This is a 2 page referenced essay that briefly describes what cognitive psychology is in its most simple form. There are multiple credible sources used to make a sound and reasonable discussion that's informative and valuable.
Piaget’s stages of cognitive development is a kind of guide that tells us the stages that children go through
during development as they are trying to gain perspective from the world. Through these stages we also find
out how children use assimilation and accommodation to learn new things from new experiences. The stages
are known as the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational stages although
this piece will specifically focus on the sensorimotor and preoperational stages which occur during early and
middle childhood.
Children develop by building schemas through assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation is when they
add new experiences into already established while accommodation requires adjusting these schemas for the
experiences to still make sense. The first stage of infants doing this is the sensorimotor stage, this happens
when the child is from birth to 2 years old. According to Piaget’s theory, the first 6 weeks of a new-born’s
life involves them exercising their reflex schemas. In the lives of infants who are 4 months and younger,
they are only aware of their immediate actions such as what they see and what they touch. After a year the
infant will begin to develop purposeful behaviour, meaning they repeat the actions that have reactions that
they desire. Another important milestone that the child is expected to reach is to begin language along with
basic symbolic representation.
The second stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is known as the preoperational stage and it
takes place between the ages of 2-7 years of age. At this point the language of the child improves
significantly and they find it easier to express their thoughts whether its through scribbles or gestures.
Although the thinking of the child has improved, logic hasn’t fully settled, and they struggle to conserve
information effectively. During this period the child also views the world in a single dimension. They lack
the ability to see others’ perspectives and points of view.
In conclusion, those are the key aspects of the first 2 stages in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
These occur during a child’s early and middle childhood. This piece highlights features and factors of
growing up from being a new born to being a toddler. This is how children get used to the world around
them and learn how to adapt to their environments. (Leslie Swartz, 2016)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller lwandajafta. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R55,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
