3 of 4

Write now Article Tools

Page 2 of 4

as the child learns to compare, contrast, etc. for example when a baby first learns to hold something (a grip schema) it uses its whole hand/fist. This grip schema develops as mental operations come into play. Soon the child knows how to grip small objects in contrast to large objects etc.

For schemas to be formed three basic processes are thought to be involved

1. Assimilation
2. Accommodation
3. Equilibrium

Piaget (1954) believed that we adapt in two ways: assimilation & accommodation Assimilation occurs when individuals incorporate new information into their existing knowledge. Accommodation occurs when individuals adjust to new information. (Life Span Development Ninth Edition; Santrock, John W. p48). Piaget gives the example consider a circumstance in which a 9-year-old girl is given a hammer & nails to hang a picture on the wall. She has never used a hammer, but from observation & vicarious experience she realises that a hammer is an object to be held, that it is swung by the handle to hit the nail & that it is usually swung a number of times. Recognising each of these things, she fits her behaviour into the information she already has (assimilation). However, the hammer is heavy, so she holds it near the top. She swings too hard & the nail bends, so she adjusts the pressure of her strikes. These adjustments reveal her ability to alter slightly her conception of the world (accommodation). Piaget thought that assimilation & accommodation operate even in the very young infant's life. Newborns reflexively suck everything that touches their lips (assimilation), but, after several months of experience, they construct their understanding of the world differently. Some objects, such as fingers & their mother's breast, can be sucked, but others, such as fuzzy blankets, should not be sucked. (Life Span Development Ninth Edition; Santrock, John W. p48). A person must assimilate or/& accommodate information to reach equilibrium. When new information does not fit into a particular schema a state of disequilibrium is produced. Piaget also believed that we go through four stages in understanding the world

1. Sensorimotor Stage
(Birth to 2 years of age)
The infant constructs an understanding of the world by coordinating sensory experiences with physical actions. An infant progresses from reflexive, instinctual action at birth to the beginning of symbolic thought toward the end of the stage.
(Life Span Development Ninth Edition; Santrock, John W. p49)

2. Preoperational Stage
(2

• << previous page
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Theories of cognitive development and behavior?
We want to hear your view. Write now!