PIAGET’S THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Jean Piaget (1896-1980)

introduced concepts of cognitive development or the way children learn and think that have roots similar to those of both Freud and Erickson

Sensorimotor

Infant (Birth to 2 years)

• Reflex-based learning (0-1 month)

• Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months)

• Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months)

• Object Permanence (8-12 months)

• Separation Awareness (Around 8 months)

• Goal-Directed Behavior (12 months)

Infant (Sensorimotor - Birth to 2 years)

Reflex-based learning (0-1 month)

Infants respond automatically (e.g., sucking, grasping).

Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months)

Babies accidentally discover enjoyable actions and repeat them.

Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months)

Infants interact with objects and repeat actions that cause effects

Object Permanence (8-12 months)

Babies learn that objects and people exist even when out of sight.

Separation Awareness (Around 8 months)

Infants realize they are separate from others, leading to "eighth-month anxiety" (crying when a parent leaves)

Goal-Directed Behavior (12 months)

Babies start problem-solving and experimenting

Sensorimotor - continued

(Toddler - - 2 to 7 years)

• Tertiary Circular Reactions (Trial-and-Error Learning)

• Problem-Solving (Invention of New Means)

• Symbolic Thinking Begins

• Egocentric & Prelogical Thinking

Toddler (Sensorimotor - continued; Preoperational - 2 to 7 years)

Tertiary Circular Reactions (Trial-and-Error Learning)

Toddlers experiment with objects (e.g., dropping toys from a high chair repeatedly to see what happens)

Problem-Solving (Invention of New Means)

They begin to mentally plan actions (e.g., figuring out how to open a box or predicting where a ball will roll under a table).

Symbolic Thinking Begins

They start using symbols to represent objects but may struggle with understanding differences

Egocentric & Prelogical Thinking

They make conclusions based only on what they see

Egocentric & Prelogical Thinking

This can lead children to wrong conclusions and faulty judgement.

Preoperational - continued

Preschooler

• Intuitive Thought

• Lack of Conservation & Reversibility

• Magical Thinking & Role Fantasy

• Egocentrism (Self-Focused Thinking)

Preschooler (Preoperational - continued)

Intuitive Thought

Focusing on one object (Centering):

Intuitive Thought

They only notice one characteristic of an object (e.g., a banana is yellow but don’t realize it’s also long).

Lack of Conservation & Reversibility

Cannot understand that quantity stays the same despite changes in shape or appearance.

Magical Thinking & Role Fantasy

They believe their wishes and imagination can affect reality

Magical Thinking & Role Fantasy

They think objects and animals have thoughts and feelings (animism).

Egocentrism (Self-Focused Thinking)

They struggle to see things from others' perspectives.

Egocentrism (Self-Focused Thinking)

They define objects based on personal use.

Concrete Operations

School-Age Child (7 to 11 years)

• Logical Thinking Develops

• Conservation Skills Improve

• Inductive Reasoning

School-Age Child (Concrete Operations - 7 to 11 years)

Inductive Reasoning:

They make general conclusions from specific observations

Conservation Skills Improve

They learn that changing an object’s shape doesn’t change its amount.

Logical Thinking Develops

They understand cause-and-effect relationships (e.g., studying leads to good grades).

Formal Operations

Adolescent (12 to 19 years)

• Abstract Thinking

• Deductive Reasoning

• Scientific Thinking

Adolescent (Formal Operations - 12 to 19 years)

Abstract Thinking

They can think beyond what exists and consider possibilities

Deductive Reasoning

They can apply general rules to specific situations

Scientific Thinking

They analyze situations logically and test hypotheses

Animism

a preschooler believe that inanimate objects have thoughts and feelings

object permanence

an infant searching for a hidden toy under the blanket demonstrates

Trial-and-Error

a toddler repeatedly dropping a toy from their high chair to see what happens

Conservation

A child who believes that a taller glass contains more liquid than a shorter one of equal volumes has not yet developed

Egocentrism

When a child struggles to see things from another person’s perspective

reflex-based learning

infants respond automatically to sucking, grasping, etc

egocentric and prelogical thinking

they make conclusions based on what they see

magical thinking and role fantasy

they believe wishes and imagination can affect reality