Infancy and Childhood

Chapter 10

Essential Question:

What is Piaget’s Theory of

Cognitive Development

Cognitive Development

• Development

of People’s

thought

processes

• There are two

theories

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive

Development

• Organize new

information in

two ways:

–Assimilation

–Accommodation

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive

Development

• Assimilation-

process by which

new information is

placed into

categories that

already exist.

• Example: Dog

knowledge

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive

Development

• Accommodation-

change brought about

because of new

information.

• Example: Cat

Sequence of Piaget’s Theory of

Cognitive development

1.Sensorimotor

2.Preoperational

3.Concrete-Operational

4.Formal Operational

Sequence of Piaget’s Theory of

Cognitive development

• Sensorimotor Stage- coordinate

sensation and perception with motor

activity

– Object permanence- the understanding

that objects exist even when they

cannot be seen or touched.

• Before 6 months, out of sight out of mind

• Around 8 months, know that the object still

exists

Games like “Peek a boo” entertain children because they

Share the knowledge that the object (or person) will be there

After “disappearing”

Sequence of Piaget’s Theory of

Cognitive development

• Preoperational Stage- Child uses

words and symbols (language) to

represent objects.

– Law of Conservation- law that says

that keep properties of substances, such

as their weight, volume, and number

stay the same even if there shape

arrangement changes (properties

conserved)

• Example of the law of

conservation

– Child will be shown

two graduated

cylinders of water.

They are told that the

cylinders contain the

same amount of fluid

– The fluid from one is

poured into a beaker.

– The child will indicate

that the tall graduated

cylinder will have

more fluid in it.

Sequence of Piaget’s Theory of

Cognitive development

• Preoperational

Stage-

– Egocentrism- inability

to see another

person’s point of view.

– Example: a child

thinking the sun goes

down when the child

goes to sleep. The

sun comes up when

the child gets up.

Sequence of Piaget’s Theory of

Cognitive development

• Concrete-Operational Stage

–Starts around the age of seven

• Children begin to show signs of adult

thinking. Have problems with abstract

ideas. (this is why teachers give a lot of

hands on work at this age)

• Begin to understand laws of conservation

• Begin to see the world from other’s point

of view

Sequence of Piaget’s Theory of

Cognitive development

• Formal Operational Stage-

–Begins at puberty and

represents cognitive maturity

–Thinking abstractly

• Ex. What does “X” represent in an

algebraic formula

Criticism in Piaget’s Theory

• Underestimates

the abilities of

children

• Preschoolers

are less

egocentric as

Piaget thought

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral

Development • Levels of Moral Development:

• Level 1: preconventional morality – Stage 1: Individual obeys rules in order to avoid punishment.

– Stage 2: Individual conforms to society's rules in order to receive rewards.

• Level 2: conventional morality – Stage 3: Individual behaves morally in order to gain approval from

other people.

– Stage 4: Conformity to authority to avoid censure and guilt.

• Level 3: postconventional morality – Stage 5: Individual is concerned with individual rights and

democratically decided laws.

– Stage 6: Individual is entirely guided by his or her own conscience

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral

Development

• Cognitive

theory that

children

developed a

moral

reasoning