The Developments Of Jean Piaget's Cognitive And Social Development

The early years of a child’s life are important for several reasons. One of these reasons is the early years are a very impressionable time. It is at this time the children are somewhat like sponges. Another reason is they are absorbing everything in their environment. A solid foundation in the early years can influence a child’s adult life. It is in the early years that a child’s brain is developing at a speedy pace (UNICEF, 2013). According to UNICEF (2013), “Early years of childhood form the basis of intelligence, personality, social behavior, and capacity to learn and nurture oneself as an adult”.

This assignment will discuss the main theories of child development and discuss the main principles across all area of development. The assignment will also evaluate an observation conducted on a child and link their behaviour to relevant child development theories. The assignment will firstly highlight some child development theories from behaviourists such as Bandura, humanists such as Maslow and constructivists such as Piaget. Secondly the child’s observation will be discussed and evaluated here relevant link to development theories will be made. Lastly the assignment will finish off with a reflection. Jennie Lindon defines development as” the sequence of physical and psychological changes experienced by human beings, which start with conception and continue throughout life.”(Jennie Lindon 2012:5) the early year’s foundation stage (EYTS) framework states that there are seven areas of learning and development however they view some are more important these are called the prime areas of development. There are three prime areas of development these are: communication and language, physical development, personal social and emotional development. The EYFS also states that “children develop in different ways at different times” (Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage 2014) which is why the development matters promote the message that every child is unique and has their own way of learning. (Development matters in the Early years Foundation Stage (EYFS) 2012)

Jean Piaget was a theorist that focused on individual’s mental processes (Rathus, S., & Longmuir, S., 2011, p.10). Piaget analyzed how children distinguish and mentally show the world and how there, logic, thinking and problem-solving ability is developed (Rathus, S., & Longmuir, S., 2011, p.10). Piaget believed that children’s cognitive processes develop in an orderly sequence (Rathus, S., & Longmuir, S., 2011, p.10). It has 4 stages such as, sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and, formal operational (Rathus, S., & Longmuir, S., 2011, p.11). In this paper, I will discuss how Piaget developed his theory and how toys can meet each need during the 4 specific stages.

Jean Piaget developed a systematic study of cognitive development. He conducted a theory that all children are born with a basic mental structure. He felt that their mental structure is genetically inherited and their learning evolved from subsequent learning and knowledge. Piaget’s theory is different from other theories and he was the first to study a child’s learning by using a systematic study of cognitive development. His theory was only concerning the learning of children, their development and not how they learn. He proposed stages of development marked more by qualitative differences than by a gradual increase in number and complexities of behavior or concepts. His goal for his theory was to explain the mechanisms a child uses from the infant stage to the growing child who develops into a thinking and reasoning individual when reasoning and using hypotheses. His theory was that cognitive development was how the brain reorganized mental processes over time due to biological maturation and the experiences they have in an environment. The three basic components to Piaget’s cognitive theory is schemas, adaption processes that allow the child to transition from one stage to another, and the four different stages of development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational.

First, Jean Piaget determinated important facts about children’s development. According to Saul McLeod, before Piaget started his research, psychologists thought that children were just not as intelligent as adults. Nevertheless, after observing his own children, Piaget discovered that children do not think like adults, and that they are intelligent in their own manner. Thinking that way, he elaborated a theory in which he said that children develop the ability to learn different things according to their age. This information is crucial, because it explains how children progress. Therefore, Piaget

Barrouillet, P. (2015). Theories of cognitive development: From Piaget to today. Developmental Review, 381-12. doi:

Jean Piaget was a theorist who focused on mental processes of children (Rathus & Longmuir, 2015, p. 10). He inquired into the processes of how children understand the world and in what ways they think, apply their logic and their problem- solving ability (Rathus & Longmuir, 2015, p. 10). Piaget considered children as natural physicists who want to actively learn and control their world (Rathus & Longmuir, 2015, p. 10). He used concepts such as schemes, adaptation, assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration to explain cognitive development (Rathus & Longmuir, 2015, p. 11). Piaget identified the cognitive processes of children in an orderly sequence of four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational (Rathus

Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is a theory used to analyze and understand human development and behavior. His theory is broken up into four stages: Sensorimotor, which lasts from 0 to 2 years of age, Preoperational, which lasts from 2 to 7 years of age, Concrete Operational, which lasts from 7 to 11 years of age, and lastly, Formal Operational, which the child enters at 11 years of age and stays in throughout adulthood (Santrock, 2010, p.24). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is important because it stimulated the entire field of research and it still remains the most influential theory of cognitive development. Throughout my study, I will be focusing on the Preoperational stage, and more specifically, the concepts of

Jean Piaget is considered to be very influential in the field of developmental psychology. Piaget had many influences in his life which ultimately led him to create the Theory of Cognitive Development. His theory has multiple stages and components. The research done in the early 1900’s is still used today in many schools and homes. People from various cultures use his theory when it comes to child development. Although there are criticisms and alternatives to his theory, it is still largely used today around the world.

In this essay I want to analyse Jean Piaget’s (1936) stage theory of cognitive development and Erik Erikson’s (1959) theory on stage development. Piaget’s theory focuses on cognitive development where Erikson’s applies a more psychosocial lens. I will be analysing the key concepts of each theory and comparing them to see the similarities and differences in the theorists thinking.

Every human being begins developing in one way or another, from the moment they come into this world. Development and all its aspects begin in infancy and continue throughout one’s entire lifetime. It is a common belief that infants and young children are influenced by the environment that surrounds them. Cognitive and social aspects of development are shaped and molded at an early age, as well as language, speech, perception, and motor skills. A young child’s life is influenced by parents and family members, which is why they have a significant impact on the child’s development. When a

First and foremost, Jean Piaget can be considered a pioneer in psychology. His theory is considered one of the most influential and comprehensive theories of cognitive development. This theory focuses on how nature and development influence human intelligence. Piaget also describes how crucial a child’s environment is when the child is maturing and interacting with changes throughout their life. Different life changes can teach a child right or wrong, cause and effect, and a comprehensive learning about how time and space work. In Piaget’s theory, he discusses the four stages to cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. The sensorimotor stage is how a child orients himself with the constant physical movements and actions along with a corresponding stimulus representing the same thing. Therefore, a child is only aware of something that is right in front of them. For example, the constant

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development Very briefly describe Piaget’s stages of cognitive development and explain what he meant by saying that young children are egocentric. Use experimental evidence to consider this claim. Cognitive development is what psychologists talk about when discussing a child’s intellectual growth. Jean Piaget (1896 to 1980), a Swiss psychologist developed a theory of cognitive development, which is still much discussed and critiqued today. Providing a firm building block to all work done in the study of child development and the concept that young children are egocentric.

Jean Piaget proposed his theory of cognitive development in his book ‘The Origins of Intelligence in Children’ (1952). In this theory, he divided cognitive development into a series of stages and periods based on the fundamental assumption that children are mentally active from the moment of birth, a controversial concept at the time since it was previously believed that until a child could communicate that they were not mentally active. His theory can be described as constructivist, meaning that children construct knowledge themselves in response to their experiences. He based his theory primarily on interactions with his own children and additional interviews with other children yet has stood the test of time, remaining the most well known cognitive developmental theory, encompassing a diverse range of topics within children’s development from the first days of infancy through to adolescence.

Jean Piaget, a cognitivist, believed children progressed through a series of four key stages of cognitive development. These four major stages, sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational, are marked by shifts in how people understand the world. Although the stages correspond with an approximate age, Piaget’s stages are flexible in that if the child is ready they can reach a stage. Jean Piaget developed the Piagetian cognitive development theory. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development proposes that a child’s intellect, or cognitive ability, progresses through four distinct stages. The emergence of new abilities and ways of processing information characterize each stage. Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that children move through four different stages of mental development. His theory focuses not only on understanding how children acquire knowledge, but also on understanding the nature of intelligence.