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? 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 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/piaget.htm http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/f/cogpsych.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