Piaget

Question 1

Piaget

Answer 1

Description of Stages (Note: Piaget referred to these as “Periods” and the substages as “Stages”)

Question 2

Formal Operational (11-15)

Answer 2

• No longer limited to concrete objects
• Child can now take results of concrete operations and generate hypotheses about their logical relations
• Formal Operational Thought tends to resemble what we call the scientific method
• Piaget classified 16 underlying mental operations he believed necessary for solving problems he posed to adolescents (the system of 16 binary operations is beyond the scope of this chapter)

Question 3

Concrete Operational (7-11)

Answer 3

• Acquire logical structures that enable them to perform reversible mental operations
• An operation is an internalized mental action that is part of an organized structure
• Class Inclusion: A + A’ = B; A & A’ are differentiable and discernable within B
• Temporal-Spatial Representations: temporal (of or relating to time)

Question 4

Preoperational (2-7)

Answer 4

Can now use symbols/words to represent objects and events

• Two types of representations (symbol & sign)
• Object representation is not reversible … Piaget often described this Period in terms of things the child is not able to do
• Characteristics

Egocentrism

• Incomplete differentiation of self and other

Rigidity of thought

• Centration, or the tendency to consider only one salient feature, is similar to egocentrism.
• Clearest example is “Lack of reversibility”
• Three achievements:

1. Function - y=f(x)
2. Regulation - a mental act that is partially decentered (p50)
3. Identity - change in appearance doesn’t change basic nature

Semilogical reasoning

• Reasoning from particular to particular (still in relation to self) … (p51)

Limited Social Cognition

• My description: accounting for “other” in relation to self (i.e. because I see an object so can you)

Question 5

Sensorimotor (birth-2)

Answer 5

Understand the world in terms of their overt, physical action on it. Move from reflex to organized sensorimotor behavior

Stage 1: Modification of Reflexes (birth-1 month)

Stage 2: Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months)

            Circular in the sense of repetition

Stage 3: Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months)

            Primary is around own body -\> secondary oriented to the external world

Stage 4: Coordination of Secondary Schemes (8-12 months)

            Combine schemes

Stage 5: Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months)

            Experimentation - modify an input to see if it affects the repetition

Stage 6: Invention of New Means Through Mental Combinations (18-24 months)

            Overt thought begins to "go covert".  Up until this point thoughts were manifested in action

            "Mental  Representations" of objects

Overview

            This Period provides a concrete illustration of the following general characteristics of all 4 periods

            A child actively learns about properties of objects and relations among them

            Cognitive structures become more tightly organized

            Behavior gradually becomes more intentional

            The self is gradually differentiated from the environment

            The most important concept acquired is "Object Permanence"