Jean Piaget

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the life and work of Jean Piaget and relates that he was a pioneer in the understanding of human cognitive development. Originally trained in the psychoanalytic perspective introduced by Sigmund Freud, Piaget developed an entirely new approach to understanding the stages of human intellectual development. The paper notes that the most influential of Piaget's many theoretical contributions concern the various stages of chronological age at which human beings begin processing external information from their environment. The paper comments that this element of his work has had it's most profound effect on elementary education, but other aspects of Piaget's analyses of issues in human cognitive psychology also have tremendously valuable implications in the understanding of human evolution, philosophy, the fundamental basis of moral reasoning, and even the field of artificial intelligence (AI), which only existed in the most rudimentary levels during his lifetime.

Outline:
Abstract
Early Motivation and Influences
Contribution to Childhood Education, Psychology, and 21st Century Computer Science
Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The fourth stage of Piaget's cognitive development theory is the Formal Operations stage. During this period that begins in early adolescence and continues to become more refined through the progression to adulthood, the child becomes capable of appreciating symbolic logic and objective reasoning. It is also characterized primarily by the ability to understand abstract concepts, such as the justifications behind rules and the personal rights of individuals with respect to those of others. Many contemporary psychologists believe that this stage of development, therefore, is actually responsible for the basic appreciation of objective notions of moral right" and "wrong".

Sample of Sources Used:

• Adams, D. & Hamm, M. (1994). New Designs for Teaching and Learning: Promoting
• Active Learning in Tomorrow's Schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Dennet, D. (1991). Consciousness Explained. New York: Little Brown & Co.
• Gardner, H. (1993). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books.
• Gerrig, R, Zimbardo, P. (2005). Psychology and Life. 17th Edition. New York: Allyn & Bacon.

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