EDU 330: Educational Psychology Daniel Moos, PhD Development of Cognition and Language: Introduction to Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development EDU 330: Educational Psychology Daniel Moos, PhD

Assumptions of Piaget’s Theory Intrinsic Activity Constantly search for equilibrium Schemas Cognitive framework that helps interpret information (Horse: has four legs, legs, tall) Stage theory Students of different ages think qualitatively differently Role of adults and children Teachers should put students in a position of disequilibrium

Intrinsic Activity and Schemas (I) 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.

Sensorimotor (birth – 2) Stage Theory (I) Sensorimotor (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 (object permanence)

Begin to interact symbolically Vocabulary substantially increases Stage Theory (II) Preoperational (2 - 7) Begin to interact symbolically Vocabulary substantially increases Grammatical and sentence construction moves to sentences Several cognitive limitations persist, including: Egocentricity Perceptual Centration Inability to conserve (examples)

Concrete Operational (7 - 11) Stage Theory (III) Concrete Operational (7 - 11) Conservation understood Empathy possible (Theory of Mind) More likely to obey logical rules Jane is taller than Kim and Kim is taller than Sue. Who is tallest? (transitivity)

Formal Operational (11 onward) Stage Theory (IV) Formal Operational (11 onward) Change in Scientific Reasoning: Deductive & inductive reasoning Not restricted to previously acquired facts: 2x + 5 = 9…..2x + 5 = 11 Thinking like a scientist: generate hypotheses and systematically test them using experiments Reflective abstraction Acquire new information as a result of internal reflection (“Thinking about thinking”)

Piaget Summary

Piaget: Criticisms Underestimates Children’s Capabilities Overestimates Adolescents’ Capabilities Vague Explanations for Cognitive Growth Cultural Differences 8