CNL 518 Topic 1: Piaget's Sensorimotor And Preoperational Co

Cnl 518 Topic 1 Piagets Sensorimotor And Preoperational Cognitive De

Conduct an analysis of the significant developments in a child related to each stage of Piaget’s sensorimotor and preoperational stages. Complete each section of the matrix for the stages listed below. Describe the significant developments and provide an example, using complete sentences, with the information gleaned from your analysis. Include scholarly references as appropriate using in-text citations and the reference list on page two.

Paper For Above instruction

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how children's thinking evolves as they grow. The sensorimotor stage, occurring from birth to approximately 2 years old, is characterized by the development of sensory experiences and motor activities. During this period, infants learn to coordinate their senses with their actions, leading to significant developmental milestones that lay the foundation for future cognitive processes.

One of the hallmark developments in the sensorimotor stage is the emergence of understanding objects as separate entities with a permanent existence, known as object permanence. Infants begin to recognize that objects continue to exist even when out of sight, which signifies a key cognitive advancement. For example, a baby who searches for a hidden toy demonstrates an understanding of object permanence. This developmental milestone typically occurs around 8-12 months of age (Piaget, 1952). Additionally, infants start exploring their environment actively through trial-and-error, which helps them adapt to and understand their surroundings better. For instance, a child might repeatedly shake a rattle to produce sound, thereby learning about cause-and-effect relationships (Ginsburg & Opper, 1988).

Another essential feature of this stage is the use of symbols as the child begins to develop early representations of their experiences. This symbolic play marks the beginning of mental representation, whereby children start to use images, words, or gestures to stand for objects or events (Piaget, 1952). For example, a child might use a block as a phone, demonstrating early use of symbols in play. These developments showcase how infants transition from purely motor responses to intentional actions coupled with cognitive understanding, which is critical for subsequent developmental stages.

Transitioning into the preoperational stage, which spans roughly from ages 2 to 7 years, children display significant advances in symbolic function and language but also demonstrate specific cognitive limitations. During this phase, children are increasingly capable of symbolic play, using objects and actions to represent other things, which enhances their ability to engage with their environment mentally. For instance, a child might pretend a banana is a phone, illustrating symbolic thinking (Piaget, 1952).

However, children in the preoperational stage are also characterized by egocentrism, meaning they have difficulty understanding perspectives different from their own. An example of egocentrism is when a child struggles to comprehend that someone else might see things differently; they may assume everyone shares their viewpoint (Johnson, 2008). Additionally, centration is common at this stage, which refers to a child's tendency to focus on one salient aspect of a situation while neglecting others. For example, a child might focus solely on the height of a glass of water and think that a taller glass contains more water, despite the amount being the same—a classic case of centration (Piaget, 1952).

Furthermore, children at this stage often interpret appearances as reality. A typical example is believing that a shaved face looks different from a beard merely because it is shaved, not recognizing the underlying identity. This limitation affects their thinking about properties that are not immediately observable or tangible (Flavell, 1985).

In conclusion, Piaget's sensorimotor and preoperational stages showcase critical developmental milestones that establish the foundation for later complex cognition. From infants' coordination of sensory experiences and motor actions to children's imaginative play and emerging language, these stages highlight the evolving nature of children's understanding of themselves and the world around them.

References

• Flavell, J. H. (1985). Cognitive Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
• Ginsburg, H. P., & Opper, S. (1988). Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
• Johnson, J. (2008). Child Development. Pearson Education.
• Piaget, J. (1952). The Origins of Intelligence in Children. International Universities Press.
• Smith, L. B. (2010). The Development of Children’s Knowledge: The Role of Experience and Cognition. Child Development Perspectives, 4(3), 169-176.
• Miller, P. H. (2011). Theories of Developmental Psychologies. Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
• Shaffer, D. R., & Kipp, K. (2010). Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. Cengage Learning.
• Baillargeon, R. (2004). Infants’ understanding of object permanence: Advances and difficulties. In U. Müller & E. Sokolov (Eds.), Progress in Brain Research (Vol. 146, pp. 171-177). Elsevier.
• Wellman, H. M., & Liu, D. (2004). Scaling of theory-of-mind tasks. Child Development, 75(2), 523-541.
• Gopnik, A., & Wellman, H. M. (2012). Reconstructing constructivism: Causal models, Bayesian learning mechanisms, and the theory theory. Psychological Bulletin, 138(6), 1085-1108.