4. Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget and Understanding How Children Think, Learn, and Map the World

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

The Pioneer of Child Intelligence

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

The Swiss psychologist who revolutionized how we view children's intellectual growth.

The Core Belief of Jean Piaget

Children are not just "mini-adults" who know less; they actually think fundamentally differently than adults.

"Little Scientists"

Piaget viewed children as active explorers who constantly experiment and construct knowledge from their environment.

Key Concepts — How We Process Knowledge

1. Schema

2. Assimilation

3. Accommodation

4. Equilibration

1. Schema

A mental framework or idea that helps a person understand and organize information.

Example of Schema

A baby seeing and remembering a puppy.

2. Assimilation

Fitting new information into an existing schema.

Example of Assimilation

A baby comparing and identifying a kitten to a puppy.

3. Accommodation

Modifying an existing schema or creating a new one because the old one doesn't fit.

Example of Accommodation

A baby finally differentiating the kitten from the puppy because it meows.

4. Equilibration

The cognitive balancing act of moving from confusion (disequilibrium) back to understanding.

Example of Equilibration

A balancing weighing scale.

Stages of Cognitive Development

1. Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 Years)

2. Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 Years)

3. Concrete Operational

4. Formal Operational

1. Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 Years)

In this stage, the main development is the child's learning through senses and actions. While the major milestone is object permanence.

Example of the Sensorimotor Stage

A baby playing and organizing their toys.

2. Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 Years)

In this stage, the main development is the child's development of language and imagination.

Example of Preoperational Stage

A baby playing and drawing.

Key Characteristics of the Preoperational Stage

1. Egocentrism

2. Animism

3. Lack of Conservation

1. Egocentrism

Inability to see a situation from another person's point of view.

Example of Egocentrism

A child covering their own eyes and thinking, "If I can't see you, you can't see me.”

2. Animism

Believing inanimate objects have feelings.

Example of Animism

"The sun is sad today because it's raining.”

3. Lack of Conservation

Focusing on only one trait of an object at a time.

Example of Lack of Conservation

The CIassic Conservation Experiment