COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT THEORY: PIAGET ET AL.
Introduction
	-- Major thesis:  Social development follows 
cognitive dev.
Scope: Broad -- everything dependent on cognition
Emphasize: Both nature and nurture
Direction: from simple to complex
Strong stage theory
	--	Characteristics: qualitative, coherent, fixed,
	universal,  invariant
	-- based on structure of thought
	-- Stages:
		-- sensorimotor (0-2).  See Table 4-1, p. 113)
		-- preoperational (2-7; centration & 
		egocentrism). Can't conserve.
		-- concrete operation (7-12); use operations,
		but fixed on real
  		-- formal operations (12-?).  Abstractions,
		logical reasoning
Original Moral position: no position
Personality Structure: dependent upon cognitive 
development
Motivation and learning: cognitive disequilibrium
IDs: no strong position
Abnormal vs. Normal: consider developmental level!
Philosophical: response against behaviorism's 
antimentalism
Investigative methods:
	-- longitudinal descriptive research
	-- clinical method: interview
Strengths
	-- Importance of cognition
	-- Nature rather than content of thought
	-- Wonderful descriptive framework
Weakness
	-- Ids
	-- Specific ages often erroneous
	-- Characteristics of stages
	-- Description not explanatio

OVERHEAD ON STAGES
	Sensorimotor (0-2).  See Table 4-1, p. 113).  From reflex to 
reflective!  The child develops the distinction between self & 
non-self; object constancy (including mom don't cease to exist when 
she is not perceptually present); are able to imitate; 
	Preoperational (2-7).  At this stage children have not yet gained 
the operations that allow them to think logically.  Thinking is 
characterized by centration -- noticing but a single perceptual 
feature -- & egocentrism -- seeing things from only my perspective). 
Can't conserve -- doesn't have operations of reversibility and 
compensation.  Thus, when I put on my caftan & clogs, I become a 
woman.  Symbolic play comes to be important at this stage.
	Concrete operation (7-12); use operations (e.g., reversibility, 
transivity, compensation, etc.), but fixed on real.  Can conserve.  
Might be bugged by the hypothetical -- and often find "what if" 
problems uninteresting.  For example, what if butterflies were as 
large as cows?  If ice sank, rather than floated.  What about cream 
and coffee?
	Formal operations (12-?).  Abstractions, logical reasoning.  Can 
apply operations to abstract and hypothetical situations.  Deductive 
reasoning.  Improved role-taking skills.


Characteristics of Piaget's
Stage Theory
-- Qualitative (rather than quantitative).
-- Coherent (consistent).
-- Fixed number (just four).
-- Universal (applicable to all)
---- Invariant.


STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES
Strengths
	-- Importance of cognition -- even for social content!
	-- Nature of thought rather than content of thought
	-- Wonderful descriptive framework
Weakness
	-- strong on developmental function; weak on IDs 
	-- Specific ages often erroneous; kids do more earlier than Piaget 
thought; e.g., imitation!  When we think an event or a process occurs 
is in part a function of how we conduct the assessment!
	-- Characteristics of stages: e.g., coherence of stages, 
backsliding, universality (e.g., of moral development -- gender 
differences), not all conservation problems are alike (e.g., coffee 
and cream problem)
	-- Description not explanation

Analysis of Social Problem
	Teaching child gender-appropriate behavior (Some people might say 
if it doesn’t come naturally, don’t fuss with it -- but lets assume we 
find it desirable to fuss with.)
	--First of all, the approach we used would have to match the 
developmental level of the child -- younger the child, more concrete 
the procedures we use.
	--Unless child has developed the notion of gender constancy -- I 
yam what I yam what I yam -- gender training may not be very useful.  
And when does that happen?  Theoretically, about age 7 -- but the data 
suggests probably younger.
	--Rather than reinforcing gender-appropriate behavior, it is 
better that the child forms notion that he/she is of a particular 
gender.  Then, according to Piagetians, the child will find engaging 
in gender-consistent behavior reinforcing, and observing same gender 
models (for purposes of imitation) reinforcing.




Psychology 326 (Social & Personality Development; Hartmann),
Cognitive Developmental Theory: Piaget, Sp. ‘98, p.  4