Module 03: An Overview of Cognitive Development: Student Objectives

Module 03 : An Overview of
Cognitive Development
Student Objectives:
To learn about the first cognitive development theories
To understand Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
To understand the Information-Processing theory
To learn about cognitive development in different life
stages
To learn about cognitive milestones
3.1 Introduction
Cognitive development is defined as the
growth process of a child’s mental and
intellectual abilities.
These include reasoning, understanding, and thinking. A

child’s cognitive development begins in infancy, and it
continues throughout adolescence and into adulthood. This
module will give you an overview of cognitive development, and
it will explain the theories, stages, and common issues that
are associated with cognitive development. More detailed
information will be given in later modules.
3.2 An Overview of Basic Cognitive

Development Theories
Many years ago, it was believed that an
infant was unable to think or form any
complex ideas until they learned the concept
of language.
However, today we know that babies are fully aware of their

surroundings and wish to explore from the moment they are
born. Even in the hours following birth, they are gathering,
sorting, and processing the information around them,
ultimately using the information to develop perceptions.
Cognitive development leads to information processing,
reasoning, intelligence, memory, and language development.
Historically, the study of a child’s cognitive development has

been done in several ways. The first way was through
intelligence tests, such as an IQ test. These were first
introduced in the early 1900s, and in some places, are still
used today.
Another way to measure cognitive development was based on the

learning theory that was developed thanks to the work of John
Watson and B.F. Skinner. They argued that children are
malleable, and believed that the development of a child’s
intelligence was solely based on the environment. Further,
they believed that a child learned based on behavior rewards.
FACT
Cognitive development refers to a child’s mental and
intellectual growth process, which starts at birth and
continues well into late adolescence.
Source: CPD
3.3 Piaget’s Theory

The most well-known and most influential
theory of cognitive development comes from
Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist.
His theory, which was published in 1952, is based on decades

of observing children, including his own, in a natural
environment. Though Piaget was highly interested in the way a
child reacts to their environment, he founded his theory based
on schemas. These are basic units of knowledge that a child
uses to organize their past experiences and to understand new
experiences.
Piaget theorized that schemas were always being changed by

processes that he called “assimilation” and “accommodation.”
According to Piaget, assimilation is the process where a
person learns new information by incorporating it into
something they already know. Accommodation, on the other hand,
is what happens when a schema changes in order to accommodate
different knowledge. Piaget claimed that cognitive development
was developed by equilibration, which is the attempt to
balance accommodation and assimilation.
At the center of his theory, Piaget claimed that cognitive

development happens in four different stages, each of which
becomes more sophisticated and abstract than the last. Here
are the stages:
Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 years): The sensorimotor

stage occurs in infancy, and during this period, there
are six sub-stages. In this stage, Piaget stated that a
child displays his or her intelligence through their
motor activity. This stage includes infancy and early
toddlerhood.
Preoperational Stage (2-7 years): In this stage, there
are two sub-stages. Here, a child shows their
intelligence through using symbols, and intelligence and
memory are developed. Thinking, however, is done in a
non-logical manner. This stage includes latter
toddlerhood and early childhood.
Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years): In this stage,
a child demonstrates intelligence through a systematic
and logical method by using symbols. This stage occurs
during primary school and lasts until early adolescence
Formal Operational Stage (12 years to adulthood): During
this stage, a child demonstrates their intelligence by
using a logical series of symbols, which are related to
concepts that are not easily understood. Only about 35
percent of people in the world reach this stage, as
these are the ones who receive a formal education. This
stage occurs from adolescence to adulthood. At this
point, the person is capable of hypothetical and
deductive reasoning. They also have developed the
ability to think about abstract concepts.
3.4 The Information-Processing

Theory
The final theory that is important in
cognitive development is the Information-
Processing theory.
This is seen as an alternative to the Piaget theory, and it

uses computers as a model for the human mind. This is a modern
theory, and researchers study how intelligence improves with
the child’s ability to take in more information and focus
their attention on their tasks. It also looks at a child’s
capacity for memory storage.
Cognitive Development in Infancy

As soon as a baby is born, they will start using their senses
to learn about the world around them. Most newborns can focus
on moving objects, tell the difference between different
pitches and volumes, see colors, and anticipate events, such
as feeding time. By the time they are three months old, an
infant will recognize faces, imitate expressions, and respond
to sounds.
When the child is around six months old, they will imitate
sounds, share their voices with the world, fear a stranger,
recognize their family, and be able to distinguish between
inanimate and a moving object. They also know that if they
drop something, that they can pick it up. By four to seven
months, they know their name.
When a child is about nine months old, they can imitate
actions, understand words, such as “no,” and they realize that
objects exist, even though they might not be able to see it.
They also begin testing the response of others in terms of
their behavior. For example, they might throw their food on
the floor to see how mum will react.
As the child reaches their first birthday, they can follow
quick objects with their eyes, say a few words, imitate the
sounds that animals make, and associate a name with an object.
They also will develop attachments and have separation anxiety
when away from their families. At 18 months, they can
understand up to about 50 words, can point out body parts,
feel ownership by saying “my toy,” and they can follow multi-
step directions, such as picking up said toys and placing them
in a box.
Cognitive Development in Toddlers

By the time a child reaches 18 months old, they are in the
toddler stage of life until three years old. These children
understand that objects and people have a place, they can
follow and understand when things or people are out of place,
and they can use tools and instruments. Toddlers will want
more independence now, which can be an issue for their
parents, and they understand discipline and behavior. They
also understand words such as “thank you” and “please.”
Cognitive Development in Preschoolers

Those who are preschoolers, are at the preoperational stage,
according to Piaget’s theory. This means that they are using
their memory and imagery skills. They should start memorizing
as a way to learn, and they are usually quite self-centered.
These children have also developed new social interaction
skills, such as cooperating with other children, and they
learn more negative behaviors, such as lying, being cheeky,
and bullying.
Cognitive Development in School-Aged Children
Young children, aged from seven to 12, are at the concrete
operations stage, according to Piaget. This is characterized
by the used of coherent and logical actions when thinking and
solving their problems. These children understand that things
such as weight, volume, and values remain constant, regardless
of their outward appearance. These children learn from past
experiences, and their attention span should expand from about
15 minutes, when they enter this stage, to about an hour, by
the age of nine.
From the ages of 12 years to adulthood, these children are at

Piaget’s formal operations stage. This is characterized by
their increased independent thinking skill that they now use
to work through problems on their own. Adolescents should
understand higher maths concepts and philosophy.
Adolescents should also learn to apply general knowledge to

most situations, and they should learn the necessary skills
required for specific occupations. One major component that
occurs during this time is called the cognitive transition.
This means that they think in ways that are more advanced,
complex, and efficient when compared with younger children.
These older children can make their interpretation of events

based on their point of view, which also allows them to have
more complicated and sophisticated relationships with others.
Adolescents are also more likely to see concepts as relative
instead of absolute. Young children see things in black and
white, for the most part, but adolescents can see things with
shades of grey. They might question their parents or other
adults, and they are less likely to accept things as they
stand.
3.5 Cognitive Milestones Age-By-Age
The following is the accepted, and normal, milestones of
cognitive development during the first five years of life:
One Month
Babies watch a person when they speak.
Two Months
Babies smile when they hear a familiar person speak, and they
will follow the movements of a person with their eyes.
Four Months
Babies show interest in things, such as a new toy.
Five Months
Babies will smile at themselves in a mirror, and look when
objects move or fall.
Six Months
Babies start making faces, stick out their tongues, and laugh
at simple games. They might also be shy around people they
don’t know.
Seven Months
Babies will respond to their name.
Eight Months
Babies reach for objects out of reach, and respond when told
“no.”
Nine Months
Parents know what a baby likes or dislikes at this time. They
might show excitement when faced with something they like, or
cry when faced with something they dislike.
Ten Months
Babies can understand a few words, wave goodbye, and help
their caretaker with dressing.
Eleven Months
Babies repeat things that get a laugh, and like repetitive
play. They also show interest in books.
Twelve Months
Babies understand simple questions, such as “Where is the
dog?”
15 Months
Children point to ask for an object, and they start to feed
themselves.
18 Months
Children can point to objects when asked about them, and they
mimic adult actions.
2 Years
Children can name several familiar objects, they can draw with
crayons, and they obey simple rules.
3 Years
Children will constantly ask questions, and some can count up
to 10. They also will love drawing, playing within a group,
and they can discuss things that happened to them.
4 Years
Children often make up silly stories and words, they draw
familiar things, and they recognize many common words. If they
don’t know what a word means, they ask.
5 Years
Children will recognize shape, numbers, and letters. They will
tell lengthy stories, understand when events are real and have
a good sense of make-believe.
Take a Quick Recap Test
Assignment
An Overview of Cognitive Development
Time: 35+ minutes
Work your way through this worksheet to see how well you have
really done in absorbing the relevant information.
Download the worksheet below, print out and complete.
Download Worksheet (pdf)
Conclusion
Cognitive development is a natural process that all of us go
through during our childhood. It begins from the moment we are
born, and it continues into adulthood. In most cases, the
development is normal, but some people develop issues and
problems with their cognitive development. Some of the most
common issues related to cognitive development include
learning disabilities and autism. Any disorder that affects a
person’s ability to interpret what they hear or see could be a
cognitive disorder.
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Module 03 : An Overview of

These include reasoning, understanding, and thinking. A

3.2 An Overview of Basic Cognitive

However, today we know that babies are fully aware of their

Historically, the study of a child’s cognitive development has

Another way to measure cognitive development was based on the

3.3 Piaget’s Theory

His theory, which was published in 1952, is based on decades

Piaget theorized that schemas were always being changed by

At the center of his theory, Piaget claimed that cognitive

Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 years): The sensorimotor

3.4 The Information-Processing

This is seen as an alternative to the Piaget theory, and it

Cognitive Development in Infancy

Cognitive Development in Toddlers

Cognitive Development in Preschoolers

From the ages of 12 years to adulthood, these children are at

Adolescents should also learn to apply general knowledge to

These older children can make their interpretation of events

Take a Quick Recap Test

Time: 35+ minutes

Download the worksheet below, print out and complete.

Download Worksheet (pdf)

[Tweet “I just completed Module 3 of the Child Psychology

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