Introduction
Jean Piaget’s cognitive stage theory of child development contains four critical constructs. Most importantly, Piaget believed that children gradually proceed through the developmental periods, with every next period holding the influence of the past and the prospect of the future (Miller, 2016). In total, Piaget defined four periods of children’s cognitive development — sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational (Miller, 2016).
Discussion
The sensorimotor period occurs from birth to 2 years when children move from simple reflexes to organized sensorimotor behaviors. During this period, children are actively engaged in physical exploration and grasp the concept of symbols. The preoperational period occurs roughly between 2 and 7 years, when children hone their ability to represent objects and events through symbols, such as mental images, words, and gestures. The concrete operational period ends approximately at 11 years when children develop the basics of logical thinking. Finally, the formal operational stage begins around the age of 11 years, ending approximately at 15, when children enter adolescence and learn how to conduct mental operations with verbal and logical statements (Miller, 2016). This progression is universal since every child ascends through developmental periods.
Secondly, Piaget introduced the construct of equilibrium, or state of balance a child achieves at the end of each developmental period. According to Miller (2016), Piaget perceived periods as an integrated whole that organizes the parts, such as concrete cognitive structures acquired by children throughout the period’s duration. A child gradually reconciles the newly learned cognitive structures with old knowledge and inevitably achieves the balance necessary for beginning the next developmental period.
Consequently, achieving an equilibrium becomes possible due to the equilibration process, the third critical construct of Piaget’s theory. Piaget broadly defined equilibration as activities directed to assimilation, integration, and regulation of all cognitive changes (Lourenço & Machado, 1996). Internal limitations or external contradictions may stop a child from reaching the state of equilibrium and starting a new developmental period. The equilibration process allows a child to construct new knowledge by coordinating the traditional aspects of development, such as social factors, maturation, and physical experience (Lourenço & Machado, 1996). Otherwise, achieving the state of equilibrium and progressing through the developmental periods would be impossible.
Finally, the equilibration process is necessary for solving the issues a child might face within the assimilation-accommodation model, the fourth critical construct of Piaget’s theory. Piaget considered cognitive development a form of biological adaptation; in this regard, assimilation and accommodation serve as mechanisms for adding new knowledge to a child’s cognitive structures (Flavell, 1996). One can describe assimilation as the direct addition of new knowledge into the cognitive structures, whereas accommodation requires adjustment or replacement of the existing structures in order to incorporate new knowledge. Ultimately, the equilibration process allows a child to find the right balance between assimilation and accommodation strategies, making it possible to progress through the periods of cognitive development.
Conclusion
In conclusion, one can claim that the four critical constructs of Piaget’s theory are logically connected. Children acquire new knowledge through assimilation and accommodation, achieve the state of equilibrium via the equilibration process, and eventually proceed through four developmental periods. However, identifying and describing Piaget’s theory’s critical constructs raises several important questions. How exactly do children reach the state of equilibrium and advance through the developmental periods? What happens during the assimilation, accommodation, and, especially, equilibration processes?
References
Flavell, J. H. (1996). Piaget’s legacy. Psychological Science, 7(4), 200-203. Web.
Lourenço, O., & Machado, A. (1996). In defense of Piaget’s theory: A reply to 10 common criticisms. Psychological Review, 103(1), 143-158. Web.
Miller, P. H. (2016). Theories of developmental psychology. (6th ed.). Worth Publishers.