DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2020.v08i09.034

Pages: 2152-2157

Cognitive development is the capability of knowing, comprehending or understanding. Piaget studied about how children develop ability to think logically and scientifically. According to Piaget assimilation and accommodation are important for effective learning. Piaget made some assumptions that children build their knowledge based on experiences, they learn without influence from others, and by nature, they are motivated to learn. Piaget stated that development of cognition occurred through distinct stages which happen in the same order. Piaget’s stages include Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years), Preoperational stage (2 to 7 years), Concrete operational stage (7 to 11 years) and Formal operational stage (11 years and beyond). Cognitive development at sensorimotor stage is characterised by goal directed behaviour, object permanence, mental representation, cause and effect relationship and coordinated space. Sensorimotor stage is further subdivided into six substages. Every substage is associated with newer skill development. Cognitive development at preoperational stage is characterised by Transductive reasoning, Animism, Artificialism, Egocentrism, Symbolic Functioning, Centration, Irreversibility, Curiosity and Seriation. Key behaviours during preoperational stage include imitation, symbolic play, drawing, mental imagery and verbal evocation of events. Cognitive development at concrete operational stage is characterised by Logical thinking, Decentration, Reversibility, Cause and Effect relationship, Classification, Transitivity and Elimination of Egocentrism. Cognitive development at formal operational stage is characterised by Abstract thinking, Deductive reasoning, Problem solving, Hypothetical thinking, Adolescent Ego-centrism, Imaginary Audience and Personal fable. Basic components of piaget's cognitive theory include Stages, Schemas and Adaptations. Intellectual development is not a quantitative process, but a qualitative change.