Piaget’s Theory of Intellectual Development Flashcards
How many Stages of Cognitive Development did Piaget state there were?
4
In order, list the 4 Stages of Cognitive Development Piagetidentified
- Sensorimotor Stage
- Pre-operational Stage
- Concrete Operational Stage
- Formal Operational Stage
During which Stage of Cognitive Development did Piaget say Object Permanence developed?
The Sensorimotor Stage
By how many months old did Piaget state Object Permanence typically developed?
8 months
What is Object Permanence?
The understanding that an object still exists even when it’s out of sight
What is Conservation?
The understanding that quantity remains constant even when its appearance changes (e.g. by pouring liquid into a differently shaped cup)
What is Egocentrism?
A child’s tendency to only be able to view the world from their own POV, both physically and figuratively
What is Class Inclusion?
The idea that objects can be categorised, organised and classified
What occurs during the Sensorimotor Stage?
The baby develops basic co-ordination and an understanding that other people are separate to themselves
What is the approximate time frame of the Sensorimotor Stage?
0-2 years
What is the approximate time frame of the Pre-Operational Stage?
2-7 years
What is the approximate time frame of the Concrete Operational Stage?
7-11 years
What is the approximate time frame of the Formal Operational Stage?
11+ years
Which 3 reasoning errors characterise and are developed during the Pre-Operational Stage?
- Conservation
- Egocentrism
- Class Inclusion
In the Concrete Operational Stage, what can most children do?
- Conserve
- Aren’t egocentric
- Have an understanding of class inclusion
What do children struggle with during the Concrete Operational Stage which then develops in the Formal Operational Stage?
Formal reasoning and abstract ideas, such as justice
What does Formal Reasoning mean?
That children can focus on the form of an argument rather than its content
Describe Piaget’s Object Permanence Study
- He observed babies following objects as they were removed from sight
- Babies under 8 months immediately diverted their attention once the object was no longer visible, whilst babies over 8 months continued to look for it
Describe Piaget’s two ways of investigating Conservation
- He placed two rows of the same amount of counters together and pushed one closer together so it appeared smaller
- He poured liquid between differently shaped vessels
- Pre-Operational children struggled to conserve and correctly reason that there was the same amount of counters/liquid
Describe Piaget’s Egocentrism Study
- The 3 Mountains Task: children were shown a model of 3 mountains each with a different distinct feature (e.g. a volcano, a tree).
- A doll was placed a different angle from the child
- When asked to choose what the doll’s POV was from a selection of photos, Pre-Operational children tended to choose the photo that matched their own POV
Describe Piaget’s Class Inclusion Study
- He asked children if there were more dogs or more animals in a photo that showed 5 dogs and 2 cats
- Pre-Operational children tended to answer more dogs, suggesting that had difficulty understanding that dogs could be classed as both dogs and animals simultaneously
How can Formal Operations be tested?
Using syllogisms (e.g. “All yellow cats have two heads. I have a yellow cat called Franklin. How many heads does Franklin have?”)
How can Piaget’s studies into Intellectual Development be criticised? (2 Points)
- He asked “Are they the same?” before and after in his conservation tasks, which is potentially a leading question as it implies a different answer is expected
- His tasks weren’t particularly interesting or child friendly
What study contradicts Piaget’s belief that children can’t conserve before the age of 7?
McGarrigle & Donaldson’s Naughty Teddy” replication, in which a teddy knocked the counters closer together
What percentage of children were able to conserve in the Naughty Teddy replication of Piaget’s Conservation Trials?
62%
What study contradicts Piaget’s belief that children don’t develop object permanence until after 8 months old?
Bowler & Wishart, who found that infants aged 1-4 months continued to reach for an object for up to 90 seconds after the lights had been turned off
