Jean Piaget &
Cognitive Psychology
By,
Janelly Perez
Who is Jean Piaget?
• Jean Piaget was born on August 9, 1896
• He began showing an interest in natural science
at the age of 11
• He identified himself as a genetic epistemologist
• “He suggested that children sort the knowledge
they acquire through their experiences and
interactions into groupings known as schemas. “
(Jean Piaget Biography)
• He is best known today for the research he had
on cognitive psychology
• also known as the stages that children pass
through as they are developing (intelligence and
formal thought processes)
What is Cognitive Psychology?
• According to the website article, What is Cognitive Psychology,
“Cognitive psychology is the branch of psychology that studies
mental processes including how people think, perceive,
remember, and learn. As part of the larger field of cognitive
science, this branch of psychology is related to other
disciplines including neuroscience, philosophy, and linguistics.”
• In other words;
• It Is the branch of psychology which studies how people
•
•
•
•
•
Think
Perceive
Remember
Learn
How people acquire, process, and store information
How is Cognitive Psychology
different from others?
Cognitive Psychology
Behaviorism and Psychoanalysis
• Focuses on internal
mental states
• Uses scientific research
methods to study the
mental processes in an
individual
• Focuses on observable
behavior and how
people react because of
their (behaviorism
• Relies on individual
perception
Cognitive Psychology and Child
Development
• After Jean Piaget received his doctorate degree he began a
career that would have a profound impact on psychology.
• He began to have an interest on the cerebral development on
children
• He believed that children are not less intelligent than adults;
they just simply think differently than them
• His Theory: Child Development
• Which are stages that children go through as they become
mentally mature
What is Child Development?
• Piaget’s theory of Child Development outline the
stages of intellectual development going from
infancy to adult-hood
• It includes the development of
• Thought
• Judgment
• Knowledge
In other words the stages people go through
mentally as they are growing up.
The Four Stages Of
Development
Sensorimotor Stage
• Time period: Birth through ages 18-24 months.
• During this stage, infants are only aware of what is
in front of them immediately
• They focus on
• What they see, are doing, and their physical
interactions with their surroundings
• Constantly experimenting with activities
• Shaking or throwing objects
• Putting things in their mouth
• Learning about their environment through trial and
error
• Memory development
• Crawling, standing, and walking which increase
their cognitive development
• Language Development
• Unable to consider anyone else’s needs, wants or
interest
Sensorimotor Stage
• Piaget’s ideas were centered on
the basis of a “schema”
• Mental representations/ideas
about what things are and how
we deal with them
• The first schema of an infant had
to do with movement
• Most of babies behavior is
triggered by certain stimuli (in
what they are reflexive)
• Weeks after birth a baby is able
to understand some of the
information he is receiving by
their instincts then learn to use
their muscles to move which are
known as “action schemas”
Preoperational Stage
• Time Period: Toddlerhood (18-24
months) through early childhood (age
7)
• Young children are about to think
about things through symbols
• Language use becomes more mature
• Develop memory and imagination
allowing them to
• Understand difference between past
and future
• Thinking is based on instincts but not
yet logical
• Cannot grasp complex concepts such
as
• Cause and effect
• Time
• Comparison
Preoperational Stage
• The article Piaget's Stages of
Cognitive Development states
that they are only able to
consider things from their own
perspective and believe that
everyone shares this view (ego
centric)
• They often assume that
everyone and everything is like
them (animism)
• For example everything and
everyone feels pain and has
emotions since they do
Concrete Operational Stage
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•
•
•
Time period: 7-12 year olds
Demonstrate logical solid reasoning
Become less self-centered
Increasingly aware of external
events
• Realize that each persons thoughts
and feelings are unique
• Develop operational thinking
• The ability to perform reversible
mental actions
• Cannot face and deal with a
problem that include many
variables
Formal Operational Stage
• Time period: Adolescence through
adulthood
• Able to logically use symbols
related to mental concepts such as
• Algebra and science
• They are able to think about
numerous variables at once
• In systematic ways
• Formulate a hypothesis
• As well as consider possibilities
(causes and effects)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRF27F2bn-A
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcwSlnNPaLY
In Conclusion
• Jean Piaget was a very interested man whom was fascinated in
how a child develops mentally. He did not believe that baby’s
were less intelligent than an adult; he believed they just
thought differently. He went on to creating his theory of the
four stages of Child Development where he was able to
identify the changes and changes as each stage passed by.
Mental processes change little by little until it gets to the
Formal Operation Stage where people are then able to grasp
logical operations, as well as rationalize.
WORKS CITED
• http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/pi
aget.htm
• http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/f/cogps
ych.htm
• http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/ss
/early-childhood-development_3.htm
• http://children.webmd.com/piaget-stages-of-development
• http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/DLiT/2000/Piaget/stages
.htm