1. 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

2. 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

3. 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.

4. Intrinsic Activity and Schemas (II) Assimilation & Accommodation

5. Intrinsic Activity and Schemas (III)
Equilibrium, Disequilibrium, Accommodation, Assimilation
equilibrium; disequilibrium; accommodation; assimilation
You have learned to drive a car with an automatic transmission, and you’re very comfortable driving a variety of cars.
Then, you are asked to help a friend move, and your friend asks you to drive her car to her new location as she drives a moving truck. However, the car has a stick shift, and you’re very uncomfortable trying to drive it. Your friend helps you get started, and finally you’re able to manage and you’re now able to drive vehicles with both automatic transmissions and with stick shifts.
Sometime later, you help another friend move, and he has a pickup truck with a stick shift. Now, you’re able to comfortably drive the pickup truck.

6. 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)

7. 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)

8. 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)

9. 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”)

10. Piaget Summary

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