Cognitive Development

Kaitlyn StahlOffice Hours – Tuesday @

11

Jean Piaget

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Sensorimotor

Preoperational

Concrete Operational

Formal

Operat

ional

{Birth-2} {11-adulthood}{2-7} {7-11}

• Rep. skills• Lacks

logical thinking

• Capable of logical

thought on concrete

events/objects

• Now able to conserve

Conservation– Knowing that amount doesn’t

change when appearance changes

Volume Conservation Task

Mass Conservation Task

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnArvcWaH6I

Length Conservation Task

Number Conservation Task

Preoperational Child Focuses On:

–Perception (not logic)–Beginning & end (not changes in the middle)

What is a primary difference between the preoperational stage and the concrete

operational stage?

a) A child in the preoperational stage has not developed logical thinking, and the child in the concrete operational has started to.

b) The preoperational child cannot conserve, while the concrete operational child can.

c) The preoperational child frequently engages in animism, while the concrete operational child may not.

d) All of the above.

Haylee commonly states to have an imaginary friend that she plays “house” with. She often acts out her

Barbie dolls with this imaginary friend. What stage of cognitive development would we say Haylee is in?

a) Formal Operational

b) Concrete Operationalc) Preoperationald) Sensorimotor

a) Massb) Volumec) Numberd) Length