Jean Piaget studied children's thinking from birth to teenage years. He published his theory in 1936 based on his observations of children's thinking
Children progress through four distinct stages of cognitive development. Piaget believed children actively construct knowledge through experimentation. Theory differs from Vygotsky's emphasis on external factors and culture
Children use symbols to represent objects and ideas. Early animism attributes life-like qualities to inanimate objects. Pretend play involves creating scenarios and roles. Parallel play occurs alongside peers without direct interaction
Object permanence is understanding that objects exist even when hidden. Piaget studied infants' reactions to covered objects. Infants develop object permanence by end of sensorimotor stage. Six stages: reflex schema (0-1 months), primary circular reactions (1-4 months). A-not-B errors occur when infants reach for objects in unexpected locations
Cognitive development studies information processing and understanding in children. Development occurs through genetic and environmental factors. Four main stages: reasoning, intelligence, language, and memory
Piaget studied childhood development and intelligence through stages. Children progress through four stages: sensorimotor (0-2), preoperational (2-7), concrete operational (7-11), formal operational (11+). Development occurs in same order across cultures but at different ages. Accommodation involves adapting existing knowledge to new information. Assimilation is adapting to new information using existing schemas