Psychology 9-1 GCSE

1.1.2 - Understand the role of education and intelligence, including Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, and the four stages of cognitive development, including strengths and weaknesses of the theory:

a) Sensorimotor - 

This is the first stage of development in Piagets theory. It usually ranges between the ages 0 and 2. In this stage the child develops their sensory and motor skills by interacting with other children and their environment.

b) Preoperational - 

This is the second stage of development and ranges between ages 2 and 6. Children at this stage become increasingly able to internally represent events. They start to properly talk, engage in symbolic play and manipulate symbols. 

c) Concrete Operational - 

This is the third stage and ranges from ages 7 to 11. This marks the beginning of logical or operational thought. They start to comprehend and understand relativity. This means they start to work things out in their heads and can also understand that something stays the same in quantity, even if it changes appearance (conservation). 

d) Formal Operational - 

This is the fourth and final stage of development and ranges from age 12 and onwards. In this stage you develop the ability to think about abstract concepts, such as personal opinions, politics and morality. Ego-centrism decreases in this stage. We carry on learning these throughout our lives and they often grow and change.

e) Schemata/Schemas - 

Schemas are plans or rough outlines with set stages. A lot of schemas are just theories and if not just started out as such before progressing into set in stone widely accepted schemas after being supported or proved by evidence. Most schemas are forever changing and being refined as we go through and interpret new experiences that shape them.

f) Assimilation - 

Assimilation in its basic definition regarding psychology means to learn new ideas and create schemas for those learnt ideas. For example, a child sees a dog and their mother says "that is a dog". The child now has a schema for a dog, i.e; four legs, cute, has a tail, etc.

g) Accommodation - 

Accommodation, as the name suggests, is to accommodate for new ideas or information learnt by altering the existing schema. For example, a child sees a cow and points to it saying "dog!". Because he sees 4 legs and knows dogs have 4 legs. His mum tells him that is not a dog, but a cow. Now he has altered his schema to have something like. Dog= 4 legs, small, cute, barks, tail. Cow= 4 legs, big, spotted, moos, tail.

h) Equilibrium - 

Cognitive equilibrium is a term used to describe balance in someones mental schemas and their environment. Such as when their expectations based on prior knowledge fits with new knowledge.

Strengths - 

• It has had a big impact on developmental psychology.
• He often asked the children open ended questions.
• He described cognitive growth more clearly.
• Child centered learning method.

Weaknesses - 

• Underestimation of childrens cognitive skills.
• Children develop non-egocentrism sooner than piaget states.
• He did not use scientific method.
• Shortage of control groups.
• Lack of analytical data.
• Used upper class children.