Overview
This lecture covers Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, outlining its four stages and key characteristics of each stage.
Piaget's Four Stages of Cognitive Development
- Piaget identified four sequential stages: sensori-motor, pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational.
- Progression through the stages is necessary for achieving full human intelligence, though the age of progression varies.
Sensori-Motor Stage (Birth to 2 Years)
- Infants develop through sensory experiences and movement, starting with reflexes and forming habits.
- At four months, awareness extends beyond their own body.
- Development of intentional actions and increased mobility (sitting, crawling, walking).
- Object permanence (recognizing objects exist even when unseen) develops.
- Children remain egocentric, only perceiving the world from their own view.
Pre-Operational Stage (2 to 7 Years)
- Thinking is characterized by symbolic functions and intuitive thought.
- Children engage in pretend play and believe inanimate objects are alive (animism).
- Language development flourishes; symbols (words, images, gestures) are understood.
- Egocentric thinking persists; children assume others see the world as they do.
- "Intuitive age" begins; children ask many questions but lack logical explanations.
Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 11 Years)
- Logical thinking develops; children perform concrete mental operations.
- Concepts like conservation (quantity remains despite changes in shape) and reversibility are understood.
- Inductive reasoning is possible (specific observations inform general conclusions).
- Children recognize that others have different thoughts and feelings, reducing egocentrism.
Formal Operational Stage (12+ Years)
- Abstract and hypothetical thinking emerges; deductive reasoning is used.
- Concepts like success, failure, love, and morality are understood.
- Ability to plan, prioritize, philosophize, and think about thinking itself develops.
- Self-awareness increases, sometimes leading to feelings of being watched (imaginary audience).
- Formal operational thought is the final stage, but learning continues lifelong.
Piaget's Background and Research
- Piaget published his first scientific paper at age 11, initially interested in animals.
- In 1920, he worked with intelligence tests and noticed age-related differences in mistakes.
- He concluded that children think differently from adults and dedicated his career to studying child development.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Egocentric — viewing the world only from one's own perspective.
- Object Permanence — understanding that objects exist even when not seen.
- Conservation — realizing that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or arrangement.
- Inductive Reasoning — drawing general conclusions from specific observations.
- Deductive Reasoning — deriving specific predictions from general principles.
- Animism — belief that inanimate objects have lifelike qualities.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review each cognitive stage and be able to identify behaviors typical of each.
- Prepare examples of object permanence, conservation, and egocentrism for discussion.