Piaget's Theory: Language and Thought

• What does Piaget’s theory of cognitive development concern?

  How our thinking develops
• According to Piaget, how do we learn about the world?

  By developing schemas about the world
• What is the relationship between language and thought in children?

  Language develops after thought and understanding
• When do children begin to understand words according to Piaget?

  When they reach the correct stage of development
• Can children have language without understanding it?

  Yes, but they cannot use it effectively
• What are the stages of language development according to Piaget?

  • Sensorimotor stage: Speak towards end of first year
  • Pre-operational stage: Talk about absent things from age 2
  • Concrete operational stage: Language matures and becomes logical by age 7
• What evidence supports Piaget's theory regarding early language use?

  Children use two-word phrases like 'Mummy sock'
• What does the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis state?

  Language comes before thought
• What is a weakness of Piaget's theory regarding schemas?

  Schemas cannot be scientifically measured
• What is a schema?

  • A mental framework of beliefs and expectations
  • Influences cognitive processing
  • Develops in complexity with experience
• What is animism?

  The belief that objects possess a spiritual essence