Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

Overview

• Four stages of cognitive development
  1. Sensori-motor Stage
  2. Pre-operational Stage
  3. Concrete Operational Stage
  4. Formal Operational Stage
• Full human intelligence achieved after navigating all stages, ages vary.

1. Sensori-motor Stage (Ages 0 to 2)

• Development through experiences and movement; exploration of the five senses.
• Key milestones:
  • Development of simple reflexes to first habits.
  • Awareness of objects beyond oneself (around 4 months).
  • Realization of object permanence (understanding that objects exist even when unseen).
• Increased curiosity leads to exploration:
  • Learning to sit, crawl, stand, walk, and run.
• Egocentrism: perceiving the world only from one’s own point of view.

2. Pre-operational Stage (Ages 2 to 7)

• Thinking characterized by symbolic functions and intuitive thoughts.
• Key characteristics:
  • Abundant imagination and belief that objects are alive.
  • Learning to use symbols (words, images, gestures) for representation.
  • Engaging in pretend play.
• Primitive reasoning begins around age 4; questioning and curiosity emerge.
• Egocentric thinking persists; inability to see from others' perspectives.

3. Concrete Operational Stage (Ages 7 to 11)

• Discovery of logic and development of concrete cognitive operations.
• Key concepts:
  • Inductive reasoning: generalizations based on specific observations.
  • Conservation: understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape (e.g., liquid in different glasses).
  • Ability to reverse actions and classify thoughts.
• Growth in self-awareness; recognition of unique thoughts and feelings compared to others.

4. Formal Operational Stage (Ages 12 and up)

• Development of ability to think rationally about abstract concepts.
• Advanced cognitive skills include:
  • Understanding of abstract ideas (e.g., success, failure, love, hate).
  • Enhanced identity formation and moral understanding.
  • Deductive reasoning: comparing statements to reach logical conclusions.
• Ability to plan systematically, prioritize, and philosophize (thinking about thinking).
• Emergence of egocentric thoughts, with some feeling watched by an imaginary audience.

Piaget's Background

• Early interests in animals; published first paper on albino sparrows at age 11.
• Began work with standardized intelligence tests in 1920.
• Discovered that younger children think differently from older children based on consistent mistakes in intelligence tests.
• Dedicated his life to studying children's intellectual development.