Jean Piaget is considered the father of cognitive development research. His theory of development is considered one of the most important in the entire field. Learn about the silhouette of this scientist.
Who was Jean Piaget?
Jean Pia get was a Swiss psychologist who is considered the father of cognitive science. His theories on children’s intellectual development are widely recognized as central to understanding how children learn and think. Piaget was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, in 1896. His father, Arthur Piaget, was a professor of biology, and his mother, Rebecca Jackson, was a teacher. Piaget received a doctorate in biology in 1918 and began his scientific career at the Genetic Institute in Paris.
In 1921, he married Valerie Dunant and soon their first son, Laurent, was born. In 1924 Piaget began his scientific career at the Swiss Pedagogical Institute in Geneva, where he spent the rest of his life. Piaget died in 1980.
Jean Piaget – the most important achievements
Piaget was mainly interested in the cognition and development of children. His first works were on the intelligence of rats and birds. In the 1920s and 1930s Piaget focused on research on cognition in children. His work included spatial concepts, concepts of time and numbers, and speech development. Piaget believed that children develop in a specific way and that their cognition is different from that of adults. Children, according to Piaget, develop through what he called “action schemas,” or certain patterns of action that they use to learn about the world.
Children’s action patterns are still flexible and can change. Piaget believed that children go through 4 stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, operational and postoperational. Within these stages, children develop increasingly complex patterns of action. Many of these stages and patterns of action are still used in research on children today.
Piaget was also interested in morality and ethology. In the 1950s and 1960s, Piaget focused his research on morality and ethology. His work included concepts of personality, ethics and aesthetics. Piaget died in Neuchatel in 1980.
Jean Piaget’s theory of development
Jean Piaget, the founder of development theory, believed that children develop through 4 stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, operational and review stages.
The sensorimotor stage begins at birth and continues until about age 2. During this time, the child learns through direct experience, that is, through senses and movements. A child at this age has limited thinking and is focused on the present.
The preoperational stage begins at around 2-7 years of age and is the stage when the child learns to act on a mental level, not just a physical one. A child at this age begins to understand that objects can exist independently of him and that they can change. However, a child’s thinking at this age is limited and not yet logical.
Theoperational stage begins at around 7-12 years of age and is the stage when the child learns to act on a mental level, not just a physical one. A child at this age begins to understand that objects can exist independently of him and that they can change. However, a child’s thinking at this age is limited and not yet logical.
Thereview stage begins around the age of 12-16 and is the stage when the child learns to act on a mental level, not just a physical one. A child at this age begins to understand that objects can exist independently of him and that they can change. However, the thinking of a child at this age is limited and is not yet logical.
Jean Piaget – key concepts
Piaget argued that intelligence develops throughout a person’s life, and his cognitive abilities are constantly changing. These changes are related to how a person copes with the environment in which he or she lives. Piaget believed that intelligence is not only the ability to solve problems, but also the ability to create them. The concept of “schema” is crucial to understanding Piaget’s theory. A schema is the way a person interprets and receives information from the environment. Piaget argued that schemas are flexible and can change depending on a person’s experiences.
