Piaget's cognitive theory Flashcards
What did Piaget believe?
Piaget believed that every individual passes through four stages in the development of intelligence.
Sensorimotor (0-2 years)
infants think by interacting with the world using their sensory and motor contact.
Pre-operational (2-7 years)
children at this stage use symbols to represent objects but does not reason logically. Also becomes egocentric.
Concrete operations (7-11 years)
The child can think logically about concrete objects and can add and subtract. The child understands conservation.
Formal operations (11-18 years)
Develops abstract thinking which enables individuals to think through complicated ideas in their heads.
What is a Schema?
A schema is a pattern of learning, linking perceptions, ideas and actions to make sense of the world.
Examples of a schema.
Learning that a structure that is furry and has four legs is a dog so a child will think that all animals with these features are dogs such as cats and cows.
Equilibrium
When a child’s experience matches what they understand
Disequilibrium
Children recognise when schemas are inaccurate.
Accommodate
When schemas are changed or newly formed as a result of new information or experiences.
Assimilation
When new knowledge is added to the schema to help understand it
What is conservation?
Conservation is an idea used by Piaget to explain children’s logical thinking e.g. the shape of a container may change but the amount of water it holds stays the same.
Criticisms of His theory
His theory is based on observations of a small number of children.
- Cognitive development might not be part of a maturation process, it could depend on a child’s environment.
Strengths of his theory
Piaget’s theory brings order to the idea of learning. This allows teacher’s to tailor learning environments to fit the students needs.
