Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

Piaget's theory of cognitive development is a [blank_start]stage[blank_end] theory. There are [blank_start]four[blank_end] major stages: [blank_start]sensorimotor[blank_end] stage, [blank_start]pre[blank_end]-operational stage, [blank_start]concrete[blank_end] operational stage and [blank_start]formal[blank_end] operational stage. According to Piaget cognitive development was the result of [blank_start]maturation[blank_end] and the [blank_start]environment[blank_end].

What ways of thinking and developments are connected to the sensorimotor stage?

Egocentric thinking, in the [blank_start]pre-operational[blank_end] stage, was illustrated by the [blank_start]three mountains task[blank_end]. [blank_start]Four[blank_end] year old children couldn't think about other peoples perspectives. [blank_start]Hughes[blank_end], however, showed that young children could cope with the task if it was more [blank_start]realistic[blank_end].

Schemas are self-constructed mental structures.

According to [blank_start]Piaget[blank_end], cognitive development is driven by the need for [blank_start]equilibrium[blank_end] in cognitive structures. When a child is aware of issues in existing thinking, they experience an [blank_start]imbalance[blank_end] between what is understood and what is [blank_start]encountered[blank_end]. Adapting or creating [blank_start]schemas[blank_end] can be used to reduce imbalances. This process is called [blank_start]equilibration[blank_end].

The IDA for Piaget's theory of cognitive development is [blank_start]nature[blank_end] and [blank_start]nurture[blank_end]. It combines biological [blank_start]maturation[blank_end] and [blank_start]experience[blank_end] to explain cognitive development.