Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

Piaget's theory outlines four stages of cognitive development:

1. Sensory Motor Stage (Birth to 2 years)

Development through experiences and movement of the five senses.
Key milestones:
- Simple reflexes → first habits.
- Awareness of objects beyond own body by 4 months.
- Development of working memory and object permanence.
Curiosity about the world leads to exploration:
- Physical developments: sitting, crawling, standing, walking, running.
Cognition remains egocentric, perceiving the world only from one’s own viewpoint.

Thinking characterized by symbolic functions and intuitive thoughts.
High levels of imagination; belief that objects are alive.
Development of language and understanding symbols (words, images, gestures).
Characteristics:
- Drawing reflects symbolic meaning, not scale.
- Pretend play fosters new experiences and learning.
- Curiosity peaks around age four, leading to many questions.
Intuitive age:
- Awareness of vast knowledge but unclear on how it was acquired.
- Continued egocentrism; belief that others see the world as they do.

Discovery of logic and development of concrete cognitive operations.
Key concepts:
- Inductive reasoning (generalizations from specific instances).
- Understanding of conservation (e.g., volume remains the same when poured into different shapes).
- Ability to perform mathematical operations (e.g., reversibility of addition/subtraction).
Growth in self-awareness and understanding of unique thoughts and feelings.
Beginnings of empathy (ability to put oneself in someone else’s shoes).

Development of rational thinking about abstract concepts and hypothetical events.
Advanced cognitive abilities:
- Understanding complex ideas (success, love, morality).
- Deductive reasoning (logical conclusions from general statements).
Skills in planning and prioritizing life events systematically.
Philosophical thinking and metacognition (thinking about one's own thinking).
Emergence of egocentric thoughts, including the concept of an "imaginary audience."

Early interest in animals; published first scientific paper at age 11.
Began work with standardized intelligence tests in 1920.
Observed differences in thinking between younger and older children, leading to his lifelong study of intellectual development in children.