Jean piaget (1896-1980) was one of the 20th century ‘s most influential researchers in the area of developmental psychology.

He originally trained in the area of biology and philosophy and considered himself a “genetic epistemologist” (genetic=development, epistemologist=study of knowledge).

Piaget wanted to know how children learned through their development in the study of knowledge .

Piaget’s theory is based on the idea that the developing child builds cognitive structures(used to understand and respond to physical environment).

He believed the child's cognitive structure increased with development.

Piaget’s theories of infant development were based on his observations of his own three children.

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive development

Development

• It refers to a certain changes that

occur in human beings between

conception and death.

• It is not applied to all changes, but

rather to those that appear in

orderly ways and remain for a

long period of time.

Aspects of Development

• Physical development - deals with

the changes in the body.

• Personal development - changes in

the individual’s personality.

• Social development - changes in the

way how an individual relates to

others.

• Cognitive development - changes in

thinking.

Sensorimotor StageAge: birth to 2 years

Characteristics:

Begins to make use of imitation, memory and thought.

Learns the concept of object permanence.

child uses his senses and his increasing motor skills to explore the environment

Seriation is…

• The placing or grouping of like objects together

Preoperational Stage

Age: 2 to 7 years

Characteristics:

Starts to use language

Capable of thinking in the forms of

mental images and words

Egocentric thinking or self-

centered

Difficulties seeing other’s point of

view

• A Stop sign means to STOP!

Concrete Operational Stage

Age: 7 to 11 years

Characteristics:

Increase ability to think logically

He begins to understand cause & effect

He can think about real, concrete things in systematic ways, but cannot understand abstract concepts

He is no longer egocentric (he can now understand other people’s points of view)

• A number line is useful for math

A short glass of water is the same amount as a tall glass half full of water

A ball of clay…

Can be made into a clay bowl

But it can be reformed into a ball of clay

Formal Operational Stage

Age: 11 to adult

Characteristics:

Can think in abstract terms

Can solve problems systematically

and reason hypothesis

Hypothetic-deductive reasoning

Adolescent egocentrism