Cognitive Development and
Intelligence
Overview
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Piaget’s theory of development
Intelligence: definitions
Cultural issues with intelligence tests
Howard Gardner’s 8 intelligences
Emotional Intelligence
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive
Development
• Piaget believed that children’s minds were
very different from adults
• Child’s mind develops in a series of stages
• Schemas are built and experiences are
connected to them
– Assimilation
– Accommodation
Sensory-motor stage (age 0~2)
• World is understood based on direct
experience with senses and actions
• Development of object permanence
• How are infants studied?
Preoperational Stage (age 2~7)
• World is understood also by words and
images, and thoughts are intuitive
– Some symbolic understanding occurs (DeLoache
1987)
• Egocentrism and theory of mind
• Don’t understand concept of conservation
Concrete Operational Stage (age
7~11)
• Begin to grasp conservation
• Understand mathematical transformations
• Think to themselves in words to solve
problems
Formal Operational Stage (age 12~)
• Reasoning encompasses abstract thinking
• Able to follow logical syllogisms and solve new
problems based on rules
How good is Piaget’s theory?
• Studies around the world support basic sequence
• Stimulated a lot of interest and study in the
milestones of cognition
• Criticisms of ages of acquisition of abilities
• Stages vs. Continuous Development debate
What is intelligence?
• The ability to learn from experience, solve
problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new
situations
OR
• Whatever the ‘intelligence’ test is measuring
A brief history of intelligence testing
• Alfred Binet commissioned by French Government in
1904 to create an objective measure of child ability
in school
• Lewis Terman adapted this - became the StanfordBinet
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) developed
by David Wechsler (also the WISC)
– Separates verbal comprehension,perceptual organization,
working memory, and processing speed
Cultural Issues with Intelligence
Testing
• Racial groups differ in their average scores on
intelligence tests
• High scoring people (and groups) are more
likely to attain high levels of education and
income
• Issues with the tests?
Howard Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences
• Based on case studies, cross-cultural research,
and differences in normal abilities
• Seem to have a neural basis
Gardner’s 8 Intelligences
1. Linguistic
5. Spatial
2. Logical-mathematical
6. Interpersonal
3. Musical
7. Intrapersonal
4. Body-kinesthetic
8. Naturalist
Emotional Intelligence