Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Question 1

What did Piaget believe learning was?

Answer 1

Individual

Question 2

What two key aspects of children’s learning did Piaget study?

Answer 2

• The role of motivation in development
• How knowledge develops

Question 3

What is a schema?

Answer 3

A cognitive framework of beliefs and expectations that influence cognitive processing

Question 4

How are schemas developed?

Answer 4

Through experience

Question 5

How did Piaget define learning?

Answer 5

The altering and adjusting of schemas to adapt to a new situation

Question 6

How many schemas did Piaget state babies are born with?

Answer 6

A small number that allow them to interact with the world around them

Question 7

As children develop, what did Piaget state happens to their schemas?

Answer 7

They become more advanced, detailed and complex

Question 8

What does Disequilibrium mean?

Answer 8

When an individual’s existing schemas don’t allow them to comprehend something new

Question 9

What did Piaget argue Disequilibrium motivates children to do?

Answer 9

Learn, or the altering and adjusting of schemas which allows new knowledge to be comprehended

Question 10

What does Equilibrium mean?

Answer 10

When an individuals explores and develops their understanding, and in turn their schemas, in order to escape Disequilibrium

Question 11

What two key processes did Piaget identify in the Development of Knowledge?

Answer 11

• Assimilation
• Accommodation

Question 12

What is Assimilation?

Answer 12

The updating of a schema- when new information about a specific subject is incorporated (assimilated) into our existing schema of it

Question 13

What is Accommodation?

Answer 13

The development of a schema- when we acquire new information about a specific subject and have to form new schemas and/or radically alter our existing schemas in order to accommodate the new information

Question 14

What practical application has Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development had?

Answer 14

The introduction of discovery learning, or learning through play, in schools, meaning students are encouraged to construct their own knowledge through exploration and inquiry

Question 15

How has Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development been criticised? (2 Points)

Answer 15

• It focused heavily on schemas, which are inferences and therefore can’t be objectively tested or measured
• It neglects the influence of both social and cultural factors in terms of cognitive development, meaning his theory may be limited in terms of how generalisable it is

Question 16

How is Equilibrium achieved?

Answer 16

By learning, or the adjusting and altering of schemas which allows new knowledge to be comprehended

Question 17

How is Equilibrium achieved?

Answer 17

By learning, or the adjusting and altering of schemas which allows new knowledge to be comprehended

Question 18

What evidence supports Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development?

Answer 18

• Howe et al, who placed children aged 8-12 into groups of 4 to study and discuss the movement of objects down a slope
• He assessed their knowledge before and after the task
• After the task, every child’s knowledge had increased, but they had not all come to the same conclusions
• This suggests they had each formed different schemas

Question 19

Why has the sample used by Piaget to study Equilibrium and Disequilibrium been criticised?

Answer 19

• It was small and consisted mainly of children from the nursery attached to the university he attended, meaning their parents all likely had pro-education ideologies and therefore encouraged their children to learn
• This means his research may not be fully generalisable