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Piaget's Cognitive Developmental Theory definitions

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  • Cognitive Development
    Progression of children's ability to think, reason, and understand, differing fundamentally from adult cognition.
  • Constructivist View
    Perspective emphasizing children as active participants in building their understanding of the world.
  • Stage Theory
    Model proposing that cognitive growth occurs in distinct, sequential phases with qualitative changes at each.
  • Sensory Motor Stage
    First developmental period where infants learn through senses and movement, forming basic mental concepts.
  • Preoperational Stage
    Second developmental period marked by use of mental symbols and imaginative play, but limited logical reasoning.
  • Concrete Operational Stage
    Third developmental period where logical thinking about tangible objects emerges, but abstract reasoning is limited.
  • Formal Operational Stage
    Final developmental period characterized by logical and abstract thinking, including hypothetical reasoning.
  • Schema
    Mental framework or concept used to organize and interpret information about the world.
  • Assimilation
    Process of applying existing mental frameworks to new experiences, often leading to quick but sometimes incorrect labeling.
  • Accommodation
    Adjustment or modification of mental frameworks in response to new information or experiences.
  • Object Permanence
    Understanding that objects and people continue to exist even when they are not visible.
  • Egocentrism
    Difficulty in recognizing or understanding perspectives different from one's own, common in early childhood.
  • Conservation
    Recognition that physical properties remain unchanged despite changes in appearance or arrangement.
  • Reversibility
    Ability to mentally reverse actions or processes, supporting logical thinking and understanding of conservation.
  • Individual Differences
    Variability in cognitive development rates and milestones among children, often overlooked in strict stage models.