Before we can understand the connection between critical thinking and the three stages of cognitive development, we need to understand what these stages are. The developer of the stages Jean Piaget, was the first person to ever conduct studies based on cognitive development. Piaget conducted these studies through series of tests that would ultimately show the difference between children and their cognitive abilities at different ages. The three main stages of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development are as follows 1. Pre-operational (ages 2-7) 2. Concrete operational (ages 7-11) 3. Formal operational (adolescence-adulthood) Pre-operatioal Stage: The Pre-operational Stage ranges from the age of 2 to 7 years old. These children can usually mentally symbolize items, this helps the child to engage in symbolic play or to use their imagination while playing. Children within this stage often communicate by speaking about themselves for example things that they have done or that they can see and do, they lack the ability to think about what others are seeing or doing. This is known as egocentric communication. The video below is an example of egocentrism which shows the incapability that the child has to see a situation from another person’s perspective.
By the age of 7 children start to cognitively think in a different why, at this age most children have adapted or learned how to see another person’s perceptive. An example of this change can be seen at 1:05 of the video above. An older child is preforming the same task as the younger child, however this child can now explain what the other person is seeing on the other side. We can see the connection to critical thinking within this stage of cognitive development. A younger child starting at the age of 2 year old can understand what items are, they may know the names and what they look like. They do this by critically thinking about each object. They are starting to develop conversational skills, these skills take time to develop which is why their skill change overtime. We watched two children preforming the same task, we watched the younger child communicate in a different more egocentric way, where the older child communicated in a non-egocentric way. This is because the way they have critically thought about their response has become more developed over time. Concrete Operational Stage: The next stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is the Concrete Operational Stage which is from ages 7 to 11 years old. Within this stage of cognitive development children are developing the ability to have logical thought. Logical thought can be defined as a way of analyzing and assessing thoughts before making a conclusion. Like communication logical thought skills are developed over time. During this stage of cognitive development the younger children are still learning to use their logical thought process with physical objects. Children who have not yet reached this stage of cognitive development are still learning the difference between objects that are equal even after ones appearance has been altered. The video blew shows a child who has not yet reached the Concrete Operational Stage because he cannot explain that the objects are equal even after ones appearance has be altered.
Children who have reached the Concrete Operational Stage can cognitively understand that two objects are equal even after ones appearance has been altered. We can also see the connection between critical thinking throughout this stage of cognitive development as well. By the end this stage children have the ability think logically and critically think about more than one part of the problem at a time. They are able to use critically thinking skills to “reverse” the problem which is how they are able to explain why the objects are equal. Formal Operational Stage: The final stage of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is called the Formal Operational Stage which general starts when children are 11 years old and continues until adulthood. Within this stage adolescents begin to obtain the ability to think abstractly as well as develop the capability to conduct higher-order reasoning skills. Once a child has fulfilled the Concrete Operational Stage of Piaget’s theory, they then begin to control more ideas at one time. They do this when they can think in a creative way, use abstract reasoning, explain the outcome of problems and make mathematical calculations. The video below is a short silly video that explains the difference between concrete and abstract. A major distinction that can be seen between the Concrete and Formal Operational Stages is when children from each stage attempt to answer a question like this “If Ryan has $2.00 more than Alison and Alison has $1.00 more than Nolan, who has the most money?” Children within the Concrete Operational Stage may have a difficult time answering this questions unless they can draw it out or use objects to physically represent the amount of money each person has in order to solve the problem. Where as children who are in the Formal Operational Stage can use what they know about problem solving to think about the problem in their head in order to find a solution. This questions is an example of inferential reasoning. Inferential Reasoning is the ability to think about something which you have not actually experienced so that you cannot draw your own conclusion from your own thinking. When a child has reached the Formal Operational Stage, thinking process such as inferential reasoning occur and they no longer need to use objects or draw pictures to solve problems. We can see the connection between critical thinking throughout this stage of cognitive development as well. By the time children enter the Formal Operational Stage they are using everything they know about problem solving to solve problems. They use different techniques which they have learned over time, they solve problems as if the skills are second nature to them. Children and adults who are in this final stage of development use critical thinking skills to think back on how to solve problems in order to find solutions. Medically Reviewed by Hansa D. Bhargava, MD on August 17, 2020 Piaget's stages of development are part of a theory about the phases of normal intellectual development, from infancy through adulthood. This includes thought, judgment, and knowledge. The stages were named after psychologist and developmental biologist Jean Piaget, who recorded the intellectual development and abilities of infants, children, and teens. Piaget's four stages of intellectual (or cognitive) development are: Piaget acknowledged that some children may pass through the stages at different ages than the averages noted above. He also said some children may show characteristics of more than one stage at a given time. But he insisted that: Piaget's 1936 theory broke new ground because he found that children's brains work in very different ways than adults'. Before his theory, many believed that children were not yet capable of thinking as well as grown-ups. Some experts disagree with his idea of stages. Instead, they see development as continuous. Another criticism is that Piaget didn't consider how a child's culture and social environment affect their development. During the early stages, according to Piaget, infants are only aware of what is right in front of them. They focus on what they see, what they are doing, and physical interactions with their immediate environment. Because they don't yet know how things react, they're constantly experimenting. They shake or throw things, put things in their mouth, and learn about the world through trial and error. The later stages include goal-oriented behavior that leads to a desired result. Between ages 7 and 9 months, infants begin to realize that an object exists even though they can no longer see it. This important milestone -- known as object permanence -- is a sign that memory is developing. After infants start crawling, standing, and walking, their increased physical mobility leads to more cognitive development. Near the end of the sensorimotor stage (18-24 months), infants reach another important milestone -- early language development, a sign that they are developing some symbolic abilities. During this stage (toddler through age 7), young children are able to think about things symbolically. Their language use becomes more mature. They also develop memory and imagination, which allows them to understand the difference between past and future, and engage in make-believe. But their thinking is based on intuition and still not completely logical. They cannot yet grasp more complex concepts such as cause and effect, time, and comparison. At this time, elementary-age and preadolescent children -- ages 7 to 11 -- show logical, concrete reasoning. Children's thinking becomes less focused on themselves. They're increasingly aware of external events. They begin to realize that their own thoughts and feelings are unique and may not be shared by others or may not even be part of reality. But during this stage, most children still can't think abstractly or hypothetically. Adolescents who reach this fourth stage of intellectual development -- usually at age 11-plus -- are able to use symbols related to abstract concepts, such as algebra and science. They can think about things in systematic ways, come up with theories, and consider possibilities. They also can ponder abstract relationships and concepts such as justice. Although Piaget believed in lifelong intellectual growth, he insisted that the formal operational stage is the final stage of cognitive development. He also said that continued intellectual development in adults depends on the buildup of knowledge. Along with the stages of development, Piaget's theory has several other main concepts. Schemas are thought processes that are essentially building blocks of knowledge. A baby, for example, knows that it must make a sucking motion to eat. That's a schema. Assimilation is how you use your existing schemas to interpret a new situation or object. For example, a child seeing a skunk for the first time might call it a cat. Accommodation is what happens when you change a schema, or create a new one, to fit new information you learn. The child accommodates when they understand that not all furry, four-legged creatures are cats. Equilibrium happens when you're able to use assimilation to fit in most of the new information you learn. So you're not constantly adding new schemas. Piaget's theory has influenced education and parenting. Here are some practical ways teachers and parents can put his ideas to work: |
What is the most important and supreme stage of cognitive development?
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