Piaget cognitive development

Question 1

what does piaget’s theory explain

Answer 1

the stages cognitive development up to adolescence

Question 2

what was his conclusion

Answer 2

that children think differently to adults

Question 3

how many stages of intellectual development are there

Answer 3

4

Question 4

what’s the first stage

Answer 4

sensorimotor: from birth to 2 years

Question 5

what occurs in the sensorimotor stage

Answer 5

• infants learn about their environment
• they will develop early schemas by using all their senses, like their eyes ears hands and mouth, to physically explore the world

Question 6

what’s the second stage

Answer 6

pre-operational: from 2 to 7 years

Question 7

what occurs in the pre-operational stage

Answer 7

• children begin to control their environment by using symbolic behaviour
• this includes drawings, pretend play and words, but aren’t yet able to think logically
• piaget believed that children at this stage cannot properly understand how numbers,mass,volume really work

Question 8

what’s the third stage

Answer 8

concrete operations: from 7 to 11 years

Question 9

what occurs in the concrete operations stage

Answer 9

• children use practical resources to help them to understand the world, such as counters for maths
• they classify, categorise and use logic to understand the things they see

Question 10

what’s the fourth stage

Answer 10

formal operations: from 11 to 18 years

Question 11

what occurs in the formal operations stage

Answer 11

• young people have the capacity for abstract thought, rational thought and problem solving
• young people can think of possible outcomes of a scientific problem

Question 12

What are the criticisms of Piaget’s theory

Answer 12

• Development does not always follow a smooth and predictable path
• Observations were based on a small number of children
• Children are less egocentric than Piaget suggested
• Theory does not take account of the child’s environment