1. Human Development
Jean Piaget
Cognitive Psychologist
Theory of Cognitive Development
cognitive abilities develop through four specific stages
children actively construct knowledge as they explore and manipulate the world around them

2. Stage 1: Sensorimotor Stage (b-2 yrs)
infants “think” by manipulating the world around them
done by using all five senses: seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling
Eg., pulling a block to see what happens
Object permanence
understanding that even if something is out of sight, it still exists
deferred imitation - ability to reproduce or repeat a previously-witnessed action later on
language

3. Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 yrs)
children can use symbols to represent words, images, and ideas
why children in this stage engage in pretend play
Logical thinking is still not present
Egocentric  unable to take on the perspective of others
think that everyone sees, thinks, and feels just like they do

4. Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 yrs)
child’s reasoning becomes focused and logical
Conservation  ability to recognize that key properties of a substance do not change even as their physical appearance may be altered
begin to organize objects by classes and subclasses
- perform mathematical operations and understand transformations, such as addition is the opposite of subtraction and multiplication is the opposite of division

5. end of stage, child will develop true mental operations
Reversibility - idea that something can be changed back to its original state after it has been altered (eg., pouring water back and forth between two differently shaped glasses and still having the same amount of water)
Transitivity - concept of relation (eg., if A is related to B and B is related to C, then A must also be related to C)
Assimilation - absorption of new ideas, information, or experiences into a person’s existing cognitive structure, or what they already know or understand of the world (adding new schemes into existing schemes)

6. Formal Operational Stage (11 - adult)
develop the ability to think in abstract ways
child engage in the problem-solving method of developing a hypothesis and reasoning their way to plausible solutions
child can think of abstract concepts
ability to combine various ideas to create new ones
can create hypothetical ideas to explain various concepts.

8. Now we are almost ready for Kohlberg!
Piaget believed starting about yrs, children approach morality
Young child regard rules as fixed and absolute (cannot change them)
rules are handed down by adults or by God
older child’s view is more relativistic
understands that it is okay to change rules if everyone agrees
Rules are not sacred and absolute but are tools humans use to get along cooperatively
younger children base their moral judgments more on consequences
older children base their judgments on intentions

9. Lawrence Kohlberg - Stages of Moral Reasoning
Believed people progressed in their moral reasoning
foundation for ethical behavior
series of six identifiable stages that could be more generally classified into three levels
progression through these stages was one stage at a time – NO SKIPPING stages
Level 1 - Pre-Conventional (b-9)
a. Obedience and punishment
orientation
b. Self-interest orientation

10. Level 2 - Conventional (10 - adolescence)
c. Interpersonal accord and
conformity (a.k.a. The
good boy/good girl
attitude)
d. Authority and social-
order maintaining
orientation (a.k.a. Law
and order morality)
Level 3 - Post-Conventional (adulthood)
e. Social contract
orientation
f. Universal ethical
principles (a.k.a.
Principled conscience)

11. Stage 1: Respect for power and punishment
young child decides what to do--what is right--according to what he/she wants to do and can do without getting into trouble
to be right, must be obedient to the people in power and, thus, avoid punishment
Motto: “Might makes right.”

12. Stage 2: Looking out for #1
Child tend to be self-serving
lack respect for the rights of others
but may give “rights” to others on the assumption that they will get as much or more in return.
No loyalty, gratitude, or justice
Motto: “What’s in it for me?”

13. Stage 3: Being a “Good Boy” or “Nice Girl”
People at this stage shift from pleasing themselves to pleasing important others (parents, teachers, or friends)
seek approval and conform to someone else’s expectations
when accused wrongdoing, reaction is likely to be “everyone else is doing it” or “I didn’t mean it”
Motto: “I want to be nice.”

14. Stage 4: Law and order thinking
By 16 years people generally have internalized society’s rules about how to behave
feel obligated to conform
see it as important to do one’s duty to maintain social order
leaders are right
individuals follow rules without considering the underlying ethical principles
social control exercised through guilt associated with breaking a rule
People at this stage believe that anyone breaking the rules deserves to be punished
Motto: “I’ll do my duty”

15. Stage 5: Justice through democracy
MOST People do not get here!
recognize the underlying moral purposes of laws and social customs
laws may be changed
social contract that best serves the most people, while protecting the basic rights of everyone
respect for the law and a sense of obligation to live by the rules, as long as they fulfill an ethical purpose
only about 20-25% of today’s adults ever reach this stage
Motto: “I’ll live by the rules or try to change them.”