Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget’s Theory of Schema
Madeline A. Dominguez
BSHS 325
December 14, 2014
Janice Wagner
Jean Piaget’s Theory of Schema
Theorist Jean Piaget introduced the term schema and its use was popularized through his work, such as in his theory of cognitive development. Cognitive development begins from infancy through adolescence and adulthood. In this report I will define the term schema and discuss it based on Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
Schema is defined as a cognitive framework or concept that helps organize and interpret information. Schemas can be useful because they allow us to take shortcuts in interpreting the amount of information that is available in our environment. In Jean Piaget’s theory, a schema is both the category of knowledge as well as the process of acquiring that knowledge. As experiences happen and new information is presented, new schemas are developed and old schemas are either changed or modified.
There are four stages in Jean Piaget’s schema in cognitive development. The first stage is the sensorimotor stage, which happens during infancy through age two. “During this period, a child progresses from simple thoughtless reflex reactions to a basic understanding of the environment (Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Charles H. Zastrow pg116).” Children become aware of their senses and they are able to receive information. They use their eyes to look at their parents, their touch to touch their parents, their sense of smell, to smell their parents, and their hearing to hear their parents speak. The second important part of the sensorimotor period is goal directed behavior. During this part children set goals for themselves, such as reaching and grabbing items that they see. Walking from one end of the couch to the coffee table. Climbing the dining room chair to sit on the table. They become attached to a special toy or maybe even their blanky.
The second stage is the preoperational
Madeline A. Dominguez
BSHS 325
December 14, 2014
Janice Wagner
Jean Piaget’s Theory of Schema
Theorist Jean Piaget introduced the term schema and its use was popularized through his work, such as in his theory of cognitive development. Cognitive development begins from infancy through adolescence and adulthood. In this report I will define the term schema and discuss it based on Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
Schema is defined as a cognitive framework or concept that helps organize and interpret information. Schemas can be useful because they allow us to take shortcuts in interpreting the amount of information that is available in our environment. In Jean Piaget’s theory, a schema is both the category of knowledge as well as the process of acquiring that knowledge. As experiences happen and new information is presented, new schemas are developed and old schemas are either changed or modified.
There are four stages in Jean Piaget’s schema in cognitive development. The first stage is the sensorimotor stage, which happens during infancy through age two. “During this period, a child progresses from simple thoughtless reflex reactions to a basic understanding of the environment (Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Charles H. Zastrow pg116).” Children become aware of their senses and they are able to receive information. They use their eyes to look at their parents, their touch to touch their parents, their sense of smell, to smell their parents, and their hearing to hear their parents speak. The second important part of the sensorimotor period is goal directed behavior. During this part children set goals for themselves, such as reaching and grabbing items that they see. Walking from one end of the couch to the coffee table. Climbing the dining room chair to sit on the table. They become attached to a special toy or maybe even their blanky.
The second stage is the preoperational
References: Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment, Charles H. Zastrow - © Cengage Learning