Piaget's Theory (AQA GCSE Psychology): Revision Note
Exam code: 8182
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development (1920s-1980s) is based on the idea that children’s thinking and reasoning are qualitatively different to that of an adult
Piaget claimed that a child’s thinking progresses according to their age i.e. it is a maturational theory
Piaget believed that:
Children continuously explore their environment
Children are ‘little scientists’ performing experiments in their exploration
Children discover their world physically and then make sense of it on their own (known as ‘discovery learning’)
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is an example of constructivism:
children learn via action and reflection
they then build on these learning blocks to construct schemas
a child’s schemas help them to understand their world
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Piaget’s theory is one of the most influential Psychology theories ever. His ideas were quite revolutionary at the time - people had, prior to Piaget, tended to think of children as ‘adults-in-waiting’ rather than as distinct and interesting beings!
Schemas
A schema is a mental representation of the world, of other people as well as the self, of events, situations, ideas etc.
A baby’s first schema, according to Piaget, is the body schema i.e. this is me/this is not me
As the child gets older their schemas:
become more complex and sophisticated
they begin with schemas of concrete objects (e.g. ‘cat’, ‘house’)
as the child matures their schemas incorporate abstract concepts (e.g. ‘freedom’, ‘loneliness’)
Assimilation & accommodation
Assimilation is the process by which schemas are compiled:
A young child assimilates a ‘bird’ schema
The child knows that birds can fly, they eat worms, they visit the back garden
A state of equilibrium exists as the child’s ‘bird’ schema is balanced - the information makes sense and helps the child to understand their world
Disequilibrium occurs when a child encounters some new information which does not fit in with an existing schema:
The child sees a penguin for the first time
The child is told that the penguin is a bird
The child’s ‘bird’ schema becomes unbalanced i.e. ‘How can this creature be a bird, it does not fly?’
The child must accommodate this new information into their ‘bird’ schema to restore equilibrium
The child’s ‘bird’ schema now includes the details that some birds can’t fly, some birds eat fish, some birds live in Antarctica In time the child may develop a separate and distinct ‘penguin’ schema as they learn more about the world
Evaluation of Piaget’s theory
Strengths
Piaget’s theory has been supported by many research studies e.g. Samuel & Bryant (1984); McGarrigle & Donaldson (1974)
The concept of discovery learning is now (and has been for some time) used widely in educational settings hence the theory has good validity
Weaknesses
Piaget originally developed his theory by observing his own children at home which lacks both reliability and validity (a tiny sample plus the issue of his own bias)
It is very difficult to measure schema thus it is difficult to know at what age schemas develop
Worked Example
Here is an example of a question you might be asked on this topic - for AO1 and AO2.
AO1: You need to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key concepts, ideas, theories and research.
AO2: You need to apply your knowledge and understanding, usually referring to the ‘stem’ in order to do so (the stem is the example given before the question)
After each featured question there is a ‘model’ answer i.e. one which would achieve top marks in the exam.
Rosie and Jim are watching their baby, Roji, as she reaches out for any object she can find around her. ‘She’s constantly grabbing at things,’ remarks Jim. ‘Sometimes I worry she’ll hurt herself’.
‘Well,’ replies Rosie, ‘that’s because she loves exploring her world - to her it’s very exciting!’
Question: Briefly describe Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. How does this theory apply to Rosie and Jim’s conversation about their baby, Roji? [4]
AO1 = 2 marks
AO2 = 2 marks
AO1: Briefly describe Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
Model answer:
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is a maturational (age-based) theory which claims that children use their physical environment to explore, which in turn develops their cognitive skills.
Children learn via action and reflection, constructing meaning from what they discover around them.
AO2: How does this theory apply to Rosie and Jim’s conversation about their baby, Roji?
Model answer:
Jim comments that Roji is constantly exploring her world, like Piaget’s idea of children as ‘little scientists’.
Rosie acknowledges that Roji is engaged in discovery learning - she is using the physical world to build up schema as Piaget suggested.
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