Development Key Studies
IGCSE Psychology 🤍
Piaget’s theory
About Piaget’s Theory
Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development explains the way a child constructs their understanding of the world around them. The theory is based on how we reason and think about things. This is known as operations.
Cognitive - Means thinking, including problem solving, percieving, remebering and using language and reasoning.
4 stages of Development
Piaget believed that children develop in 4 stages. These are:
Sensorimotor Stage
0 - 2 years old
Infants ‘think’ and begin to use their senses.
Children explore by doing things. For example, throwing an object to see what would happen.
Between 5-8 months, they develop object permanence.
We are egocentric, meaning we can only percieve the world from our POV
Pre - operational Stage
2 - 7 years
Our thinking is categorised by symbolic functions and intuitive thoughts.
We are very curious. Children have a lot of knowledge but do not know where they acquired it.
We learn that other words/actions symbolize other things. This is shown through symbolic play.
We remain egocentric.
There are two other phases within this stage.
These are:
Symbolic Function Stage (2 - 4 years old)
Symbolic play
Egocentricism
Aminism (believing that objects that are not alive are)
Intuitive Stage
Start of reasoning
Lots of questions
Irreversability (actions cannot be reversed)
Lack of conservation (tall glass/small glass)
Concerte Operational Stage
7 - 11
Discover Logic
We learn reversability and that we can undo actions
We develop morals
Abstract thinking
Formal operational Stage
12+ Years
Abstract Thinking is possible
We have developed morals and our own views
We understand hypothetical situations and abstract events
We have developed logical and systemic thinking.
Schemas
Piaget suggested that intelligence is developed through building schemas. This is done through Adaptation, Assimilation and Accomodation.
Schema - A framework of knowledge that can help us organise our knowledge and affect our perception of what we experience.
Adaptation: Using assimilation and accomodation to make sense of the world.
Assimilation: Incorportaing new experiences into exisiting schemas.
Accomodation: When a schema has to be changed to deal with a new situation.
Equilibrium: When a child’s s3chema can explain all that they experience. It is a mental balance.
Piaget’s Three Mountains Task
Aims: To investigate the extent to which children of different ages could consider different views, in particular what age egocentricsm was overcome.
It was a lab study
Sample: 100 children aged 4-12 (Switzerland)
IV: Age groups
DV: Ability to consider different perspectives
Design: Repeated measures
Procedure:
100 children aged 4-12 wrere studied using 4 main pieces of Equipment and 3 ways of questioning.
Equipment:
3 mountains made of paper attatched to a board.
Small mountain: green with house
Middle: brown with red cross
Biggest: grey with snow on top
10 pictures of card representing the colours of the mountains
A wooden doll with no face
Set up:
The board with 3D mountains was positioned on the table. The child sat on one side, with the doll on the other side.
Ways of Questioning:
The child was shown 10 pictures and asked to select what the doll could see. The doll was moved to present different perspectives.
Results:
Children between 4 - 6 were unable to consider the doll’s view. They were labelled egocentric
Children aged 7 - 9 started to understand other perspectives and by 9 - 10 children could correctly estimate the dolls perspective. They were no longer egocentric.
Conclusion:
Children up to 7 are egocentric
Children over 7 are no longer egocentric as they could consider different perspectives.
Dweck’s Mindset theory
Dweck’s theory: A theory of motivation and about how children can achieve success in their learning even through failure.
Two types of midset:
Fixed Mindset
The belief that ability is fixed and genetic. If they fail at something, they give up because they think they can’t do it.
Growth Mindset
The belief that that ability and sucess are due to learning, which takes effort and lots of practice. If they fail at something, they try again because it increases their chances of success.
Dweck’s theory focusses on how we can help children achieve a growth mindset.
Ability and Effort
Ability
What someone can do, such as a math ability or a tennis ability. Dweck suggests ability can be seen as either fixed or able to be improved.
Effort
When you try to do better using determination.
Praise
Person Praise
Person praise can be simply defined as praising a child for who they are.
“You are so clever!”
Effort Praise
When a child is rewarded for their effort.
“You worked so hard today — I am very impressed”
According to Dweck, praising a child’s ability led them to a fixed mindset, and that they were unable to cope with any future challenges or setbacks. In contrast, praisning a student’s effort or strategy inspired a growth mindset.
This is because a child is in control of their effort. They are not in control of the traits they inherited when they were born (person praise). If a child praised for their effort, they are in control of this and will continue to apply effort.
Self - efficacy
It is the belief you have in your own ability. High self - efficacy gives you motivation and a growth mindset.
Evaluation Dweck
How reliable is this theory?
There is a lot of experiments and research to support dweck’s theory.
Why is this theory useful for parents and teachers?
Very good application for education. It can be used by parents and teachers to change a student’s mindset in encourage them to be more positive in order to succeed.
This theory does not just apply in a school situation. It can be used throughout life. Therefore, it can help anyone to push and be successfull.
Why must we be carefull when praising children?
Dweck said that too much praise can stop a child’s natural curiosity and desire to learn. (Grade 7+)