Jean Piaget

Jean PiagetJean Piaget was born on August 9, 1896 in Neuchatel, Switzerland. As a teen, he disregarded his religion and followed the ?biological explanation of knowledge? (Boeree 1). He studied philosophy, but later developed a strong interest in child psychology after receiving his Doctorate in Science from the University of Neuchatel. Piaget taught philosophy and psychology in Paris. Later, he began to research and administered intelligence tests to young children. He studied how children reasoned, instead of their ?right or wrong? answers on the tests. Shortly afterwards, Jean Piaget married and had three children who quickly became his focus and a part of his research, with the assistance of his wife.

Paiget is most noted for his theory of ?The Four Stages of Intellectual Development?, which refers to the development of what is right or wrong. These four stages are the sensory-motor period, the pre-operational period, the concrete operational period, and the formal operational period.

Jean Piaget: founder of Constructivism

Jean Piaget

Discovery

According to Piaget, each of these stages is present in a certain period of a child?s life.

The first stage of Piaget?s theory is the sensory motor period, which takes place from birth to age two. During this period, Piaget concluded that children become familiar with ?cause and effect?. An example of this is when a baby sucks her thumb, she recognizes it?s good to her, so she keeps sucking it (Boeree 2). This entire stage is supported by the fact that infants are just starting to interact with the world physically and become involved with all of their senses, particularly their sense of touch. Later during this period, Piaget states ?babies overcome the ?out of sight, out of mind? state whereas they don?t think an object exists if it?s not in sight? (Engel/Snellgrove 56). My opinion is that an infant will cry when...