Piaget's theory of cognitive development explains how children's thinking changes as they grow from infants to adults. It outlines four main stages of development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. During each stage, children gain new cognitive abilities as their experiences help them form more complex mental schemas and maintain equilibrium between what they understand and what they experience. Key concepts in Piaget's theory include assimilation, accommodation, schemas, disequilibrium, and conservation. Understanding Piaget's stages and concepts can help teachers support students' cognitive growth.
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Piaget (1)
1. Piaget
ïź Piagetâs theory covers how our thinking
develops as we move from being a baby
to being an adult. Because it covers the
development of thinking, it is called a
theory of âcognitive development.â
2. Piaget
ïź Understanding Piagetâs theory is very important.
ïź Concepts to focus on: Equilibrium and related
concepts (adaptation, accommodation,
assimilation, schemas), Stages of
development (sensorimotor, preoperational,
concrete operational, formal operational),
aspects of cognition (reversibility, decentering,
egocentrism, conserving), Applications to
classroom.
âPiagetâ is pronounced /pee-ah-ZHAY/
3. Schema
ïź A schema is our understanding of a
conceptâthe network of knowledge and
understanding in our minds we have
related to an idea.
ïź Sometimes our schemas can be applied to
new situations and sometimes our
schemas are not sufficient for a new
situation.
4. Piagetâs theory explains how our schemas change as we have learning experiences.
Schema
fur
4 legs
A babyâs
schema
about cats
tail 2 ears
2 eyes
5. Equilibrium
A state of cognitive balance between IN OTHER WORDS: The
individualsâ understanding of the understanding you have explains
world and their experiences. the experience you are having.
Schemas and equilibrium:
A person is experiencing
equilibrium when his or Example of disequilibrium: When Galileo
her theory (or scheme) of looked at the sky with his new telescope,
something explains past what he observed was different from what he
experiences successfully understood. He understood the sun to
and predicts new events revolve around the earth. He observed that
successfully. the movement of the stars did not support
this idea. He had to figure out a new
understanding to support his observations.
6. Equilibrium
ïź We all try to maintain equilibriumâit gives
us a sense of being able to cope with the
world.
ïź When an experience does not match our
understanding, we experience distress in
our disequilibrium. This distress drives us
to ADAPTâeither we adapt our
understanding (accommodation) or we
adapt our experiences (assimilation).
Adaptation: the process of adjusting schemes and experiences to each other to
maintain equilibrium.
7. Schemes are mental patterns, operations, and systems. The process of forming and
using schemes in an effort to understand how the world works is organization.
Schemes and organization
2 ears
Child says:
A childâs scheme about âdogâ: Child sees:
Doggie!!!
2 ears tail
fur
doggie
tail
1. furry 2. 3.
Moment of disequilibrium: Adaptation: accommodation
scheme does not work! 2 ears tail
2 ears tail
Thatâs not a doggie,
doggie
thatâs a kitty. Kitty kitty
says meow, doggie
says bow wow
furry bow wow
furry meow
4.
5. New scheme
8. Developing and Maintaining
Equilibrium
Scheme: mental patterns, operations, and systemsâour understanding of the real world
Interaction leads to disequilibrium and adaptation: assimilation and accommodation
Experiences in the âreal worldâ
Scheme Experience Disequilibrium Accommodation
The childâs
A two year old This two year The parent definition of dog
child believes old sees a cat says, âno, changes: a dog
that dogs are and says, thatâs not a has 4 legs, is
four legged âLook at the doggie, thatâs furry, and does
animals with fur doggie!â a cat. not say
âmeow.â
9. Accommodation vs. Assimilation
Experience Accommodationâa form of Assimilationâa form of adaptation
adaptation in which an existing in which an experience in the
scheme is modified and a new environment is incorporated into
one is created in response to an existing scheme
experience
Identify animals Kitties and doggies are different Characteristics of kitty apply to other
animals even though both are furry members of cat family (lion, tiger)
Drive car Driving stick shift is different from I can drive a semi tractor because it
driving automatic. I have to learn has a clutch and gear shift, just like my
to use the clutch and gear shift. old Toyota car
Cook You canât make a cake in a If I know how to cook one type of
microwave pasta, I can apply that knowledge to
other types
Play music Brass instrumentsâyou have to Once you know one brass instrument,
learn how the harmonic overtone you can play the others using the same
series works in order to play a horn knowledge
10. Accommodation vs. Assimilation
ïź Accommodationâyou have to LEARN (or change
your thinking) in order to ACCOMMODATE a new
situation. A hotel provides accommodationsâ
they CHANGE the sheets & other aspects of the
room for each set of new guests.
ïź Assimilationâyou can ASSIMILATE a new
experience into your world by applying old
knowledge. When you go into a new school or
job, you try to ASSIMILATE to a degree so you
fit inâyou try to become âold newsâ and not
something new and different.
11. Factors influencing development
ïź Experiences with the physical world. For
example, after many experiences with concrete
manipulatives, students can engage with
abstract mathematical concepts.
ïź Social experienceâthe process of interactingâ
usually verballyâwith others. In the slide on
schemes, it was a verbal interaction between the
mother and the child that helped the child to
develop a new scheme for domestic animals.
12. Piagetâs Stages of Development
ïź Sensorimotorâa child at this age is learning how
to deal with his or her body (senses and motor
skills, or the ability to move the body)
ïź Preoperationalâthe child is not able YET to
perform certain mental operations.
ïź Concrete Operationalâthe child is able to
perform operations about things he or she can
sense and handle (things that are concrete
rather than abstract)
ïź Formal Operationalâthe person can handle all
adult forms of thinking and reasoning.
If you understand what the words mean, it will help you to remember the stages.
13. Visual learners: try to associate the pictures with the stage so you can remember the age.
Sensorimotor Stage
ïź 0-2 years
ïź Children develop an understanding the
world using their senses and physical
abilities (motor capacities).
ïź Early in this stage, children do not have a
sense of object permanence, that when
something disappears it might still exist.
Peek-a-boo is a game that gives children the experiences they need in order to
develop object permanence. Older children are bored by this game because they
already have a sense that objects that are not visible still exist. But children in the
sensorimotor stage are learning this and are therefore fascinated by the game.
14. Semiotic function: the ability to use symbolsâlanguage, pictures, signs, or
gesturesâto represent actions or objects mentally. Pre-operational children
are able to use symbols to represent things that are not present, a major
accomplishment.
Preoperational Stage
ïź 2-7 years
ïź Egocentrismâcan only
deal with own perspective
ïź Centrationâfocuses on
single aspect of
something
ïź Lacks transformation,
reversability, and The point of this is that children this age are
systematic reasoning. not capable of doing certain types of thinking.
Children fundamentally think differently from
ïź Cannot conserve adults.
15. A special note on egocentrism
You mean the
world doesnât
revolve around me?
Ego: Latin for âIâ
Centrism: âcenterâ
Everything is centered around me. This is how children thinkâand no wonder, since
this is their experience as babies. As we grow up, we have to learn that other people
exist and their needs are just as legitimate as ours.
16. Characteristics of pre-operational thinking
ïź Egocentrismâthe inability to interpret an event from someone elseâs point
of view.
ïź Centration (centering)âthe tendency to focus on the most perceptually
obvious aspect of an object or event to the exclusion of all others. A tall
thin glass holds more liquid in it than a wide tumbler because of the height.
ïź Transformationâthe ability to mentally trace the process of changing from
one state to another. Shell games play on this ability (or inability).
ïź Reversabilityâthe ability to mentally trace a line of reasoning back to its
beginning.
ïź Systematic reasoningâthe process of using logical thought to reach a
conclusion. This process is not fully available to thinkers until formal
operations.
ïź Semiotic functionâthe ability to work with symbols (a major
accomplishment of pre-operational thinkers)
ïź Collective monologueâchildren of this age will talk about what they are
doing without really being involved in a conversation with others.
The last three depend on being able to hold a thought about something that is different
from immediate concrete experience. Remember, little kids fundamentally think
differently from older people.
17. Conservation
Pour the same
amount of water into
two differently-
shaped glasses. A
child who cannot
conserve will think
that the one on the
right has more water
in it because it is
taller.
Conservation: the idea that the âamountâ of some substance stays the same
regardless of its shape or the number of pieces into which it is divided.
18. Concrete Operational Stage
ïź 7-11 years
ïź Can think logically about
concrete objects
ïź Can transform, reverse,
and use systematic
reasoning as long as the
objects about which they
are thinking are present.
When I was in second grade, I got in trouble for counting on my fingers (I promptly
developed a way of counting on my fingers which wasnât so obvious to the teacher).
Math teachers today recognize that second graders need concrete objects
(manipulables) in order to learn the operations of mathematics.
19. Characteristics of thinking that
develop during concrete operations
ïź Seriation: the ability to order objects according
to increasing or decreasing length, weight, or
volume
ïź Classification: the process of grouping objects
on the basis of a common characteristic
ïź Identity: if nothing is added or taken away, a
material stays the same
ïź Compensation: a change in one direction can
be compensated for through a change in
another direction.
ïź Decentering: can focus on more than one
aspect at a time.
20. Formal Operational Stage
ïź 11-Adult
ïź Can think abstractly
(does not need to have
concrete objects
available).
ïź Can think systematically
and hypothetically
(what ifâŠ).
Remember that thinking abstractly depends not just on cognitive maturation but also on
having a certain amount of concrete experience. Older students and adults may need to
work concretely on something new before moving into the abstract.
21. Adolescent egocentrism
ïź The assumption that everyone else shares
oneâs thoughts, feelings, and concerns.
ïź Adolescents often have the feeling that
everyone is watching what they are doing.
This contributes to their strong feelings
when they make a mistake (e.g., wearing
the wrong clothes).
22. Comparing concrete and
formal operational thinking
Flavellâs Formal Operational Concrete Operational
characteristics of Thinker Thinker
formal thought
Abstract thinking Can describe the meaning of Tends to view ideas concretely
abstract ideas, such as âmake hay and literally, such as concluding
while the sun shinesâ to conclude âyou need to harvest hay during
something such as âtake an the daylight hours.â
opportunity when itâs given.â Can
deal with metaphors.
Systematic Systematically examines the Randomly chooses variables and
possible influence of multiple tries them out, often changing
strategies factors in a given situation (science more than one.
experiment, for instance).
Hypothetical and Can consider hypothetical questions Cannot consider hypothetical
and reason from there. questions. Tends to get
deductive thinking confused by them.
Hypothetico-deductive reasoning: a formal-operations problem-solving strategy in
which an individual begins by identifying all the factors that might affect a problem and
then deduces and systematically evaluates specific solutions.
23. Neo-Piagetian theories
ïź Uses information processing theory
(attention, memory, and strategy use) in
conjunction with Piagetâs ideas about how
children think and construct knowledge.
24. Limitations of Piagetâs Theory
ïź Children develop aspects of conservation at
different agesâunderstanding that a line of
blocks spread out doesnât change the number of
blocks occurs before understanding that a ball of
clay doesnât change when it is flattened out.
ïź Development isnât sudden as a stage theory
might suggestâthere are subtle changes that
happen gradually in a childâs thinking.
25. Limitations of Piagetâs theory
ïź Piaget may have underestimated what young
children can do.
ïź Very young children can keep track of three or
four items and may be able to conserve when a
small number of things are used.
ïź Piagetâs theory does not explain how some
youngsters are able to think abstractly (such as
children who are expert chess players).
26. Limitations of Piagetâs theory
ïź The theory does not account for the effect
of culture on cognition.
ïź Western people go through something like
Piagetâs stages because our schools and
culture demand this type of thinking. But
this kind of thinking may not be
characteristic of mature people in other
cultures.
27. Relationship of Development and
Learning
Development Piaget Learning
Piaget: development precedes learning. Development is creating the
schemes through adaptation and accommodation while learning is
creating the associations within the schemes..
28. Implications for teachers: Piaget
ïź We need to understand and build on
student thinking.
ïź Students need opportunities to construct
their knowledgeâto try things out for
themselves.
ïź âPlay is childrenâs workâ (Montessori).
Play helps children to develop their
cognitive abilities.