1. A Brief Introduction to Piaget’s Theory Prof. Jack Bauer University of Dayton Prof. Jack Bauer University of Dayton

2. First Things to Know One of 20th century’s most influential theorists in the sciences & beyond Piaget’s interests: Knowledge (epistemology) Knowledge is a system of mental representations Dev’t of knowledge (“genetic epistem.”) Not to be confused with David Letterman One of 20th century’s most influential theorists in the sciences & beyond Piaget’s interests: Knowledge (epistemology) Knowledge is a system of mental representations Dev’t of knowledge (“genetic epistem.”) Not to be confused with David Letterman

4. What Knowledge Does Organization: Brings order to experience Adaptation: Helps to interact with and adjust to the world Assimilation: Compare & contrast one’s past knowledge to new info Accommodtion: Reconstruct one’s past knowledge to incorporate new info Organization: Brings order to experience Adaptation: Helps to interact with and adjust to the world Assimilation: Compare & contrast one’s past knowledge to new info Accommodtion: Reconstruct one’s past knowledge to incorporate new info

5. How Knowledge Develops Knowledge emerges from action Child actively constructs knowledge –Not “absorbs” it Cog. abilities develop progressively What is cognitive development? –Increasing capacity to differentiate & integrate information –Increasing capacity to generate knowledge Knowledge emerges from action Child actively constructs knowledge –Not “absorbs” it Cog. abilities develop progressively What is cognitive development? –Increasing capacity to differentiate & integrate information –Increasing capacity to generate knowledge

6. Overview of Four Stages Sensorimotor Stage Born with reflexes, not thoughts Actions & perception get more complex Traces of memory become more permanent Preoperational Stage Simple knowledge (what things are) Fuzzy or sporadic logic Concrete Operations Stage Logical reasoning for observable world Formal Operations Stage Logical reasoning for abstract world Complex possibilities, underlying motives Sensorimotor Stage Born with reflexes, not thoughts Actions & perception get more complex Traces of memory become more permanent Preoperational Stage Simple knowledge (what things are) Fuzzy or sporadic logic Concrete Operations Stage Logical reasoning for observable world Formal Operations Stage Logical reasoning for abstract world Complex possibilities, underlying motives

7. Sensorimotor Stage Start w/ reflex motions (not thoughts!) With experience, those motions come under control & are combined with different stimuli Then planned actions in present moment Gradual acquisition of object knowledge i.e., knowledge/memory that things exist More familiar things 1 st, then less familiar Object permanence in 2 nd year of life Mental representations formed routinely for all things Overall: Traces of procedural “knowledge” build into enduring mental representations Start w/ reflex motions (not thoughts!) With experience, those motions come under control & are combined with different stimuli Then planned actions in present moment Gradual acquisition of object knowledge i.e., knowledge/memory that things exist More familiar things 1 st, then less familiar Object permanence in 2 nd year of life Mental representations formed routinely for all things Overall: Traces of procedural “knowledge” build into enduring mental representations

8. Preoperational Stage Roughly ages 2-7 (more at: pre-school years) Child knows what things are but has limited logic for how they operate e.g., “fantasy play” w/ toys & story characters Egocentrism: Limited perspective-taking Stage ends with conservation General understanding that things can change form but still be the same thing Roughly ages 2-7 (more at: pre-school years) Child knows what things are but has limited logic for how they operate e.g., “fantasy play” w/ toys & story characters Egocentrism: Limited perspective-taking Stage ends with conservation General understanding that things can change form but still be the same thing

9. Concrete Operations Stage Roughly ages 7-12 (grade-school years) Child can reason logically about the concrete (i.e., observable) world Interested in how things, people etc. work Classifies everything into categories, rules, roles Stage ends when child generally thinks logically about the abstract world also Roughly ages 7-12 (grade-school years) Child can reason logically about the concrete (i.e., observable) world Interested in how things, people etc. work Classifies everything into categories, rules, roles Stage ends when child generally thinks logically about the abstract world also

10. Formal Operations Stage Roughly ages 12 on up Can think about complex possibilities & alternatives Hypothetical/deductive reasoning Can ask “if...then...” about abstract things, like: variables complexities of relationships underlying values and ideologies self in the distant future Roughly ages 12 on up Can think about complex possibilities & alternatives Hypothetical/deductive reasoning Can ask “if...then...” about abstract things, like: variables complexities of relationships underlying values and ideologies self in the distant future

11. Discontinuous Stages? This is how Piaget’s theory is often characterized by people who aren’t specialists in Piaget Sen-mot Pre-op Con-op Form-op

12. Not-So-Discontinuous Stages Sen-mot Pre-op Con-op Form-op This is closer to how Piaget described his own stages—with substages

13. Continuous Stages Sen-mot Pre-op Con-op Form-op The line represents purely gradual/continous dev’t The ovals represent points along the line where functioning starts to look different than before The line represents purely gradual/continous dev’t The ovals represent points along the line where functioning starts to look different than before

14. Stages: Continuity & Discontinuity Sen-mot Pre-op Con-op Form-op This is how I tend to think of Piaget: Gradually increasing capacities to differentiate and integrate yield qualitatively advanced capacities to think

15. Final Notes on Piaget Focus on sequence of stages, not age Especially for personality development in adulthood Dev’t to next stage is indicated by routine functioning of the next stage’s abilities, not by the first signs of it Dev’t is not about how much info one has Rather, it’s about how complexly and integratively one knows Focus on sequence of stages, not age Especially for personality development in adulthood Dev’t to next stage is indicated by routine functioning of the next stage’s abilities, not by the first signs of it Dev’t is not about how much info one has Rather, it’s about how complexly and integratively one knows