most important
accomplishments of Sensorimotor stage of
development. Object Permanence is a child's
understanding that objects continue to exist
even though they cannot be seen or heard.
Preoperational Stage: ages 2 to 7
 Major Characteristics and Developmental
Changes

• Children begin to think symbolically and

learn to use words and pictures to
represent objects.

• Children at this age tend to be egocentric

and struggle to see things from the
perspective of others.
• While they are getting better with
language and thinking, they still
tend to think about things in very
concrete terms.
Concrete Operational Stage: ages 7 to 11
 Major Characteristics and Developmental
Changes

• During this stage, children begin to

thinking logically about concrete events.

• They begin to understand the concept of

conservation; that the amount of liquid in
a short, wide cup is equal to that in a tall,
skinny glass, for example.
• Their thinking becomes more logical
and organized, but still very concrete.

• Children begin using inductive logic, or

reasoning from specific information to
general principle.
Formal Operational Stage: ages 12 and up
 Major Characteristics and Developmental
Changes

• At this stage, the adolescent or young

adult begins to think abstractly and
reason about hypothetical problems.

• Abstract thought emerges.

• Teens begin to think more about moral,
philosophical, ethical, social, and political
issues that require theoretical and
abstract reasoning.

• Begin to use deductive logic, or

reasoning from general principle to
specific information.
ERICKSON’S
PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY
OF DEVELOPMENT
 Who is Erickson?
• Erik Homburger Erikson
• June 15, 1902
• May 12, 1994
•  German-
American developmental
psychologist and psycho
-analyst
• Theory on Psychosocial
Development
Psychosocial

:relating to the interrelation of social

factors and individual thought and
behavior.
Google
Stage Psychosocial Crisis Basic Virtue Age
1. Trust vs. Mistrust Hope 0 - 1½

2. Autonomy vs. Shame Will 1½ - 3

3. Initiative vs. Guilt Purpose 3-5

4. Industry vs. Inferiority Competency 5 - 12

5. Identity vs. Role Fidelity 12 - 18

Confusion

6. Intimacy vs. Isolation Love 18 - 40

7. Generativity vs. Care 40 - 65

Stagnation

8. Ego Integrity vs. Wisdom 65+

Despair
 1. Trust vs. Mistrust
•
Trust vs. mistrust is the first stage in
Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial
development. This stage begins at
birth continues to approximately 18
months of age. During this stage, the
infant is uncertain about the world in
which they live, and looks towards
their primary caregiver for stability and
consistency of care.
 If the care the infant receives is consistent,
predictable and reliable, they will develop a sense
of trust which will carry with them to other
relationships, and they will be able to feel secure
even when threatened.
If these needs are not consistently met,
mistrust, suspicion, and anxiety may develop.
If the care has been inconsistent, unpredictable
and unreliable, then the infant may develop a
sense of mistrust, suspicion, and anxiety. In this
situation the infant will not have confidence in the
world around them or in their abilities to influence
events.
Success in this stage will lead to
the virtue of hope. By developing a
sense of trust, the infant can have
hope that as new crises arise,
there is a real possibility that other
people will be there as a source of
support. Failing to acquire the
virtue of hope will lead to the
development of fear.
2. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Autonomy versus shame and doubt is the

second stage of Erik Erikson's stages of
psychosocial development. This stage
occurs between the ages of 18 months to
approximately 3 years. According to
Erikson, children at this stage are focused
on developing a sense of personal control
over physical skills and a sense of
independence.
 The child is developing physically and
becoming more mobile, and discovering that
he or she has many skills and abilities, such
as putting on clothes and shoes, playing with
toys, etc. Such skills illustrate the child's
growing sense of independence and
autonomy.
For example, during this stage children
begin to assert their independence, by walking
away from their mother, picking which toy to
play with, and making choices about what they
like to wear, to eat, etc
Success in this stage will lead to
the virtue of will. If children in this
stage are encouraged and
supported in their increased
independence, they become more
confident and secure in their own
ability to survive in the world.
 3. Initiative vs. Guilt
Initiative versus guilt is the third
stage of Erik Erikson's theory of
psychosocial development. During
the initiative versus guilt stage,
children assert themselves more
frequently.
 These are particularly lively, rapid-
developing years in a child’s life. According to
Bee (1992), it is a “time of vigor of action and
of behaviors that the parents may see as
aggressive."
During this period the primary feature
involves the child regularly interacting with
other children at school. Central to this stage
is play, as it provides children with the
opportunity to explore their interpersonal
skills through initiating activities.
A healthy balance between
initiative and guilt is
important. Success in this
stage will lead to the virtue
of purpose, while failure
results in a sense of guilt.
 4. Industry vs. Inferiority

Erikson's fourth psychosocial

crisis, involving industry
(competence) vs. inferiority
occurs during childhood
between the ages of five and
twelve.
 Children are at the stage where they will be
learning to read and write, to do sums, to do
things on their own. Teachers begin to take an
important role in the child’s life as they teach the
child specific skills.
It is at this stage that the child’s peer group will
gain greater significance and will become a major
source of the child’s self-esteem. The child now
feels the need to win approval by demonstrating
specific competencies that are valued by society
and begin to develop a sense of pride in their
accomplishments.
Some failure may be necessary so
that the child can develop some
modesty. Again, a balance between
competence and modesty is
necessary. Success in this stage
will lead to the virtue
of competence.
https://www.verywellmind.com/piagets-stages-of-cognitive-
development-2795457

https://www.simplypsychology.org/Erik-Erikson.html