Piaget's cognitive developmental theory Flashcards
Cognition is
biological process, interested in how the brain functions to process information
Belief
that cognitive development occurs in an orderly sequence characterized by specific growth stages; development occurs naturally
Role of environment
provide information that is either worked into a child’s existing way of thinking (assimilation) or forces changes in the cognitive structure (accommodation)
4 stages of development
Sensorimotor stage, pre-operational stage, concrete operational stage, formal operational stage
Sensorimotor stage
Infancy - intelligence demonstrated through motor activity without use of symbols, knowledge of world is limited, physical development and mobility allow for the development of new intellectual abilities, start of language development
Pre-operational stage
Toddler and early childhood - intelligence demonstrated through the use of symbols, language matures, memory and imagination are developed, thinking is nonlogical and nonreversible, egocentric thinking predominates - Child cannot view the world from the vantage point of someone else
Concrete operational stage
Elementary and early adolescence - intelligence demonstrated through logical and systematic manipulation of symbols related to concrete objects, reversible thinking develops, egocentric thoughts decrease
Formal operational stage
Adolescence and adulthood - intelligence is demonstrated through the logical use of symbols related to abstract concepts, return to egocentric thought in early stage, small percentage of people fully reach this stage
Conservation
A substance’s wait, mass, and volume remain the same even if it changes shape. The child masters conservation and the concept of reversibility during the concrete operations stage.
Reversibility
One can undo an action, hence an object can return to its initial shape; children master this in the concrete operations stage
