Topic 1: Development Study Guide

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development proposes that children progress through four distinct stages of intellectual growth, each characterised by unique ways of understanding the world. Central to this theory are schemas (or schemata), which are mental structures that help an individual organise and interpret information. Learning occurs through two main processes: assimilation, where new information is integrated into existing schemas, and accommodation, where existing schemas are modified or new ones created to fit new information that cannot be assimilated. When a child's understanding of the world is stable, they are in a state of equilibrium; disequilibrium arises when new information doesn't fit existing schemas, prompting accommodation until equilibrium is restored. The four stages are: Sensorimotor (birth to 2 years), where learning is through sensory experiences and motor actions; Pre-operational (2 to 7 years), marked by symbolic thought but limited by egocentrism and animism; Concrete Operational (7 to 11 years), where logical thought applies to concrete events and conservation is understood; and Formal Operational (11 years and up), enabling abstract thinking and hypothetical reasoning.