Cognitive Development - Jean Piaget

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on cognitive development and Jean Piaget's theories.

Cognitive Development

The process by which children develop the ability to think, learn, and understand the world around them.

Jean Piaget

A Swiss psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development in children.

Abstract Thinking

The ability to mentally manipulate and communicate concepts that are not present or directly observable.

Schema

A cognitive framework that helps organize and interpret information about the world.

Sensorimotor Stage

The first stage of Piaget's cognitive development theory lasting from birth to 2 years, characterized by immediate perceptual and motor experiences.

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when not perceived, which develops during the sensorimotor stage.

Preoperational Stage

The second stage of cognitive development from ages 2 to 7, marked by egocentrism and difficulty in understanding conservation.

Concrete Operational Stage

The third stage of cognitive development from ages 7 to 11, where children gain a better understanding of logic and conservation.

Formal Operational Stage

The final stage of cognitive development beginning at age 12, characterized by the ability to think abstractly and logically.

Conservation

The understanding that quantity does not change even when its shape does.

Critiques of Piaget

Modern psychological research suggests Piaget underestimated children's cognitive abilities and that development does not occur in fixed stages.

Domain-Specificity

The idea that different cognitive abilities develop at different rates and are influenced by specific experiences.

Cross-Cultural Effects

The understanding that cognitive development can vary significantly across different cultures.