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Cognitive Development
Jean Piaget
Basic Cognitive Concepts
A. Scheme/Schema
B. Assimilation
C. Accommodation
D. Equilibrium
Stages of Cognitive Development
A. Sensorimotor Stage (Birth 2 years)
1. Object Permanence
2. Problem-solving ability
B. Pre-operational Stage (2-7 years)
1. Use of Symbolic function
2. Egocentrism
3. Centration
4. Inability to reverse operations (Conservation)
5. Animism
6. Transductive Reasoning
C. Concrete Operational Stage (7-12 years)
1. Decentering
2. Reversibility
3. Conservation
4. Classification
5. Seriation
D. Formal Operational Stage (12 years & up)
1. Hypothetical Reasoning
2. Analogical Reasoning
3. Deductive Reasoning
4. Reflective Abilities
Criticism to Piagets Theory
A. Estimate of Childrens Competence
B. Stages
C. Training Children to Reason at a Higher Level
D. Culture and Education
Lev Vygotsky
Lev Vygotskys Theory
A. Zone of Proximal Development
B. Private Speech
C. Scaffolding

ABSTRACT:

Cognition refers to all mental activities associated with thinking, knowing,

remembering, and communicating (Myers, 2010). In cognitive development, as a
child grows up, larger cognitive structures appear and change (Cook & Cook, 2005).
Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, describes how humans gather and organize
information and how this process changes developmentally. He used a clinicaldescriptive method to collect his research. Since he was a biologist, his
conceptualization of cognitive development was greatly influenced by science.
Some concepts he used were schema, assimilation, accommodation, and
equilibrium (Parsons, Hinson, & Brown, 2001). According to his study, he introduced
the four cognitive stages of development. First, during the sensorimotor stage
(birth-2 yrs), there is development of object permanence and problem-solving
ability. Second, during the preoperational stage (2-7 yrs) there are use of symbolic
function, egocentrism, centration, inability to reverse operations (Conservation),
animism, and transductive reasoning. Third, during the concrete operational stage
(7-12 yrs), a childs logic became concrete, but only limited to tangible materials
and experiences. There are decentering, reversibility, conservation, classification,
and seriation. Lastly, during the formal operational stage (12 & up), there are
hypothetical reasoning, analogical reasoning, deductive reasoning, and reflective
abilities being shown by the individual (Gleitman, Gross, & Reisberg, 2011). Still,
Piagets study has not gone unchallenged. There are still criticisms such as
estimates of childrens competence, stages, training children to reason at a higher
level, and culture and education (Santrock, 2009)
So, some researches added more information to consider in studying the
cognitive development of an individual. Lev Vygotsky gave further explanations
wherein he focuses on the effect of culture and social interactions, primarily by
listening to the language they hear around them, to a childs cognitive
development. He then explained different concepts such as zone of proximal
development, scaffolding, and language and thought or private speech. All these
things played an important role to an individuals cognitive development (Cook &
Cook, 2005).