Piaget’s Cognitive Development
Theory
Piaget
A Swiss psychologist who lived from 1896-1980
Most significant theorist when it comes to adolescence
Emphasizes how changes or growth in ways people
know, understand, and think about the world affect
behavior
Proposed that all people pass in a fixed sequence
through a series of universal stages
Four Stages of Cognitive
Development
Sensorimotor stage- birth to 2 years
Preoperational stage- 2 to 5 years
Concrete operational stage- 6 to 12 years
Formal operational stage- 12 to adulthood
Movement from one stage to the next occurs when an individual
reaches an appropriate level of physical maturation and is exposed
to relevant experiences
Schemes
Organized mental patterns that represent behaviors
and actions
In older children in adolescence, the schemes become
more sophisticated and abstract
Piaget suggested two principles underlie the growth
and schemes: assimilation and accommodation
Assimilation
The process by which people understand an experience
in terms of their current stage of cognitive
development and way of thinking
For example, Juno used a hamburger phone and if she
purchased a new mobile phone, she may have trouble
texting and calling on it. She will be able to figure it
out because it is similar to her previous scheme of
operating mobile phones.
“WTF
HAMBURGER
PHONE?!”
Accommodation
Changes in existing ways of thinking that occur in
response to encounters with new stimuli or events
For example, because Juno’s phone has new features
like adding contacts and sending text messages, she
may have difficulty using it at first, so she will have to
accommodate by reading instruction manual.
Formal Operational Stage
Ages 12 to adulthood
People develop the ability to think abstractly
Consider problems in the abstract rather than only in concrete
terms
Tests their understanding by carrying out basic experiments on
problems and situations
Formal Operational Stage
Hypotheticodeductive reasoning- adolescents start with a general theory
about what produces a particular outcome and then deduce
explanations for specific situations in which they see that particular
outcomes
1. Use your experience: Consider the problem and try to make sense of
it. Gather data and look for previous explanations. If this is a new
problem to you, then move to step 2.
2. Form a hypothesis: When nothing else is yet known, try to state an
explanation to someone else, or to your notebook.
3. Deduce predictions from the hypothesis: if you assume 2 is true, what
consequences follow?
4. Test: Look for evidence (observations) that conflict with these
predictions in order to disprove 2. It is a logical error to seek 3
directly as proof of 2.
Formal Operational Stage
Propositional thought- reasoning that uses abstract logic
in the absence of concrete examples
For example:
Pink is a girl color (premise)
That person is wearing pink (premise)
Therefore, that person is a girl (conclusion)
Inconsistencies of Formal
Operational Stage
Adolescents are cognitively lazy, relying on intuition
and mental shortcuts rather than formal reasoning
Culture differences affect adolescents (SES)
Consequences for Using FO
Leads to change in every day behavior
May lead them to question parents and other authority
figures
Advances in abstract thinking leads to greater idealism
making adolescents impatient with institutions such as
schools or governments
They may become more argumentative and indecisive
Evaluation of Piaget’s
Approach
Piaget suggests that cognitive development proceeds in
universal, step-like advances that occur at particular stages
The notion of stages proposed by Piaget suggests that
cognitive abilities do not grow gradually or smoothly.
Instead, by relatively rapid shifts from one stage to the next.
Because of the nature of the task Piaget employed to
measure cognitive abilities, critics suggest that he
underestimated the age at which certain capabilities emerge.
Evaluation of Piaget’s
Approach
Piaget had a relatively narrow view of what is meant by
thinking and knowing.
Some developmentalists have argued that formal
operations do not represent the epitome of thinking
and that more sophisticated forms of thinking do not
actually emerge until early adulthood.
Clip Time
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2811429145/
Characters
Formal Operational
“Development of logical and abstract thinking.” (pg.
78)
12 years of age until adulthood (25 Years of Age)
“All stages of cognitive development do not emerge
suddenly”(pg. 79)
Assimilation
Forms a scheme based on what you already know
Take in new information and incorporate them into our
perceived schemas/ beliefs.
Juno & Mark
Juno’s perception of love is defined by the
relationships around her.
Leah and boyfriend vs. Mark and Vanessa
“It’s got nothing to do with it. Vanessa and I aren’t in love
anymore.” –Mark
“ Well you were in love when you married her! And if you
‘re in love once you can be in love again. Like my friend
Leah who’s been with the same guy like, four different
times. You’re just not trying hard enough.”
-Juno
Students perception of Pregnancy
& Sex is Skewed
“Did you hear Juno McGuff is pregnant?” –Vijay
“Yep.” –Bleeker
“Just like our moms and teachers!” -Vijay
“I thought I might, you know, nip it in the bud before it gets
worse. Because I heard in health class that pregnancy often
results in an infant.” –Juno
“ Yeah, typically. That’s what happens when our moms and
teachers get pregnant.”
-Bleeker
Accommodation
•
Altering ones existing schemas and ideas as a result of new
information and experiences.
Juno and her options
When Juno realized that her options don’t consist of
simply abortion or suicide.
Adoption
Juno realizes that she has other options when Su-Chin
gives her new information on the growth process of the
child inside of Juno.
Help from Parents
Juno’s parents do not react as though she originally
thought.
Debt or legal needs Vs Pregnancy
Sexually Active
Term is not properly discussed with kids.
“What does that even mean? Can I deactivate someday,
or is this a permanent state of being? I guess Bleeker
went live that night we did it…that’s why he got that
look on his face.”
-Juno
Intervention
Comprehensive Sex Education
Program
Start young
Sex education is a life skill and not just a week long crash
course
Comprehensive Sex Education
Program
Comprehensive
If pregnancy is a problem, preaching abstinence won’t
help
Learn about abstinence, condoms, pills, shots, etc.
Learn they have options so they can be safe
Comprehensive Sex Education
Program
Learn what students believe vs. reality
Daily anonymous drop box for questions
Debunking myths
Pulling out doesn’t work, virgins can get pregnant on first
time, etc.
Comprehensive Sex Education
Program
Environment
Educator will be trained in the field
Comfortable teacher=Comfortable students
Nonthreatening presentation of information will lead to
more open acceptance
Why we chose this style of
intervention
Comprehension is key
Education, not prevention
Abstinence? Yeah, right.
Biology classes are good, but aren’t enough
Lessons throughout childhood are key
Personal experiences
Connecting it to Piaget
Start young!! Why you say??
According to Piaget we have learned that through the
educational years we go through three important
Operational Stages
Preoperational Stage
Concrete Operational Stage
Formal Operational Stage
Comprehensive
We are moving from concrete and specific to now
abstract concepts
Yet now we all know this abstract concept is still
developing till the age of 25
Ground floor of understanding
Debunking Myths
What we believe may be common knowledge or an
outrageous claim
Is something that all the children really believe is true
How We Learn
Finish