Piaget’s Theory on Cognitive Development

Namsheed.N.T

Introduction• Developed by Jean Piaget( 1896-1980), a swiss

biologist• His approach is known genetic epistemology

Basic Ideas• The principal goal; of education to create men who are capable

of doing new things.• The second aim of education is to form minds which can be

critical , can verify and do not accept everything they are offered.

• He writes “to understand is to invent”

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to the environment

The development of human intellectual abilities take place as a result of the organization and reorganization of certain pattern of behaviour called Schema

Adaptation takes place through the processes like Assimilation and Accommodation

Equilibration is the fundamental factor in development

Concepts Cognitive Structure

According to Piaget, the 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

SCHEMA They are the basic structural units of human

mind. They constitute organized pattern of

behaviour that an individual use in dealing with objects in his environment.

An infant’s first schemas represent those instincts and reflexes that are biologically inherited

As development proceeds , each pattern enlarges and changes.

It is co-ordianated with the other patterns to form more complex patterns.

Schema can be simple as well as complex

Cognitive functioning Intelligence 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. Assimilation2. Accommodation3. Equilibration

Assimilation First part of the two-part process of interaction

between external reality and the child’s own attained cognitive structure

Process of “fitting in” or becoming a part of existing cognitive organization

Individual uses his current schema to interpret the external world.

It take place when a previous experience is used to comprehend a new experience in its familiar forms.

Old schema does not change in the process

Example

When a child is engage in sucking, there is a certain pattern of movements of the cheeks, lipos and hands. When a child is confronted with a new object , he will try to understand the new object by applying his old scheme to it.

AccommodationIt involves modification or change

of some elements of an old scheme

Learning a new scheme which is more appropriate for the new object.

ExampleThe moment the child learns to

discriminate between a red shirt and a pink shirt , the pre-existing schema of red colour is accommodated with a new experience of identification of the shade of red , that is, pink colour.

EquilibrationFundamental factor in development

Adjustment process between the organism and the environment.

The process of maintaining balance between assimilation and accommodation

Optimal level of intellectual functioning takes place when there is balance between assimilation and accommodation

It is a progressive and self regulating

process

It leads step by step to a final state of reversibility that characterizes higher cognitive structures.

STAGES OF INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

IntroductionCognitive development arises as a

result of the interaction between the individual and the world

Passes through a series of sequential stages.

Piaget identified four major stages in the cognitive development of an individual

1) Sensory – Motor Stage (0-2 years)2) Pre-operational Stage (2-7 years)3) Concrete – Operational Stage ( 7-11

years)4) Formal operational stage (12-15

years)

The precise ages of each stage vary in different cultures and in different circumstances

But the sequence of the stages remains the same

According to Piaget the child moves from one stage to the next through the interaction of four factors – Equilibration, Maturation, Experience with physical objects and social interaction

Sensory – Motor StageBirth to 2 years

Infants construct their understanding of the world by co-ordinating sensory experiences with motor abilities

The stage is marked by sensation

Simple learning occurs

Through three kinds of circular reactions , the infant moves from blind repetition to repetition designed to make something last, and then on to active experimentation and some inventiveness

There are six sub stages of Sensory motor stages

1) Exercising ready- made sensory motor equipment 0-1 month Sucking, Crying, Elimination,

Gross bodily activity Assimilation and accommodation

are not differentiated

2) Primary circular reactions

1-4 months Stumbles on a new activity Repeats over and over Eg., grasps and lets go Assimilation and

accommodation become differentiated

3) Secondary circular reactions

4-8 monthsActs and waits for result to occur

Eg., shakes a rattle to hear the noise

Brief search for absent objectMoves towards intentionality or goal orientation

4) Co-ordination of secondary schemas

8-12 monthsTurns bottle to reach nippleSets an obstacle aside to reach desired object visible behind it

Imitates a novel response

5)Tertiary circular reactions

12-18 months

Explores new object in a kind of experimentation to find out in what respects object is new

Learn use of means to an end , such as reaching a watch on a pillow by pulling the pillow toward himself

6) Invention of new means through mental combinations

Solves a detour problem by going around a barrier even if it means temporarily moving away from the goal

Infers causes from observing effectsPredicts effects from observing causesInvents new applications of something

learned in a different context

The sensory motor stage is characterized by Object Permanence:

A new born baby does not realize object are permanent

“ Out of sight is out of mind” After 8 months, develops an understanding

that objects constitute to exist even if their hidden from view.

Causality learns that there is a relationship

between his actions and the external world.

Pre- operational stage 2 to 7 years The period of representative intelligence Operation refers to mental manipulation and

transformation of objects and information This stage is characterized by inability for

operations Language development is the important hall-

mark Do not understand concrete logic , cannot take

the popint of view of others, heavily influenced by their perceptions

The stage is characterized by1) Representational thought:2) Transductive reasoning3) Ego-centrism4) Animistic thinking5) Artificialism

CONCRETE OPERATIONAL SATGE 7-11 years Capacity for logical thought emerges Thought process is limited to real

events observed or actual objects handled

Cannot handle abstract experiences

Important mental abilities developed1) Inductive –Deductive reasoning2) Flexibility in thinking3) Understanding of the principle of

conservation4) Classification and serialisation5) Transitivity6) Reversibilty of thought

FORMAL OPERATIONAL STAGE

12-15 yearsThought process becomes quite systematic and reasonably well integrated

Important accomplishments

1)Ability to deal with abstraction

2)Hypothetico- Deductive reasoning

3)Systematic approach to solve problems

4)Use of abstract rules

5)Ability to transfer knowledge

EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

Development of ability based curriculum for children

Useful in providing learning experiences in tune with the mental abilities of the child

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