Question

Select the person who suggested the theory of cognitive development.

• A. Erickson
• B. Ausubel
• C. Piaget
• D. Pavlov

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Piaget

• Jean Piaget: Formulated the Theory of Cognitive Development, which explains how children construct a mental model of the world through four stages (Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational).

• He proposed that children are not passive recipients of knowledge, but rather active constructors of understanding, famously referring to them as "Little Scientists".

Four Stages of Cognitive Development

1. Sensorimotor Stage (Birth – 2 Years): Learning occurs through sensory experiences and motor activities. The major milestone achieved here is Object Permanence (understanding that objects continue to exist even when unseen).

2. Preoperational Stage (2 – 7 Years): Characterized by symbolic play, language growth, Egocentrism (inability to perceive perspectives other than one's own), and animism. Children in this stage lack reversibility and conservation.

3. Concrete Operational Stage (7 – 11 Years): Emergence of logical thought regarding concrete, physical objects. Mastery of the concept of Conservation, Classification, and Seriation takes place.

4. Formal Operational Stage (11 Years and Above): Development of abstract reasoning, deductive logic, and systematic Hypothetico-Deductive Reasoning.

Key Concepts in Piaget's Theory

• Schema: The basic building block of intelligent behavior, representing mental frameworks or packets of information used to understand the world.

• Assimilation: Fitting new information into existing cognitive schemas without changing them.

• Accommodation: Modifying existing schemas or creating new ones in response to new environmental information.

• Equilibration: The regulatory process that maintains a balance between assimilation and accommodation.

• Erik Erikson: Developed the theory of Psychosocial Development (comprising 8 stages of ego identity across the lifespan).

• David Ausubel: Proposed the Meaningful Verbal Learning Theory and the concept of Advance Organizers.

• Ivan Pavlov: Pioneered Classical Conditioning in behavioral psychology (famous for his experiments with dogs and salivation).