Class 9 - Jean Piaget and Cognitive Development - Lifespan Development

Cognitive Psychology

The scientific study of thought and processes of the mind.

Schema

A concept or mental framework that organizes and interprets information in the world.

Equilibrium

A cognitive state of mind that comes from harmony between a child's environment and present schemas.

Disequilibrium

A cognitive state of mind caused when new information doesn't fit or contradicts a set of schemas.

Assimilation

Incorporating new information into existing schemas.

Accommodation

Adapting, altering, or adding schemas to better understand new information.

Sensorimotor Stage

Piaget's first stage of cognitive development (0-2 years) where infants gain knowledge through physical actions and sensory experiences.

Preoperational Stage

Piaget's second stage of cognitive development (2-7 years) characterized by the use of mental representations to understand the world.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget's third stage of cognitive development (7-11 years) where children can reason logically about concrete events.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget's fourth stage of cognitive development (11-15 years) where adolescents reason in abstract and logical ways.

Metacognition

The ability to think about one's own thinking.

Adolescent Egocentrism

A heightened sense of self-consciousness during the formal operational stage.

Imaginary Audience

The perception of being the constant center of attention, often observed in adolescents.

Personal Fable

The perception of being unique and invincible, typically experienced during adolescence.

Intuitive Thought Substage

A phase within the preoperational stage (4-7 years) where reasoning increases and mental calculations begin.

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, developed during the sensorimotor stage.