Piaget's Stages of Development

What is Cognitive Development?

Thought, language, and intelligence. Abilities to think and reason.

Who is Jean Piaget?

Father of cognitive development, noticed that children around the same age tend to make the same mistakes.

Conservation

Ability to recognise that objects can be transformed in some way, visually or physically, yet still be the same in numbers, volumes, weight, liquid, or matter.

What are Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development?

Sensorimotor- infancy (0- 2 yrs)

Preoperational- early childhood (2-7 yrs)

Concrete Operation- middle childhood (7-11 yrs)

Formal Operation- adolescence (12 yrs- adult)

Sensorimotor (0-2)

- Egocentric

- Starting symbolic thought

- Babies experience the world through their senses and actions. (grabbing, looking, touching, hearing, putting things in their mouth

-Successful in object permanence by 18-24 months

Preoperational (2-6)

- Egocentric

- Primitive reasoning (toddler believes his thoughts could cause actions)

- Centration (focus on one thing at a time)

- See the world as symbolic images & and object

- Mastery of symbols (pretending and playing)

Concrete Operational (7-11)

Children now understand the concept of conservation - they realise that a change in shape doesn't mean a change in quantity.

At this stage children can 'reverse' operations.

Children now think logically about concrete events.

Can grasp concrete analogies. (example: hit a glass with a feather riddle)

Better mathematical skills (linked to the 'reversal' ability)

Formal Operations (12-onwards)

- Capable of abstract reasoning

- Capable of hypothetical-deductive reasoning

- A higher level of moral reasoning, no longer following external rules imposed by others.

- Logical is now applied to what might exist, not just to what is real

Object Permanence

Recognition that objects/events continue to exist even when not visible

Egocentrism

Cannot tell the difference between their perspective and feelings, and someone's else. Focus on their surroundings only.

Piaget's 1st Stage

Sensorimotor

Piaget's 2nd Stage

Pre-operational

Piaget's 3rd Stage

Concrete Operational

Piaget's 4th Stage

Formal Operational