Human Development

Question 1

What are the four stages of Piaget Theory?

Answer 1

• Sensorimotor stage (0-2 years)
• Preoperational stage (2-7 years)
• Concrete development stage (7-11 years)
• Formal operations stage (11 years and up)

Question 2

Elaborate more on Piaget: Sensorimotor Stage

Answer 2

Sensorimotor (0-2 years)

• All sensory input and motor responses are coordinated
• Lack of Object permanence- Concept that objects still exist when they are out of sight

Question 3

Elaborate more on Piaget: Preoperational Stage

Answer 3

Preoperational stage (2-7 years)

• Unable to transform images or ideas
• Begin to use language and think symbolically
• Intuitive
• Egocentric thought
• Confuse words with the objects they represent

Question 4

Elaborate more on Piaget: Concrete Operational Stage

Answer 4

Concrete operational stage (7-11 years)

Can carry out mental operations

• Reversibility of thought (Relationships involving equality or identity can be reversed)
• Conservation (Mass, weight, and volume remain unchanged when the shape or appearance of objects changes)

BUT concrete, not abstract

Question 5

Elaborate more on Piaget: Formal Operations

Answer 5

Formal operations stage (11 years and up)

• Capable of abstract ideas
• Hypothetical possibilities
• Inductive(from specific instances to generalized conclusion) and deductive reasoning (from generalized principles to a specific conclusion).

Question 6

How can parents apply Piaget’s ideas

Answer 6

• Ideal way to guide intellectual development is to provide experiences
• Best to follow a one-step-ahead strategy
• Avoid forced teaching, or “hothousing”
• True intellectual enrichment respects the child’s interests