What is Jean Piaget’s theory?

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Jean Piaget’s theory revolves around the development of human intelligence.  In the field of psychology, Jean Piaget’s theory is commonly referred to as the theory for cognitive development or developmental stage theory.  This is primarily because Piaget’s theory revolves around the idea that children’s cognitive development happens in distinct stages at different parts of their lives.  With each developmental stage, children are said to learn different things and it basically explains why these same children think differently or process thoughts in a different manner when compared to adults.

The child’s cognitive development is divided into four stages according to Jean Piaget. The first stage is referred to as the sensori-motor stage and this point in a child’s life, his/her learning will on actual experience in terms of senses and manipulation of objects.  This stage typically occurs from birth to around 2 years of a child’s life.  From about 2 years of age to 7, children will then learn more about their surroundings while they are at the peri-operational stage.  At this time, cognitive development will rely on role-playing activities. The next stage is called the concrete operational stage and this is where logical thinking starts to develop.  Children that are 7-11 years old will start to think in this way. The last stage of the process involves learning with more logic and reasoning.  This stage typically starts at around 12 years of age up to adulthood.

Piaget’s theory is widely accepted as a true presentation of actual cognitive development.  Before Piaget’s time, many people believed that children learned different things in the same way as adults except that they are accepted as less competent because they are simply younger. With Piaget’s own experience, he eventually developed his own theories on children’s learning techniques and cognitive development which later got accepted by his peers and the whole field of psychology.

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