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Piaget's Stages Of Moral Development

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Adolescence is the transition between childhood and adulthood (Berk, 2014, p. 361). During adolescence, children and teenagers begin to form their identity, establishing who they are based on their values and goals (Berk, 2014, p. 361). Adolescence typically begins with puberty and is followed by changes in motor and cognitive development (Berk, 2014, p. 362). During adolescence, teenagers often experience Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development, Erikson’s Theory of Development, and Kohlberg’s 3 Levels of Moral Development. These theories and ideas have helped form the basis of normal adolescent development. Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development describes how the use of more advanced and abstract thinking occurs in a sequence for all children, …show more content…

382). Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development include the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operational stage (Gross, 2016). According to Piaget, people enter the formal operational stage at the age of 11, meaning they begin to develop the capacity to think abstractly, scientifically, and systematically (Berk, 2014, p. 382). Two major features of the formal operational stage include hypothetico-deductive reasoning and propositional thought. Hypothetico-deductive reasoning is similar to the scientific method in the sense that adolescents, when faced with a problem, form a hypothesis and test it using variables that they believe might affect the outcome of the problem (Berk, 2014, p. 382). They are able to separate or combine variables in a way that allows them to solve their problems in the real world (Berk, 2014, p. 382). Propositional thought, however, is an adolescent’s ability to determine the logic of a statement without referring to or re-creating real-world circumstances (Berk, 2014, 383). In addition to being able to think more scientifically and systematically, adolescents begin to learn how to interpret and observe others (Oswalt, 2010). They learn to observe other people’s behavior, comments, and expressions and use the information to make logical guesses as to what other people are thinking, feeling, or needing (Oswalt, 2010). Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development, in addition to an adolescent’s ability to learn how to interpret and observe others, are shown in the movie High School Musical. The first time Troy uses his ability to interpret and observe others is when Gabriella decides to audition for the school musical. Troy recognizes that this was important to Gabriella, which is why he offers to be her partner for the audition. Troy and Gabriella later use Piaget’s stage of

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