Piaget's Cognitive Theory
Piaget's cognitive theory understands that humans are adaptive organisms and make these adaptations in order to survive. These adaptations also play a part in how someone acts in certain environments as well. For example, someone wouldn't act the same in a classroom as they would if they were at a bar or hanging out with their friends. People recognize their environment and their brain makes the switch to adapt accordingly. Piaget's theory challenges the behaviorist theory because he says that people are feel to control their own thoughts and emotions and that they also can adapt and form new thoughts and emotions throughout their lifespan. The concept of lifelong adaptation that Piaget theorized is called constructivism. These adaptations are the baseline for schemas, which are formed from interactions and someone processing the new information into their life. Schemas help people organize their thoughts and new information so they can be ready for what the environment is going to present them with. Individuals reach a state of equilibrium when schemas are in balance.
Piaget's theory of development is broken into four different stages of thinking: sensorimotor, pre operations, concrete operations, and formal operations. Sensorimotor stage is from birth to 2 years old and is the first of Piaget's developmental stages. This stage is broken down into six substages as well.
Piaget's Pre-Operational Stage
Piaget's second stage of cognitive development is pre operational thought and occurs for ages 2 to 7. This is the stage when children start to recognize symbols and concepts, they are able to assimilate words into mental thoughts without having to physically see the object. The main issue with this stage is egocentrism. Egocentrism is when a child does not understand other peoples perceptions and that they can differ from their own. This is why children this age usually have issues with sharing things and understanding that not everyone thinks the same as them. Along with egocentrism children this age also display animistic thinking and can easily confuse fantasy with reality. With animistic thinking children give inanimate objects realistic characteristics and thats how their reality gets mixed up with their fantasies. In addition to egocentrism and animistic thought, overgeneralization occurs in the pre-opperational stage. Children start to sort things into one dimensional categories and this is where overgeneralization occurs because children incorrectly categorize certain objects. Piaget divided classification into two substages; symbolic function and intuitive. Make believe play is also a very crucial component to pre-operational development because through this children practice their language and cognitive development while improving their social skills.
Piaget's second stage of cognitive development is pre operational thought and occurs for ages 2 to 7. This is the stage when children start to recognize symbols and concepts, they are able to assimilate words into mental thoughts without having to physically see the object. The main issue with this stage is egocentrism. Egocentrism is when a child does not understand other peoples perceptions and that they can differ from their own. This is why children this age usually have issues with sharing things and understanding that not everyone thinks the same as them. Along with egocentrism children this age also display animistic thinking and can easily confuse fantasy with reality. With animistic thinking children give inanimate objects realistic characteristics and thats how their reality gets mixed up with their fantasies. In addition to egocentrism and animistic thought, overgeneralization occurs in the pre-opperational stage. Children start to sort things into one dimensional categories and this is where overgeneralization occurs because children incorrectly categorize certain objects. Piaget divided classification into two substages; symbolic function and intuitive. Make believe play is also a very crucial component to pre-operational development because through this children practice their language and cognitive development while improving their social skills.
Piaget's Concrete Operational Thought Stage
In Piaget's third stage of development occurs in ages 7 years old to 11 years old. During the concrete operational stage children form concrete ideas about concrete objects and classification is fully developed. Along with this hierarchal classification is developing and with this children can categorize an object by multiple different characteristics such as size, color, length, and preference. Children also achieve conservation during this stage in which the child understands that objects can change shape or appearance without necessarily adding or taking away anything. With all these changes children start to gain interest in games and activities that involve rules.
Piaget's Formal Operational Thought Stage
During Piaget's fourth stage children being to start thinking abstractly. This stage occurs for age 11 and up. Adolescents and adults in this stage are able to think beyond their immediate surrounding and current feelings, they are able to think about ideals and concepts that cannot immediately be quantified or observed. Children in this stage start critically thinking and use hypo-deductive reasoning along with abstract thought. They also being to enjoy taking part in groups and teams to accomplish activities and goals.
Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory
Lev Vygotsky theorized that development is sociocultural and is transactional. His theory claims that development is shaped by a person's culture. In this sense culture is not someone's race, ethnicity, etc, it is based on personal history and what and who that person has been exposed to. Vygotsky called these relations ships dialectic because the individual and the culture influence each other but also can be examined separately as well. People learn words and language skills and are then able to think with those words internally which is called inner speech. When people use words and language skills to speak and express their thoughts aloud this is called private speech. By transactional development children's development can vary from one to another based on what they have been exposed to. Vygotsky described the Zone of Proximal Development as tasks and skills that children cannot do alone but can accomplish with the help of an experienced person. This help that is provided by an experienced person is called scaffolding and is very important in development.
In Piaget's third stage of development occurs in ages 7 years old to 11 years old. During the concrete operational stage children form concrete ideas about concrete objects and classification is fully developed. Along with this hierarchal classification is developing and with this children can categorize an object by multiple different characteristics such as size, color, length, and preference. Children also achieve conservation during this stage in which the child understands that objects can change shape or appearance without necessarily adding or taking away anything. With all these changes children start to gain interest in games and activities that involve rules.
Piaget's Formal Operational Thought Stage
During Piaget's fourth stage children being to start thinking abstractly. This stage occurs for age 11 and up. Adolescents and adults in this stage are able to think beyond their immediate surrounding and current feelings, they are able to think about ideals and concepts that cannot immediately be quantified or observed. Children in this stage start critically thinking and use hypo-deductive reasoning along with abstract thought. They also being to enjoy taking part in groups and teams to accomplish activities and goals.
Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory
Lev Vygotsky theorized that development is sociocultural and is transactional. His theory claims that development is shaped by a person's culture. In this sense culture is not someone's race, ethnicity, etc, it is based on personal history and what and who that person has been exposed to. Vygotsky called these relations ships dialectic because the individual and the culture influence each other but also can be examined separately as well. People learn words and language skills and are then able to think with those words internally which is called inner speech. When people use words and language skills to speak and express their thoughts aloud this is called private speech. By transactional development children's development can vary from one to another based on what they have been exposed to. Vygotsky described the Zone of Proximal Development as tasks and skills that children cannot do alone but can accomplish with the help of an experienced person. This help that is provided by an experienced person is called scaffolding and is very important in development.
Elkind's Adolescent Egocentrism
David Elkind took interest in the fact the egocentrism reoccurs in Piaget's formal operation stage. Elkind's theory of adolescent egocentrism is broken down into three patterns of thought: the imaginary audience, the personal fable, and the invincible fable.The thought pattern of the imaginary audience is when an individual believes that everyone's attention will be on them and be scrutinized by them. The thought pattern of the personal fable is when an individual believes that no one understands them and no one ever will. The final thought pattern is the invincible fable and this is exhibited when an individual knows the consequences of certain actions but believes that they will never get caught or have to face the consequences of the actions.
David Elkind took interest in the fact the egocentrism reoccurs in Piaget's formal operation stage. Elkind's theory of adolescent egocentrism is broken down into three patterns of thought: the imaginary audience, the personal fable, and the invincible fable.The thought pattern of the imaginary audience is when an individual believes that everyone's attention will be on them and be scrutinized by them. The thought pattern of the personal fable is when an individual believes that no one understands them and no one ever will. The final thought pattern is the invincible fable and this is exhibited when an individual knows the consequences of certain actions but believes that they will never get caught or have to face the consequences of the actions.
How this has influenced my development
In relation to my own cognitive development I can distinctly remember going throughout the different thought patterns of Elkind's theory. In middle school and high school I thought that everyone was always paying attention to me and worrying about what to wear and how to act. I also remember thinking that my parents had no idea how I felt whenever I was going through a rough patch, and now I realize that they experienced all of it just like I did. I was primarily raised by my mom and I see that through transactional development I have adopted many of her mannerism and language skills, sometimes we say the exact same thing at the same time without realizing it.
How this will influence my career path
As an occupational therapist I will have to deal with all ages of patients. I will need to understand what stage of cognitive development they are in to make sure they are getting proper care and what is best for them. For example I need to know their level of cognitive development and maturity as to how many treatment sessions I need to make with them, because they may not do their at home practices which in that case it would be more beneficial to have a few therapy sessions a week.
In relation to my own cognitive development I can distinctly remember going throughout the different thought patterns of Elkind's theory. In middle school and high school I thought that everyone was always paying attention to me and worrying about what to wear and how to act. I also remember thinking that my parents had no idea how I felt whenever I was going through a rough patch, and now I realize that they experienced all of it just like I did. I was primarily raised by my mom and I see that through transactional development I have adopted many of her mannerism and language skills, sometimes we say the exact same thing at the same time without realizing it.
How this will influence my career path
As an occupational therapist I will have to deal with all ages of patients. I will need to understand what stage of cognitive development they are in to make sure they are getting proper care and what is best for them. For example I need to know their level of cognitive development and maturity as to how many treatment sessions I need to make with them, because they may not do their at home practices which in that case it would be more beneficial to have a few therapy sessions a week.