Development of Cognition
and Language: Introduction
to Piaget’s Theory of
Cognitive Development
EDU 330: Educational Psychology
Daniel Moos
Intellectual Development (I)
Assumptions of Piaget’s Theory
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Stage theory
Role of adults and children
Schemes
Intrinsic Activity; Constantly searching for
equilibrium based on prior
experience/knowledge
Assumptions of Piaget’s Theory

Intrinsic Activity; Constantly searching for
equilibrium…example
Rocky slowly got up from the mat, planning his escape. He hesitated and
thought. Things were not going well. What bothered him most was being
held, especially since the charge against him had been weak. He
considered his present situation. The lock that held him was strong but
he thought he could break it. He knew, however, that his timing would
have to be perfect. Rocky was aware that it was because of his early
roughness that he been penalized so severely-much too severely from
his point of view. The situation was becoming frustrating; the pressure
had been grinding on him too long. Rocky was getting angry now. He felt
he was ready to make his move. He knew his success or failure would
depend on what he did in the next few seconds.
Summarize in two or three sentences….
Learning a result of disequilibrium
Assimilation
Accommodation
Practice: Mechanisms/processes in
Piaget’s Theory
equilibrium; disequilibrium; accommodation; assimilation
You have learned to drive a car with an automatic
transmission, and you’re very comfortable driving a variety of
cars.
Then, you are asked to help a friend move, and your friend
asks you to drive her car to her new location as she drives a
moving truck. However, the car has a stick shift, and you’re
very uncomfortable trying to drive it. Your friend helps you get
started, and finally you’re able to manage and you’re now able
to drive vehicles with both automatic transmissions and with
stick shifts.
Sometime later, you help another friend move, and he has
a pickup truck with a stick shift. Now, you’re able to
comfortably drive the pickup
Howtruck.
might this process translate to
learning in the classroom?
Sensorimotor Stage ( birth - 2)
1. Sensorimotor Period (birth – 2)
 Motor reflexes
 Cognition progresses from the exercise of
reflexes
 Child coordinates them into increasingly long
chains of behavior
 By the end of this period, the child understands that
objects continue to exist even when they are not seen
Preoperational Stage (2 -7)
2. Preoperational Period (2 - 7)
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Begin to interact symbolically
Vocabulary increases substantially
Grammatical and sentence construction moves to
sentences
Limitations to this period:
(1) Egocentricity
(2) Perceptual Centration
(3) Inability to conserve
(4) Video Examples:
(1) Youtube
(2) Casey
Concrete Operations (7 -11)
Achievements in Period:
- Conservation understood
- Empathy possible (Theory of Mind)
-
Example from Casey (Video)
- More likely to obey logical rules.
For example, “Jane is taller than Kim and Kim is
taller than Sue. Who is tallest?” (transitivity)
Formal Operations Period (11onward)
Achievements in Period:
 Change in Reasoning (Scientific reasoning)

Hypothetico-deductive reasoning (not restricted to
previously acquired facts)
 3x – 11 = 22
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Thinking like a scientist (Inductive reasoning)
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Children 11 and onward can generate hypotheses and
systematically test them using experiments
Thinking about thinking

Reflective abstraction: Acquire new information as a
result of internal reflection
Formal Operations Thinking:
Example
What is my rule???
Trial 1:
Trial 2:
Trial 3:
Trial 4:
Trial 5:
Trial 6:
Trial 7:
Trial 8:
Trial 9:
Trial 10:
Trial 11:
Trial 12:
Trial 13:
Trial 14:
M
D
O
F
Z
B
I
X
R
P
C
A
K
S
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
Does this meet my rule:
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Piaget Summary
Piaget: Cognitive Development
• Criticisms of Piaget’s Theory
 Underestimating Children’s
Capabilities
 Overestimating Adolescents’
Capabilities
 Vague Explanations for Cognitive
Growth
 Cultural Differences