PSYCHOLOGY PPT Piaget's Theory

Piaget’s theory
of Cognitive
Development
HISTORY
• Piaget's interest in the cognitive development of children.

• Nephew and daughter.
• Intelligence grows and develops through a series of stages.
• Piaget vs. Vygotsky.
What is Cognition?
The term cognition is derived from the Latin

word "cognoscere" which means "to know" or
"to recognize" or "to conceptualise".
Cognition is "the mental action or process of
acquiring knowledge and understanding through
thought, experience, and the senses."
What is Cognitive Development?
• Cognitive Development is the emergence of

the ability to think and understand.
• The acquisition of the ability to think,
reason and problem solve.
• It is the process by which people's thinking
changes across the life span.
• Piaget studied Cognitive Development by
observing children in particular, to examine
how their thought processes changed with
age.
The Sensorimotor Stage of Cognitive
Development
• The sensorimotor stage typically takes place within the first

two years of a child’s life. It is marked by the child discovering
the difference between themselves and their environment.
• Children repeatedly experiment with their senses
• Another important hallmark of the sensorimotor stage is that
children learn the concept of cause and effect.
• The various sub-stages of the sensorimotor stage are: -
Reflex acts.
-Primary Circulation Reactions
- Secondary Circulation Reactions
- Tertiary Circulation Reactions
• Sensorimotor stage examples include instances when you
hide an object under a blanket, and the child tries to find it.
The Preoperational Stage of Cognitive
Development
• This stage begins around age two and lasts until

approximately age seven.
• During this period, children are thinking at a
symbolic level. They learn to use pictures and
words to represent objects.
• During this stage children have the tendency to
focus on only one aspect of a situation at one time.
• At this stage the child is egocentric. The child
assumes that other people see, hear, and feel
exactly the same as the child does.
• In this stage children tend to believe that
inanimate objects (such as toys and teddy bears)
have human feelings and intentions.
The Concrete Operational Stage of
Cognitive Development
• This stage begins around the age of seven and lasts until
eleven years.
• During this stage they begin to think logically and begin to
understand conservation.
• The child is now mature enough to use logical thought but
can only apply logic to physical objects.
• Children in the concrete operational stage begin using
inductive logic or going from a specific experience to a
general principle.
• In this stage the children are less egocentric. Kids are not
only able to start thinking about how other people view and
experience the world, they even start to use this information
when making decisions or solving problems.
The Formal Operational Stage of
Cognitive Development
• It begins at approximately 11 to 12 years of age, and

continues throughout adulthood.
• Deductive Logic
• Abstract Thought
• Problem-Solving
• Hypothetical-Deductive Reasoning
Criticisms of Piaget's Theory
• By describing tasks with confusing abstract terms and using

overly difficult tasks, Piaget under estimated children's
abilities.
• Piaget's theory predicts that thinking within a particular stage
would be similar across tasks. However, research has shown
diversity in children's thinking across cognitive tasks.
• Researchers now believe that children may be more
competent than Piaget originally thought, especially in their
practical knowledge.
Today’s Application of Piaget’s theory
1. Use their senses to explore objects and sensations (e.g.,

through touch, taste, sight, smell, or hearing)
2. Explore their physical surroundings themselves, within safe
limits
3. Learn by doing, even if they make mistakes
4. Interact with other children who are at a similar stage of
development or slightly higher
5. Get answers to questions they have about the world
6. Encounter new situations, objects, or challenges that create
7. Disequilibrium, as this encourages them to expand their
knowledge

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Piaget’s theory

• Piaget's interest in the cognitive development of children.

The term cognition is derived from the Latin

• Cognitive Development is the emergence of

• The sensorimotor stage typically takes place within the first

• This stage begins around age two and lasts until

• It begins at approximately 11 to 12 years of age, and

• By describing tasks with confusing abstract terms and using

1. Use their senses to explore objects and sensations (e.g.,

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