Piaget's stages of intellectual development

• how many stages did Piaget propose?

  4
• Piaget's stages of intellectual development

  1. sensorimotor stage - 0-2 years
  2. pre operational stage - 2-7 years
  3. concrete operational stage - 7-11 years
  4. formal operational stage - 11+ years
• sensorimotor stage

  • first stage, 0-2 years
  • only aware of what's right in front of them
  • they learn with their senses and motor skills, what's in their immediate environment
  • they're constantly experimenting as they don't know how things react
  • they shake or throw things, put thing in their mouths
  • learn through trial and error
  • at 5 months they realise an object exists even if they can't see it
• pre operational stage

  • second stage, 2-7 years
  • child can think about things symbolically by using symbols to represent words, pictures and people as a result of thinking symbolically they can:
  • mimic behaviour (imitation): child can act like something else even when he model isn't present
  • play pretend/make believe
  • draw
  • develop mental imagery
  • describe events verbally - shows the child can think and learn not just react to surroundings
• Concrete operational stage


  Third stage, 7-11 years
• Concrete operational stage

  • Show logical reasoning and gain these skills:
  • Decentering: less focused on themselves, begin to realise their feelings are unique and may not be shared by others
  • Conservation: becoming aware of surroundings and learn things remain the same despite existing in a different form (knowing the amount of juice in original bottle is the same when in a glass)
  • Reversibility: learns they can return to their original state unchanged (juice can be pored back in bottle)
  • Class inclusion: group objects based on shape or type
  • Relations: use logic to organise items (arrange objects in size)
• formal operational stage

  • last stage, 11+ years
  • use symbols related to abstract concepts (algebra and science)
  • can think about things in systematic ways and consider possibilities and relationships
  • may become more self conscious and magnify experiences (may believe a pimple is bigger than it is and others see it in the same way)
• concepts of Piaget's stages of development

  • schemas
  • assimilation
  • accommodation
  • equilibrium
• Piaget's theory limitations

  • these stages don't work the same way for everyone and may overlap
  • research shows a child moves away from egocentrism by age 5 earlier than he suggested (7-11)
  • underestimates infants abilities and overestimating adolescents
  • overlooks how much social and cultural factors affect children's thinking
  • his findings were unethical and bias as he observed his own children
• possible 5th stage limitation

  • researchers argue there could be a fifth stage, the post formal stage where adults can:
  • see things from different POVs
  • recognise and embrace uncertainties and inconsistencies
  • use their experiences to solve problems
  • develop principle guided by logic and emotion