1. Running head: JEAN PIAGET AND DEVELOPMENT 1
Jean Piaget and Development
Erin N. Bosman
University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire; Harlaxton College

2. JEAN PIAGET AND DEVELOPMENT 2
Jean Piaget and Development
Jean Piaget studied development in children and studied what he understood to be
different stages of development. He believed that children are born with a basic mental
structure that all learning is based. Piaget’s four distinct stages of development are
sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational (McLeod, S,
2009). Each stage builds on what was learned in the previous stage; they also always
occur in the same order. Piaget also believed that cognitive development involves
equilibration: a balance of assimilation and accommodation (“Cognitive Development”,
n.d.).
The first stage of development according to Piaget is the sensorimotor stage,
which occurs from birth to two years old. A key development seen during this stage is
object permanence. This stage is also characterized by learning through trial and error.
Piaget held a study called the “Blanket and Ball Study” to observe object permanence. A
toy would be hidden under a blanket while a child was observing. If the child searched
for the toy, then object permanence was observed. It was found that object permanence
tends to occur around eight years old. Development of basic motor and sensory
capabilities also occur at this stage such as seeing, feeling, and grasping (McLeod, S,
2009).
The second stage is the preoperational stage, which occurs at two to seven years
old. This stage is often characterized by egocentrism. Egocentrism is described as the
inability to understand another person’s viewpoint. The child assumes that other people
behave and feel the exact same as the child does. It includes language development and
animism, as well. They believe that inanimate objects have human feelings and

3. JEAN PIAGET AND DEVELOPMENT 3
behavioral aspects. Through the “Three Mountains Task” Piaget found that at age seven,
children no longer thought egocentrically (Nollmeyer, D, n.d.).
Concrete Operational, the third stage, occurs at age seven to eleven and is
characterized by conservation. This stage is believed to be the beginning of logical
thought. The child can no understand basic, concrete problems but cannot understand
complex, abstract problems. They are able to follow basic rules, arrange things in order,
and an understanding of class inclusion (Nollmeyer, D, n.d.). To observe conservation,
Piaget set out a row of counters in front of a child and asked them to make another row
the same as the first one. Then, Jean Piaget spread out his row of counters and
questioned if they were still the same number of counters. Piaget observed that by seven
years old children were able to conserve number (McLeod, S, 2009).
The final stage is formal operational, beginning at age eleven. Abstract reasoning
characterizes this stage. Starting at this stage, the child begins to manipulate ideas, think
creatively, and do mathematical calculation. Piaget developed multiple tests for this
developmental stage. A common study surrounding this stage is the “Pendulum Task.”
The experiment included a string and a weight and three variables: the length of string,
the weight of the weight, and the strength the child used to push the weight. The child
had to figure out which factor was most important in developing the speed of the
pendulum swing. It appeared that children in this stage, showed critical thinking and
tested each variable independently of each other. Another test used to study formal
operational thought was the “Third Eye Problem.” The child would be asked where they
would put an extra eye if they were able to have one and why. Round age nice, children
would respond that the third eye should be on the forehead. However, starting around age

4. JEAN PIAGET AND DEVELOPMENT 4
eleven, children would be more inventive and creative about the third eye (McLeod, S,
2009).
Jean Piaget attempted to understand how cognitive development occurs in
children. Cognitive development includes learning development, language development,
conservation, and other development and cognitive psychology. Piaget observed these
four stages of development in children, in relation to assimilation and accommodation.
Assimilation and accommodation are the two processes of adaption. Assimilation
describes anything that is perceived in the outside world and incorporated into the
internal world. In contrast accommodation describes that the internal world has to adjust
itself. Both, assimilation and accommodation happen at the same time. In general, we
assimilate familiar material in the world around us, and we also have to adjust to
accommodate (Atherton, J, 2013).
Piaget was mainly focused on the developing understanding of the world in
children. In relation to development in children, accommodation is no more problematic
than assimilation. As we age, we have developed ways of understanding our world.
Assimilating is not problematic for adults. However, we find it increasingly difficult to
accommodate, as adults tend to know what works for them and are typically set in their
ways. Children are still developing, learning, and growing an understanding of the world
and therefor see a closer balance between accommodation and assimilation. While our
sensory and motor systems have developed, the sensory and motor systems in children
are still developing (Atherton, J, 2013).

5. JEAN PIAGET AND DEVELOPMENT 5
References
Atherton, J. (2013, January 1). Assimilation and Accommodation. Retrieved March 22,
2015, from http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/assimacc.htm
Cognitive Development - Piaget's stages of cognitive development, Modern views. (n.d.).
Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/123/Cognitive-
Development.html
McLeod, S. A. (2009). Jean Piaget. Retrieved from
http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html
Nollmeyer, D. (n.d.). Jean Piaget: The Stage Theory In the Development of Children.
Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://www.powereality.net/jean-piaget.htm