Stages of cognitive development

• How many stages are there in cognitive development according to Piaget?

  Four stages
• What happens to thinking as the brain matures?

  Thinking changes in a different way
• Do all children go through the stages of cognitive development in the same order?

  Yes, all children follow the same order
• What is the age range for the sensorimotor stage?

  0–2 years
• What is the focus of development in the sensorimotor stage?

  Relating sensory experiences with movement
• What is object permanence?

  Understanding that objects exist when not visible
• At what age do children typically enter the pre-operational stage?

  2 years
• What cognitive abilities do children lack in the pre-operational stage?

  Consistent logical thinking and conservation
• What is the age range for the concrete operational stage?

  7–11 years
• What is a key characteristic of the concrete operational stage?

  Logical thinking applied to physical objects
• At what age do children typically enter the formal operational stage?

  11+ years
• What can children do in the formal operational stage?

  Conclude problems presented in abstract form
• What is a weakness of Piaget's theory regarding children's abilities?

  He underestimated children's cognitive abilities
• What did research find about younger children's abilities related to conservation?

  Younger children can show conservation earlier
• What is another weakness of Piaget's theory regarding abstract reasoning?

  He overestimated children's ability to reason abstractly
• What did Wason's card task reveal about children's reasoning?

  Not all children can reason abstractly at 11
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Piaget's theory of cognitive development?

  Strengths:

  • Shows thinking changes with age
  • Basic principle of the theory is valid

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Underestimated children's abilities
  • Overestimated children's abilities for abstract reasoning