theory of intellectual development

1. Theory of Intellectual
development by Jean Piaget

2. Jean piaget
Jean Piaget, a Swiss Biologist, working at
J.J Rousseau Institute of Child Study at Geneva in
Switzerland. His approach is known as
“genetic epistemology”.

3. Piaget’s Theoretical concepts
According to Piaget, the development of human intellectual
abilities take place as a result of the organization and
reorganization of certain pattern of behaviour called schema.
Schema consist of structural unit of human mind. Schema takes
place three different activities – assimilation, accommodation
and equilibration.
(a) Cognitive structure
(b) Cognitive functioning

4. (a) Cognitive Structure
According to Piaget, emergence of new cognitive
abilities occurs as a result of the modification of the
behaviour patterns that are present at the time of
birth. These patterns of behaviour constitute the
structural units of human mind that he called
schemas.

5. (b) Cognitive functioning
Intelligence, says Piaget, is a tool by which the
individual organizes the schemas and adapts to the
world. The process of adaptation or organization of
schemas is identified with three different activities-
1. Assimilation
2. Accommodation
3. Equilibration

6. Assimilation
Assimilation is a process of building mental
representations by modifying one’s environment or
new experiences so that it fits into his already
developed cognitive structure. It takes place when a
pervious experience is used to comprehend a new
experience in its familiar forms.
Assimilation means new experience into familiar
ones by means of organizing past experience.

7. Accommodation
Accommodation is the modification of existing
sensorimotor patterns to deal with a new situation.
It involves transformation of an odd schema or
learning a new schema, which is more appropriate
for the new situation.
Accommodation means modifying oneself so as
to fit it with existing characteristics of the
environment.

8. Equilibration
According to Piaget’s theory , optimal level of
intellectual functioning takes place when there is a
balance between assimilation and accommodation.
The process of maintaining this balance is termed as
equilibration.

9. Stages of intellectual development
According to piaget, cognitive development arises as
a result of the interaction between the individual
and the world and passes through a series of
sequential stages.

10. Stages of Intellectual development
 Sensori-motor stage ( 0- 2 year )
 Pre operational stage ( 2- 7 year )
 Concrete-operational stage ( 7-11 year )
 Formal operational stage ( 12-15 year )

12. Sensori-motor stage (Birth to 2 years)
In the first 2 year infant’s mental activities are
completely given over to regularizing their
sensations and controlling the motor activities
and hence this period is known as sensory-
motor period.

13. The major accomplishments of the period are the following:
(a) Co-ordination of reflexes
(b) Accomplishment of objectified causality
(c) Accomplishment of object permanence
(d) Accomplishment of object consistence

14. (a) Co-ordination of reflexes
During the first 4 months the unco-ordinate
reflexes, which are present at birth, are
co-ordinated into simple schemas. This will provide
the child with a general potential to perform certain
classes of behavior.

15. (b) Accomplishment of objectified causality
During this period, infants gradually learn that
there is a relationship between their actions and the
external world. They discover that they can
manipulate objects and produce effects.

16. (c) Accomplishment of object permanence
A newborn baby does not realize that objects are
permanent. For infants below eight months old,
what is out of sight is purely out of mind.
Gradually, by the age of eight months, the infant
develops the concept of object permanence, an
understanding that objects continue to exist even if
they are hidden from view.

17. Accomplishment of object consistence.
At about 18 to 24 months of age, the infant
eventually accomplishes the concept of objects
remain the same even if they appear different
because of distance, light or viewing angles.

18. Pre-Operational stage (2-7 year)
During pre operational stage the child acquire the
ability to form mental images of objects and events
thus begin to think symbolically. This stage can be
further subdivided into two.

19. Pre-Operational stage
The pre-conceptual
phase.
(2-4 years)
The intuitive phase
(4-7 years)

20. The pre conceptual phase (2 to 4 years)
This is the period of rudimentary concept formation.
During the period, the child develops the ability to
identify and classify objects. The other features of
this sub-stage are the following;
 Represented thought
 Transductive reasoning
 Ego-centrism
 Animistic thinking

21. Representational thought
The child develops the ability to form mental
symbols to represent objects or events that are not
present.

22. 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 particular.

23. 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.

24. Animistic thinking
Pre-operational children display animistic thinking,
in which attribute human feelings and motives to
inanimate objects.

25. The intuitive phase (4 to 7 years)
During this period , the cognitive behaviour of the child is
still controlled by perception. His reasoning is based on
intuition rather than on systematic logic. But, he is able to
use concepts as stable generalization of his past and present
experience. The child in their intuitive sub-stage lack
understanding of relational terms and ability to serialize
objects. His logic is limited with irreversibility and his
thinking is marked by an inability conserve in terms of
quantity as well as number.

26. Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 11 years)
This is the stage when the capacity for logical
thought first emerges. The child’s thought process is
limited to real events observed or the actual objects
operated by him.

27. The important features of this stage are:
a) Inductive-deductive reasoning
b) Flexibility in thinking
c) Understanding of the principle of conservation
d) Classification and serialization
e) Reversibility of thought

28. 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 of reasoning and
arriving at conclusions

29. Flexibility in thinking
The child’s egocentrism waves and he is able to take
other’s view points

30. Understanding of the principle of conservation
The child now develops the ability to conserve both
in terms of quantity and number of objects. He can
now very well think that the change in appearance
of an object does not alter either its quantity or its
number

31. Classification and serialization
The child now develops the ability to classify objects.
He develops the understanding of relational terms
and also the ability of serialization.

32. Reversibility of thought
At this stage the child learns to carry a thought
backward and forward in time. A girl who has a
sister now clearly realizes that her sister also has a
sister.

33. Formal operational stage (12 To 15 years)
At this stage, the child thought process become quite
systematic and reasonably well integrated.

34. The following are the important features of this
period :
a) Ability to deal with abstraction
b) Hypothetico - deductive reasoning
c) Systematic approach to solve problems
d) Use of abstract rules
e) Ability to transfer knowledge

35. Ability to deal with abstraction
The child learns to utilize the tool of symbolism in
the process of thought and learns to deal with
abstraction by logical thinking.

36. Hypothetico-deductive reasoning
The child at the formal operational stage starts a
form of hypothetico –deductive reasoning. When
faced with a problem, he starts with a general
theory of all possible factors that might affect an
outcome and deduce from it specific hypotheses
(predictions) about what might happen. Then they
test these hypotheses in an orderly fashion to see
which one work in the real world.

37. Use abstract rules
The individual at formal operational stage is
able to use abstract rules to solve a whole class
of problems

38. Ability to transfer Knowledge
The development of formal operations enables
the adolescent to transfer understanding from
one situation to another situation.

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