Cognitive Development

(Theory by Jean Piaget)Ms. Andrea B. MartinezDepartment of Behavioral SciencesUP—College of Arts and Sciences

http://www.pdfcomplete.com/cms/hppl/tabid/108/Default.aspx?r=q8b3uige22

Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development TheoryDevelopment Theory

2

Human development

• Piaget’s concept revolutionized thinking

about children and their behavior.

Genetic epistemology

• The nature of knowledge in young children and how it

changes with development.


What is cognitive development?What is cognitive development?

3

Cognitive development• Refers to how a person

perceives, thinks, and gains understanding of the world through the interaction and influence of genetic and environmental/learned factors.


A child acts like a little scientist actively involved

in making guesses or hypothesis about how

the world works.

What is What is constructivism?constructivism?

4


What is constructivism?What is constructivism?

5

Constructivism• Children are active thinkers who are

constantly trying to construct more accurate or advanced understanding of the world around them.

• Children are not limited to receiving knowledge from parents or teachers; they actively constructed their own knowledge.


What do children use in actively What do children use in actively constructing their cognitive world?constructing their cognitive world?

6

Schema• Children use schemas—

concepts or frameworks that already exist in a person’s mind which organizes and interprets information.

• Schemas help us to understand the world.


7

How do children build their schema?

Through Through adaptation,adaptation,individuals individuals

build mental build mental representarepresenta--tionstions of the of the

world by world by direct direct

interaction interaction with it.with it.

Through Through adaptation,adaptation,individuals individuals

build mental build mental representarepresenta--tionstions of the of the

world by world by direct direct

interaction interaction with it.with it.

What are the components of adaptation?

Assimilation is the tendency to fit new

information into existing cognitive structures.

Assimilation is the tendency to fit new

information into existing cognitive structures.

Accommodation is the tendency to alter existing

concepts or mental frameworks in response to new information that is too different or too complex.

Accommodation is the tendency to alter existing

concepts or mental frameworks in response to new information that is too different or too complex.


Process of Cognitive GrowthProcess of Cognitive Growth

8


What is the importance What is the importance of adaptation?of adaptation?

9

Importance of adaptation• Every experience a person has

involves both assimilation and accommodation.

• Events for which the person has corresponding schema are readily assimilated, but events for which the organism has no existing schema necessitate accommodation.


Process of Cognitive DevelopmentProcess of Cognitive Development

10

But eventually, the cognitive system—because of both biological maturation and

past experiences—has completely mastered one level of functioning and is ready for new, qualitatively different challenges—the

child moves to a new stage of development.


Stages of Cognitive Development

(Theory by Jean Piaget)

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is a stage theory—all human beings move

through an orderly and predictable series of

changes.


What are the stages of What are the stages of cognitive development?cognitive development?

12

Stages of Cognitive Development• Piaget believed all children pass

through these phases to advance to the next level of cognitive development.

• In each stage, children demonstrate new intellectual abilities and increasingly complex understanding of the world.



13

Stages of Cognitive Development• Stages cannot be "skipped"; intellectual

development always follows this sequence.

• The ages at which children progress through the stages are averages—they vary with the environment and background of individual children.

• At any given time a child may exhibit behaviors characteristic of more than one stage.



14


Stage 1.SENSORIMOTOR

This stage lasts from birth until 18 to

24 months


An infant ’ s knowledge of the world is limited to

their sensory perceptions and motor activities.

Behaviors are limited to simple motor responses

caused by sensory stimuli.

Children utilize skills and abilities they were born with, such as looking, sucking, grasping, and

listening, to learn more about the environment.

Stage 1. Stage 1. SensorimotorSensorimotor stagestage

16


17

Sensorimotor Stage• During this period, infants are

busy discovering the relationships between their bodies and the environment.

• This stage involves the use of motor activity without the use of symbols and knowledge is limited as it is based on physical interactions and experiences.


1. Sensorimotor stage1. Sensorimotor stage!Piaget calls this the

sensorimotor stage because the early manifestations of intelligence appear from sensory perceptions and motor activities.

18


1. Sensorimotor stage1. Sensorimotor stage

19

Two most important features of sensorimotor thought

coordination of sensation and action

non-symbolic

aspect

Mental development is characterized by

considerable progression in the infant’s ability to

organize and coordinate sensations with physical

movements and actions.


Major Cognitive Accomplishments Major Cognitive Accomplishments of of SensorimotorSensorimotor StageStage

20

Ideas of separate selves• Infants develop the concept

of separate selves—that is, the infant realizes that the external world is not an extension of himself.

• The child differentiates himself from objects.



21

Ideas of cause-and-effect• Things are understood with

respect to what actions can be performed on them.

• Through the concept of causality, infants realize that an object can be moved by hand.



22

Ideas of the self as agent of action• By coordinating sensory experience

with motor actions, infants discover that they can manipulate objects.

• Infants also recognize themselves as agents of action and gradually gain conscious, intentional control over their motor actions


1. Sensorimotor stage1. Sensorimotor stage

!At the beginning of this stage, an infant has one thinking problem: remembering that hidden objects still exist.!Thinking is limited to

the here-and-now.

23


24abmartinez @ upm-psych171

Object permanence is one of the most important cognitive

accomplishments of an infant.

Object permanence is an understanding that objects and events continue to exist, even when they cannot be directly

seen, heard or touched.


1. 1. SensorimotorSensorimotor stagestage

To have a sense of object permanence requires some internal, mental

representation of an object.25


Object Object permanencepermanence

26

..\..\..\psych 171\movies\piaget\Piaget - Stage 1 - Sensorimotor, Object Permenence[www[1].keepvid.com].mp4


Cognitive Skills of Cognitive Skills of SensorimotorSensorimotor StageStage

27

Differentiates self from objects

Recognizes self as agent of action and begins to act intentionally, such as pulls a string to set mobile in motion or shakes a rattle to make a noise

Achieves object permanence: realizes that things continue to exist even when no longer present to the sense


Stage 2.PRE-OPERATIONAL

PERIODIt starts from 2

years old until 6-7 years old.


29

Pre-operational Stage• This stage is marked by

growth of symbolic activity as children develop language and learn to engage in various kinds of plays.


Cognitive Abilities of Cognitive Abilities of PrePre--Operational ChildrenOperational Children

30

Representational thought• The child begins to represent the

world symbolically such as words or mental images, hence the emergence of representational thought.

• Children acquire the ability to use symbols to solve problems or talk about things that are not present.



31

Engaging in imaginative play activities• Symbolic play—in which

children pretend that one object is another.

• Make-believe play—in which youngsters pretend to perform various activities they have seen adults perform.



32

Development of language• Children begin to think in

terms of verbal symbols or words—the development of language.


Language development is

one of the hallmarks of this period.

Children also become

increasingly adept at using symbols,

as evidenced by the increase in playing

and pretending

Role playing also becomes

important (e.g., roles of mommy, daddy, doctor“ or

teacher

Classifies objects by a single feature: e.g.

groups together all the red blocks

regardless of shape.

Stage 2. PreStage 2. Pre--Operational stageOperational stage

33Cognitive AbilitiesCognitive Abilities


Cognitive Limitations of Cognitive Limitations of PrePre--Operational ChildrenOperational Children

!Thinking is intuitive.– When asked why they knew

something, they do not give logical answers but offer personal insights.

– The child solves problem intuitively instead of in accordance with some logical rule.

34



!Children manifest egocentrism– Children have dif ficulty

understanding that others may perceive the world differently than they do.

– Egocentrism is the child ’s belief that everyone sees the world the same way that he does.

35

..\..\..\psych 171\movies\piaget\Egocentrism [www[1].keepvid.com].mp4



!Thinking is uni-dimensional– Children can think only one

aspect of something at one time, called centration.

• Lack the grasp of seriation– Children classif y objects but

only according to single category.

– Children lack the ability to arrange objects along some dimension.

36



!Lack understanding of conservation– Conservation pertains to a

belief in the permanence of certain attributes of objects or situations in spite of superficial changes in appearance.

37

..\..\..\psych 171\movies\piaget\Conservation task

[www[2].keepvid.com].mp4



!Thought is irreversible– Children think of things in

terms of static configuration instead of reversible transformation.

– Children cannot mentally reverse cognitive operations.

38



!Difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality – Children believe that

inanimate objects are alive and have feelings; they have a hard time understanding that a nightmare isn’t real.

39


Children in this stage do not yet

understand concrete logic

Children cannot mentally

manipulate information

Children are unable to take the point of view of

other people, called egocentrism

Stage 2. PreStage 2. Pre--Operational stageOperational stage

40Cognitive LimitationsCognitive Limitations


Stage 3.CONCRETE

OPERATIONAL PERIODThis stage lasts

from 7 until about the age of 11.


Concrete Operational StageConcrete Operational Stage

42

Piaget referred to this cognitive stage of development as concrete operations stage—referring to reversible abilities that children have developed.

This stage is marked by the emergence of logical thought but only on real, actual, concrete events.



For Piaget, thinking process change significantly as children master new skills:• Classification—the ability

to group objects according to features

• Serial ordering —the ability to group according to logical progression or use of more than one category (seriation)

• Conservation—the ability to see how physical properties remains constant as appearance and form change. ..\..\..\psych 171\movies\piaget\Piaget - Stage 3 -

Concrete - Reversibility [www[1].keepvid.com].mp4



For Piaget, thinking process change significantly as children master new skills:• Cause-and-effect relationship• Transitivity—the ability to

logically combine relations to understand certain conclusions.

• Concept of stable identity—one’s self remains consistent even when circumstances change

• Understanding of relationship between time and speed


Cognitive Abilities of Cognitive Abilities of Concrete Operational ChildrenConcrete Operational Children

!Concrete operati onal stage is also characterized by a loss of egocentric thinking.!Children at this stage do

not anymore confuse reality with fantasy.

45


Cognitive Limitation of Cognitive Limitation of Concrete Operational ChildrenConcrete Operational Children

!Concrete operati onal stage is characterized by lack of abstract thinking as thought is dominated by what is physical or concrete.

46


Stage 3. Concrete Operational stageStage 3. Concrete Operational stage

47

Cog

niti

ve S

kills

Cog

niti

ve S

kills

Can think logically about objects and events

Achieves conservation of number (age 6), mass (age 7), and weight

(age 9)

Classifies objects according to several features and can order them in series

along a single dimension such as size.


Stage 3. Concrete Operational stageStage 3. Concrete Operational stage

48

• Inductive logic involves going from a specific experience to a general principle.

• Children at this age have difficulty using deductive logic, which involves using a general principle to determine the outcome of a specific event.

• Inductive logic involves going from a specific experience to a general principle.

• Children at this age have difficulty using deductive logic, which involves using a general principle to determine the outcome of a specific event.

Logic

• Means an awareness that actions can be reversed.

• Being able to reverse the order of relationships between mental categories.

• Example: A child might be able to recognize that his dog is a Labrador, that a Labrador is a dog, and that a dog is an animal.

• Means an awareness that actions can be reversed.

• Being able to reverse the order of relationships between mental categories.

• Example: A child might be able to recognize that his dog is a Labrador, that a Labrador is a dog, and that a dog is an animal.

Reversibility


Stage 4.FORMAL OPERATIONAL

PERIODThis stage starts at

age 12 until adulthood.


Cognitive Abilities of Cognitive Abilities of Formal Operational StageFormal Operational Stage

!During this stage, the major features of adult thought make their appearance.!Thought is more abstract, idealistic and logical. !Thinking is also in terms of multi-dimensional

and hypothetical possibilities.

50



!Abstract thought– Adolescents develop the

ability to think about and solve abstract problems—they can deal not only with real or concrete but with possibilities—in a logical manner.

51



!Hypothetical-deductive reasoning– Adolescents are capable of hypothetical -deductive

reasoning—the ability to formulate hypothesis and theories about ways to solve problems.

– They can systematically deduce, or conclude, for them to arrive at a solution to a problem.

52

..\..\..\psych 171\movies\piaget\Piaget - Stage 4 - Formal - Deductive Reasoning [www[1].keepvid.com].mp4



!Idealist thought– Adolescents ’ ability to

conceive possibilities beyond what is present in reality (e.g. to think of alternatives) permits them to be concerned with philosophical and ideological problems and to question the way in which adults run the world.

53


Logical thinkingCan think logically

about abstract propositions and test

hypotheses systematically

Deductive logic requires the ability to use a general principle to determine a specific

outcome.

Abstract thoughtBecomes concerned with

the hypothetical, the future, and ideological

problemsBegins to consider

possible outcomes and consequences of actions,

a type of thinking important in long-term

planning.

Problem-solvingThe ability to

systematically solve a problem in a logical and methodical way

Children are often able to quickly plan

an organized approach to solving a

problem.

Stage 4. Formal Operational stageStage 4. Formal Operational stage

54


55

SUMMARYSUMMARY

..\..\..\psych 171\movies\piaget\Piaget_s Cognitive Stages of Development [www[1].keepvid.com].mp4


Research on Piaget’s TheoryResearch on Piaget’s Theory

56


Fin.Fin.

57


Cognitive Development

Documents

cognitive world

level of cognitive development

cognitive system

new stage of development

cognitive developmentrefers

stage theory

existing cognitive structures

process of cognitive