Unit 1 Piaget - Cognitive development

Question 1

What development is Piaget’s theory about?

Answer 1

Cognitive development

Question 2

What are the four stages of Piaget’s theory?

Answer 2

Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Concrete operational
Formal operational

Question 3

What age is the sensorimotor stage?

Answer 3

Birth - 2 years (0 - 2)

Question 4

What age is the preoperational stage?

Answer 4

2 - 7 years

Question 5

What age is the concrete operational stage?

Answer 5

7 - 11 years

Question 6

What age is the formal operational stage?

Answer 6

11 - 18 years

Question 7

What is Piaget’s acronym?

Answer 7

Silly (sensorimotor)
Piaget (preoperational)
Can (concrete operational)
F*** off (formal operational)

Question 8

What is the sensorimotor stage about?

Birth - 2 years

Answer 8

Infants learn about their environment and develop early schemas (concepts) by using all their senses to physically explore the world.
Infants cannot predict reaction and therefore use trial and error.

Question 9

What is the preoperational stage about?

2 - 7 years

Answer 9

Children begin to use language; memory and imagination also develops.
Children begin to control their environment by using symbolic behaviour, but are not able to think logically.
Children at this stage tend to be egocentric and struggle to see the perspectives of others.

Question 10

What is the concrete operational stage about?

7 - 11 years

Answer 10

Children use practical resources to help them to understand the world, such as counters for mathematics.
They classify, categorise and use logic to understand things they see.
Thinking becomes less egocentric with increased awareness of external events, and involves concrete references.

Question 11

What is the formal operational stage about?

11 - 18 years

Answer 11

Young people have the capacity for abstract thought, rational thought and problems solving.
Adolescents can think about multiple variables in systematic ways and can formulate hypotheses.

Question 12

Piaget’s schematic development theory

Answer 12

1. Assimilation
2. Equilidrium
3. Disequilbrium
4. Accommodation

Question 13

What is assimilation?

Answer 13

The child constructs an understanding or concept (schema).

For example, the child has developed a schema about sand.

Question 14

What is equilibrium?

Answer 14

The child’s experience fits with their schema.

For example, the child’s experience in the nursery sandpit fits with their schema.

Question 15

What is disequilibrium?

Answer 15

A new experience disturbs the child’s schema. The child become confused about the new information.
For example, water is added to the sandpit. the sand behaves differently, which upsets the child’s schema.

Question 16

What is accommodation?

Answer 16

The child’s understanding (schema) changes to take account of the new experience.
For example, the child changes their schema to accommodate their new experience of sand. They develop a new schema.

Question 17

What are the criticisms of Piaget?

Answer 17

Piaget sometimes underestimated and overestimated children’s rate of development.
Only based his theory on a small number of children.
Cognitive development might not be part of maturation process.