Chapter 3:

Human Development Theories

 Introduction:
Of the four dimensions or growth development the one with
which schools have traditionally been most concerned is the
cognitive dimension. Society establishes and maintains
school to provide the means of stimulating the amount of
kind of cognitive growth that presumably would not occur if
there where no schools. This does not mean however, that the
community and the schools can afford to be unconcerned
about other dimensions of development. All four aspects are
interrelated and we cannot expect children to advance more
rapidly along cognitive lines than they do in physical ,
emotional, and social ways. Because of these
interrelationship, teachers can do a better job of helping
youngster develop intellectually by providing them with
opportunities for self-development and self expression in the
social, emotional, and physical areas of life.
Jean William Fritz Piaget(August 9,1896 - September 16,1980)

• He was a Swiss
Psychologist who is known
for conducting a
systematic study of the
acquisition of
understanding in children.

• He is wisely considered to
be the most important
figure in the 20th-century
developmental
psychology.
Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

• Presented by: Ronald P. Escosura

• Although intellectual growth is continuous, Piaget found
that certain mental abilities tend to appear and certain
stages of development. It is important to note the word
tend.
• Piaget and his colleagues found that through mental
abilities appear may vary from child to child or culture to
culture, the order in which mental abilities appear does
not vary since mental development is always an
extension of what has already preceded. Thus, although
children of the same age may have different mental
abilities available to them, the order with which the
abilities emerge is constant.
 Cognitive
-comes from the Latin Word “Cognoscere” means to get to know.
-refers to the ability of the brain to think and reason as opposed to feel.
Cognitive Development
• Is the construction of through process, including remembering,
problem solving, and decision-making, from childhood through
adolescence to adulthood.
Three Basic Components to Piaget’s Cognitive Theory

1. Schema
2.Adaptation
3. 4 Main Stages of Cognitive Development
 Schema
-is a category of knowledge or a mental template, that a child puts
together to understand the world.

-is a product of the child’s experiences and can represent objects, events, or
concepts.
 Adaptation
-processes that enable the transition from one stage to another such as:

Assimilation
-Which is using an existing schema to deal with a new objects or situation.

Accommodation
-this happens when the existing schema does not work, and needs to be
changed to deal with a new object or situation.

Equilibration
-this is the force which moves development along.
 Four Main Stages of Cognitive
Development
Sensorimotor Preoperational Stage
(from birth to 2years) (from 2 to 7years)
• Stage 1: Birth • Pre-conceptual thinking:
About 2 to 4 years
• Stage 2: Extends to about
4months Concrete Operational
Formal Operations
• Period of intuitive Stage
• Stage 3: 4 t0 8months (from 11 to 16years)
thought: 4 to 7years (from 7 to 11years)
• Stage 4: 8months to 1year

• Stages 5 & 6: Encompass

the 2nd year of life
 SENSORIMOTOR - from Birth to 2years

• This stage is characterized

by the absence of language.

• The period is based

primarily on immediate
experience through the
senses.
 6 Stages of Development During First Two Years
Stage 1: Birth
Behavior is reflexive - no awareness and
concept of object.
Stage 2: Extends to about 4 months
Sucking becomes habitual, there is hand-eye
coordination, now aware of objects.

Stage 3: 4 to 8months
Behavior becomes oriented toward objects
and events beyond his body. There is voluntary
control. The child can be manipulate objects
within reach in his environment. He repeats
behavior that is interesting.
 Stage 4: 8months to 1year
Behavior patterns which constitute the first clear
signs of intelligence begin to merge. The child
begins to anticipate events and begins to use
means to attain needs.
He begins to search for objects that have
disappeared (Object Permanence) and he
understands that the presence of objects may
make something happen.
Stage 5 & 6: Encompass the Second Year of Life

Noteworthy is the ability of the child to make

use of trial and error to achieve desired ends.
• The Sensorimotor Stage is determined basically by actual perception of the
senses.
• This is the process experienced between the senses and the external or
physical factors.
 Characteristics:
• Motor activity without use of symbols.
• All things learned are based on experiences or trial and
error
 PRE-OPERATIONAL STAGE - from 2 to 7years

• The richer the verbal environment,

the more likely it is that language
will develop.

• Children in this stage talk to stuffed

toys, they will tell about imaginary
friends, and tell wild stories.
 Pre-conceptual Thinking(about 2 to 4years)

• During this part of pre-operational thinking,

children begin rudimentary concept information.

• They begin to classify things in certain classes

because of their similarity, but they make a
number of mistakes because of their concepts,
thus, all men are “Daddy” and all women are
“Mommy”, and all toys are mine.
 Period of intuitive thought(4 to 7years)

• During this stage, the child solves problems

intuitively, instead of in accordance with some
logical rule.
• The most striking characteristics of child’s
thinking is his failure to develop conservation.
• Conservation is defined as the ability to realize
number, length, substance, or area remains
constant even through these things may be
presented to the child in a number if different
ways.
 Characteristics:
• Development of language, memory, and imagination.
• Intelligence is both egocentric and intuitive.
 Egocentrism
• Piaget noted that children do not yet understanding
concrete logic, cannot mentally manipulate information,
and are unable to take the point of view of other people.

Intuitive
• Having to know or understanding things without any proof
or evidence.
 CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE - from 7 to 11 years
• The children thinking becomes more logical
and systemic.
• Learning and gaining increased skill in
reading is a key developmental task at this
period.
• They are learning symbol systems and
concepts of time, space, and distance.
• Differences in size and shape fascinate
them.
• They are gaining better understanding and
of spatial relationships, and this is shown in
the realism, proportion, and detail in their
drawings and paintings.
 Concrete
• Refers to that which is tangible.

• That which can be seen or touched or experienced directly.

Reversibility
• The child understands that numbers or objects can be
changed, then returned to their original.

Deductive Reasoning
• A type of logic in which one goes from a general statement
to a specific instance.
 Characteristics:
• More logical and methodical manipulation of symbols.
• Less egocentric and more aware of the outside world and
event.
 FORMAL OPERATIONS- from 11 to 16 years

• At this stage, the individual comes to

think at the level of adults when they
are functioning at the best.
• They can now attain logical, rational,
abstract strategies.
• Is characterized by hypothesis testing.
 Characteristics:
• Use of symbols to relate to abstract concepts.
• Able to make hypotheses and grasp abstract concepts and
relationships.
• In Formal Operations, “perspective thought” or relativism is formed.

• It is a new perspective of other people who possess varied thinking on the same
stimulus or situations.

• There is awareness of different point of view rather than one single thought.

• The Young person understands and recognizes that individual have their own and
different interests, knowledge, and ways of thinking.
• The process of reading development as compared to other stage is significantly
different.

• Abstract thinking is developed in attaining meaning from words read.

• There is comprehension of figurative and symbolic written materials, individuals are

able to expound in a logical and rational way by giving implications of things read,
movies, stage plays, dance, music, sculptures, designs, and other forms of art.