Cognitive development theory by Jean Piaget

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Educational Psychology arranged by Miss Hina Jalal
STAGES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Piaget (1970) suggested that children throughout the world proceed through a series of four stages in a fixed
order. Piaget four distinct cognitive development stages are:
1. Sensori motor stage (Birth to 2 years)
2. Pre operational stage (2 to 7 years)
3. Concrete operational stage (7 to 12 years)
4. Formal Operational stage (12 years to adulthood)
SENSORI MOTOR STAGE (BIRTH TO 2 YEARS)
According to Piaget the sensorimotor stages is from birth to two years during which a child has little compe-
tence in representing the environment using images, language or other symbols. In the first two years infants
learn about their world primarily through their senses and actions. Instead of thinking about what is going on
around them infants discover by sensing (sensory) and doing (motor). The major accomplishments of the
period are the following:
a. Coordination of reflexes: During the first 4 months the uncoordinated reflexes which are present at birth
are coordinated into simple schemes
b. Object causality: Infants gradually learn that there is a relationship between their actions and the external
world (Objected causality). They discover that they can manipulate objects and produce effects.
c. Object permanence: A new born baby does not realise that objects are permanent. For infants below eight-
month-old what is out of sight is purely out of mind. Gradually by the age of 8 moths the infant develops the
concept of object permanence an understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not immedi-
ately in view.
d. Imitation: Infants may try to imitate the actions or facial expression of an older person.
PRE-OPERATIONAL STAGE (2 TO 7 YEARS)
According to Piaget's the pre operational stage is a period from 2 to 7 years of age which is characterised by
language development. During this stage the child acquires the ability to form mental images of objects and
events and thus begins to think symbolically. The other features are as follows:
Representational thought: The child develops the ability to form mental symbols to represent objects or
events are not present. The symbolic function of cognitive development can be seen in differed imitation and
symbolic play.
(i) Differed imitation: The child shows the ability to imitate action performed earlier by adults
(ii) Symbolic play: The child demonstrates make believe play in which he uses signs and symbols in place of
real objects.

2. 2
Educational Psychology arranged by Miss Hina Jalal
(iii) Transductive reasoning: The mode of reasoning of the child at this stage is transductive in nature that is
he reasons from the particular to the.
(iv)Ego centrism: the child at pre conceptual phase cannot think beyond his own view. He tends to assume
that others see the world just as he himself sees it.
(v) Animistic Thinking Pre operational children display animistic thinking children attribute human feelings
and motives to non-living objects. Thus, a three-year-old might state that thunder occurs because the clouds
are angry, and Mother Nature brings rain.
CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE (7 TO 12 YEARS)
According to Piaget the concrete operational period is from age 7 to 12 years which is characterized by logical
thinking loss of egocentrism. The child's thought process is limited to real events observed or the actual objects
operated by him. The important features of this stage are:
a. Inductive deductive reasoning: The child begins to think in terms of a set of interrelated principles rather
than single bits of knowledge. He can now make use of inductive and deductive approaches in terms in terms
of reasoning and arriving at conclusion
b. Flexibility in thinking: The child sheds his egocentrism and he can take viewpoints of others.
c. Understanding the principle of conservation: The child develops the ability to conserve both in terms of
quantity and number of objects. He can now very well think that the change is appearance of an object does
not alter either its quality or its number.
d. Classification and serialisation: the child develops the ability to classify objects. He develops the under-
standing of rational terms and the ability of serialization.
e. Reversibility of thought: At this stage the child learns to carry a thought backward and forward in time.
FORMAL OPERATIONAL STAGE (12 YEARS TO ADULTHOOD)
According to Piaget the formal operational period is from age 12 to adulthood which is characterized by ab-
stract thinking. At this stage the child thought process becomes quite systematic and reasonably well inte-
grated. The following are the important features of this period.
a. Abstract thinking; The child develops abstract thinking He uses symbolism in the process of thought and
learns to deal with abstraction by logical thinking.
b. Hypothetical reasoning: systematic assumption of possible solutions (hypothesis) is derived by the child
for the problem. Then the child tests these hypotheses to see which one the correct solution for the problem is.
c. Problems solving: The individual follows the systematic approach in solving the problems. He formulates
multiple hypotheses and several alternative solutions
d. Transfer of knowledge: The individual can transfer his learnt knowledge from one situation to another.