Piaget’s Theory of

Cognitive
Development
Jean Piaget is a Swiss
psychologist, introduce the
concepts of cognitive
development or the way children
learn and think that have similar to
those of both Freud and Erikson
and yet separate from each.
 Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive
Development
Stage of development Age span Nursing implication
Sensorimotor 1 month Stimuli are assimilated into beginning mental
Neonatal reflex images. Behavior entirely reflexive
Primary circular reaction 1-4 months Hand-mouth and ear-eye coordination
develop.
Enjoyable activity for this period: a rattle or
tape of parent’s voice
Secondary circular reaction 4-8 months Infant learns to initiate, recognize, and repeat
pleasurable experiences from the
environment.
Good toy: mirror; good game: peek-a-boo.
Coordination of secondary 8-12 Infant can plan activities to attain specific
reaction months goals. Can search for and retrieve toy that
disappears from view. Recognizes shapes and
sizes of similar objects. Because of increased
sense of separateness, infant experiences
separation anxiety when primary caregiver
leaves.
Good toy: nesting toys (e.g., colored boxes)
Tertiary circular reaction 12-18 Child is able to experiment, to discover new
months properties of objects and events. Capable of
space and time perception as well as
permanence.
Good game: throw and retrieve.
Invention of new means 18-24 Transitional phase to the preoperational thought
through mental months period. Uses memory and imitation to act. Can
combinations solve basic problems, foresee maneuvers that
will succeed or fail.
Good toy: those with several uses such as blocks,
colored plastic rings.
Preoperational thought 2-7 yrs Thought becomes more symbolic; can arrive at
answers mentally instead of physical attempt.
Comprehends simple abstractions but thinking is
basically concentrate and literal. Child is
egocentric, displays static thinking. Concept of
time and distance is only as far as he/she can
see. Centering/focusing on single aspect of an
object causes distorted reasoning. Unable to
state cause-effect relationships, categories, or
abstraction.
Good toy: items that requires imagination; e.g.
modeling clay
Concrete operational
thought
Formal operational thought 12 yrs
7-12 yrs Concrete operations include systematic
reasoning. Uses memory to learn broad and
subgroups of concept. Child is aware of
reversibility. Understand conversation, see
constancy despite transformation. Good
activity: collecting and classifying natural
objects such as native plants and etc. Expose
the child to other viewpoints.
Can solve hypothetical problems with scientific
reasoning; understands causality and can deal
with the past, present, and future. Adult or
mature thought.
Good activity: “talk time” to sort throught
attitude and opinions.
 Fin…
Thanks!