Human Development and Learning Chapter 2

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

A theory made up of sensorimotor period, preoperational period, concrete operations, and formal operations expressed by Jean Piaget

Sensorimotor Stage

0-2 years, object permanence develops, the infant learns through their reflexes, senses, and movement. They also begin to imitate others and remember events.

Preoperational Stage

Begins when the child begins talking, to about 7 years old. Child develops language and begins to use symbols to represent objects. Has difficulty thinking in past and future, thinks in the present. Has difficulty understanding another point of view.

Concrete Operational Stage

First grade to around 11 years old (early adolescence). Can think logically about concrete problems. Understands conservation and organizes things into categories and in series. Can reverse thinking and undo actions mentally. Understands all tenses

Formal Operational Stage

Adolescence to adulthood. Has the ability to think abstractly, hypothetically, and deductively. Can solve problems scientifically, consider multiple perspectives. Develops concerns with justice, personal identity, and social issues.

Jean Piaget

Swiss Psychologist who became fascinated with the reasoning behind children's wrong answers, which ultimately led him to study cognitive development.

Social Transmission

Learning from others and culture

Organization

Humans naturally combine and coordinate thoughts/behaviors into structured systems

Schemes

Schemes are the building blocks of knowledge. Mental structures we use to make sense of experiences

ex: At first, your scheme might be: “A teacher is an adult who stands at the front of the classroom and gives homework.”

Then you meet a coach who teaches you plays on the field. You realize that teaching doesn’t always mean standing in front of a chalkboard.

Each time, your scheme for “teacher” changes and grows to include new situations.

Assimilation

Fitting new info into an existing scheme

Example: At first you think, “Teachers give lessons in classrooms.”

Then you meet your football coach and think, “Okay, he’s kind of like a teacher too — just teaching sports instead of math.”

You didn’t change your scheme much; you just added the coach into it.

Accommodation

Changing or creating a new scheme when something doesn't fit

Example: Later, you take an online class with no physical classroom and no in-person teacher.

That doesn’t fit your old “teacher” scheme. So you adjust it to: “Teachers can also teach through technology, not just face-to-face.”

Equilibration

Balancing assimilation and accommodation

Hypothetico-Deductive Reasoning

Start with a general assumption and deduce reasoning abstractly

Example: If people didn't need sleep → longer workdays, smaller houses, new industries.

Inductive Reasoning

Using specific observations to form general principles

Metacognition

Being aware of and controlling your own thought processes