Cognitive Development
Theory
Proposed by: Jean Piaget Year: 1936
Also called: Subject: Chapter:
Cognitive Psychology Lifespan
Constructivism Development
Overview
The Theory of Cognitive Development is the most comprehensive lifespan
development theory given by Jean Piaget in 1936. It describes how children's
cognitive abilities evolve and how they actively construct their understanding
of the world through experience.
Cognitive Development Theory
Cognitive development means the growth of a child's ability to think and
reason. According to Piaget, children are not born with cognitive abilities. They
develop these abilities by exploring the environment through their perceptual
and motor activities. He posits that children are "little scientists" who
actively construct knowledge by interacting with their environment.
Constructivist Approach
Piaget's theory is also known as the constructivist approach because:
, Children are the active learners who build knowledge from exploration
and interaction with their environment, rather than being passive
recipients of information
They actively build and refine psychological structures, i.e, organized way
to make sense of their unique experiences.
They might modify and change these structures accordingly to
understand new things.
Children discover or construct all the knowledge about the world through
their own activity, hence Piaget’s theory is known as the constructivist
approach of development.
Characteristics of the Stages of Cognitive Development
The stages can be generalized, that is, all aspects of cognitive
development would follow the same pattern.
The stages are invariant, which means that they would always rigidly
follow a fixed sequence and no stage can be skipped.
The stages are universal, meaning that all children everywhere will follow
the described pattern of cognitive development.
Important Concepts in Piaget’s theory
1. Schemas: Schemas are cognitive frameworks that help individuals
organize and interpret information based on their past experiences.
According to Piaget, behavioral schemas (physical activities) involving
sensorimotor action patterns characterize infancy- such as sucking,
grasping etc.
2. Mental Representation: The child develops the ability to keep mental
picture of an event even beyond immediate experience, as he grows up.
This signifies the transition of the schemas from simple sensorimotor
actions towards cognitive actions as the baby begins to manipulate
information mentally. The mental representations are of two kinds:
a. Images: Mental pictures of objects, people and spaces
b. Concepts: Mental categories in which similar objects or events are
Theory
Proposed by: Jean Piaget Year: 1936
Also called: Subject: Chapter:
Cognitive Psychology Lifespan
Constructivism Development
Overview
The Theory of Cognitive Development is the most comprehensive lifespan
development theory given by Jean Piaget in 1936. It describes how children's
cognitive abilities evolve and how they actively construct their understanding
of the world through experience.
Cognitive Development Theory
Cognitive development means the growth of a child's ability to think and
reason. According to Piaget, children are not born with cognitive abilities. They
develop these abilities by exploring the environment through their perceptual
and motor activities. He posits that children are "little scientists" who
actively construct knowledge by interacting with their environment.
Constructivist Approach
Piaget's theory is also known as the constructivist approach because:
, Children are the active learners who build knowledge from exploration
and interaction with their environment, rather than being passive
recipients of information
They actively build and refine psychological structures, i.e, organized way
to make sense of their unique experiences.
They might modify and change these structures accordingly to
understand new things.
Children discover or construct all the knowledge about the world through
their own activity, hence Piaget’s theory is known as the constructivist
approach of development.
Characteristics of the Stages of Cognitive Development
The stages can be generalized, that is, all aspects of cognitive
development would follow the same pattern.
The stages are invariant, which means that they would always rigidly
follow a fixed sequence and no stage can be skipped.
The stages are universal, meaning that all children everywhere will follow
the described pattern of cognitive development.
Important Concepts in Piaget’s theory
1. Schemas: Schemas are cognitive frameworks that help individuals
organize and interpret information based on their past experiences.
According to Piaget, behavioral schemas (physical activities) involving
sensorimotor action patterns characterize infancy- such as sucking,
grasping etc.
2. Mental Representation: The child develops the ability to keep mental
picture of an event even beyond immediate experience, as he grows up.
This signifies the transition of the schemas from simple sensorimotor
actions towards cognitive actions as the baby begins to manipulate
information mentally. The mental representations are of two kinds:
a. Images: Mental pictures of objects, people and spaces
b. Concepts: Mental categories in which similar objects or events are
