Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
AO1
• we learn through trial and error
• Maturation - how some biological processes become more available as we grow
• Environment - how the environment influences our behaviour
• Schemas - cognitive & behavioural
• Assimilation - applying existing schemas on new info
• Accommodation - when new info does not align with existing schemas so you adapt existing
schemas to fit with new info
• Disequilibrium - unpleasant feeling when new info does not align with existing schemas
• Restore mental balance through accommodation
AO3
• oversimplified explanation
◦focuses on the individual’s own learning
◦Vygotsky’s theory highlights the role of others - scaffolding
• Methodology issues
◦most of Piaget’s research was conducted on primary school children attached to his university
◦Most were middle class and well educated children
◦Low population validity due to sample
• Real life app
◦discovery learning
◦Emphasis on the role of trial & error & learning independently
, Piaget’s stages
AO1
1. 0-2 yrs sensorimotor
A. object permanence - the ability to recognise that objects still exist even when out of sight (at
8m old)
B. Links to s&s anxiety
C. 10m - A not B error - infants tend to search for objects where they originally belong despite
seeing it being moved elsewhere
2. 2-7 yrs pre-operational
A. unable to conserve volume
a. researcher pours a glass of blue water into another glass of a different shape, infant is
asked whether the volume of water in the new glass is the same as in the old one
b. Infants would say no because they are still developing the ability of volume conservation
c. Counter research from Donaldson: the action of transferring the glass of blue water to
another glass of different appearance elicits a demand characteristic for the infant to
say that there has been a change to the volume of the water
B. Egocentrism
a. Three Mountains Task: researcher prepares a model of three mountains of different
heights and 4 drawings representing pov of the three mountains from each of the 4
sides
b. Children asked to pick out the drawing that best represents their own pov. Then the
researcher puts a doll facing another pov and children are asked what the doll would
see
c. Children under 6 y/o unable to recognise that the doll has a diff pov
d. Counter research - Donaldson: task is not realistic enough - if a police doll and naughty
boy doll is used children are able to identify a diff pov
C. Class inclusion - the ability to recognise objects have subsets and belong to subsets
themselves
a. 7-8 y/o children are presented with 5 dogs and 2 cats. They are asked whether there
were more dogs or animals - most replied there were more dogs
b. Children at this stage are unable to account for the dog as an animal because they
cannot place things in more than 1 class
c. Counter research from Siegler & Sventina: 100 5 y/o from Slovenia asked same
question, able to identify dogs as subgroup of animals
3. 7-11 yrs concrete operational
A. able to think logically but lack abstract thinking
B. Research support from Schaffer: asked children where they wanted a third eye. 9 y/o said
forehead but 11 y/o come up w more creative answers such as back of arm
4. 11+ yrs formal operational
A. abstract thinking - deductive reasoning & drawing conclusions
B. Think like a scientist
C. Idealistic thinking & imaginations
AO3
• counter research / research support for each of the abilities
• Piaget’s methodology issues
• Real life app & tailoring edu material
Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development
AO1
• we learn through trial and error
• Maturation - how some biological processes become more available as we grow
• Environment - how the environment influences our behaviour
• Schemas - cognitive & behavioural
• Assimilation - applying existing schemas on new info
• Accommodation - when new info does not align with existing schemas so you adapt existing
schemas to fit with new info
• Disequilibrium - unpleasant feeling when new info does not align with existing schemas
• Restore mental balance through accommodation
AO3
• oversimplified explanation
◦focuses on the individual’s own learning
◦Vygotsky’s theory highlights the role of others - scaffolding
• Methodology issues
◦most of Piaget’s research was conducted on primary school children attached to his university
◦Most were middle class and well educated children
◦Low population validity due to sample
• Real life app
◦discovery learning
◦Emphasis on the role of trial & error & learning independently
, Piaget’s stages
AO1
1. 0-2 yrs sensorimotor
A. object permanence - the ability to recognise that objects still exist even when out of sight (at
8m old)
B. Links to s&s anxiety
C. 10m - A not B error - infants tend to search for objects where they originally belong despite
seeing it being moved elsewhere
2. 2-7 yrs pre-operational
A. unable to conserve volume
a. researcher pours a glass of blue water into another glass of a different shape, infant is
asked whether the volume of water in the new glass is the same as in the old one
b. Infants would say no because they are still developing the ability of volume conservation
c. Counter research from Donaldson: the action of transferring the glass of blue water to
another glass of different appearance elicits a demand characteristic for the infant to
say that there has been a change to the volume of the water
B. Egocentrism
a. Three Mountains Task: researcher prepares a model of three mountains of different
heights and 4 drawings representing pov of the three mountains from each of the 4
sides
b. Children asked to pick out the drawing that best represents their own pov. Then the
researcher puts a doll facing another pov and children are asked what the doll would
see
c. Children under 6 y/o unable to recognise that the doll has a diff pov
d. Counter research - Donaldson: task is not realistic enough - if a police doll and naughty
boy doll is used children are able to identify a diff pov
C. Class inclusion - the ability to recognise objects have subsets and belong to subsets
themselves
a. 7-8 y/o children are presented with 5 dogs and 2 cats. They are asked whether there
were more dogs or animals - most replied there were more dogs
b. Children at this stage are unable to account for the dog as an animal because they
cannot place things in more than 1 class
c. Counter research from Siegler & Sventina: 100 5 y/o from Slovenia asked same
question, able to identify dogs as subgroup of animals
3. 7-11 yrs concrete operational
A. able to think logically but lack abstract thinking
B. Research support from Schaffer: asked children where they wanted a third eye. 9 y/o said
forehead but 11 y/o come up w more creative answers such as back of arm
4. 11+ yrs formal operational
A. abstract thinking - deductive reasoning & drawing conclusions
B. Think like a scientist
C. Idealistic thinking & imaginations
AO3
• counter research / research support for each of the abilities
• Piaget’s methodology issues
• Real life app & tailoring edu material
Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development
