Jean Piaget's Theory Of Cognitive Development

As a child, I frequently had nightmares resulting in me crawling into my parents’ bed. My mother’s comfort gave me a sense of protection against the ‘monsters’ in my sleep. One morning when I was 4, my parents had gone to the gym and left my older brother in charge. I woke up early that morning after another nightmare but when I went to my parents’ room I couldn’t find them. I walked into my brother’s room crying, waking him up and he then asked me what was wrong? I told him that I had a nightmare, although I knew my parents would return, I was still anxious and did not want to be separated from my mother. He told me that if I placed a beanie over my head and covered my eyes then no monsters would get me; I would be able to fall asleep again.
When my parents got home they found me with the beanie over my eyes. My mum took the beanie off and I gave her a hug.
This is a memory of my personal experience.
Theoretical perspective

One theory of development that relates to the case study is Jean Piagets’ theory of cognitive development (Piaget cited in Chiland 2016, p.
482). This four-stage theory illustrates how children are born with a mental structure that is built up overtime and their cognitive processes which develop as a result of experience. New experiences challenge children’s thinking causing disequilibrium. From this learning experience if the outcome is positive, accommodation of information/learning is made and we can see growth in cognitive abilities. Other ways to develop cognitively is exercising the old scheme in new ways. This theory is outlined in Figure 1
below.

Figure 1.
Retrieved from https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/piagetstheory/
John Bowlby’s theory of attachment (as cited in Crittenden, 2017) suggests how children are biologically programmed to form attachments with others. These attachments are innate, survival mechanisms that ensure children are in close proximity to their person of attachment. This bond provides a secure foundation for children and allows them to explore new environments. Bowlby suggested that disrupting this relationship within the first three years can have consequences on the child’s future relationships. The three main types of relationship are shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2. Retrieved from http://internal.psychology.illinois.edu/~rcfraley/attachment.htm

Influences on human development

My mother leaving was an environmental factor that increased the sense of anxiety, which in turn influenced my cognitive development.
On this morning when I couldn’t be with my mother, I reached the anxious/ambivalent stage (as cited in Crittenden, 2017) when usually I was secure in my mother’s presence because of our bond. My cognitive development was in the preoperational stage thus by placing magical powers on the beanie I believed that I would be protected. My brother’s strategy of calming me down showed his understanding of the preoperational stage whilst he was in the formal operational stage of development. I had an egocentric point of view which is why I could not grasp the concept of nightmares. From that day on, I kept the beanie next to my pillow believing that it would protect me from all nightmares. This reinforced my attached relationship with my mum as I knew that her protection would always be with me, in the
beanie.
The cognitive and environmental domains are interrelated as I now understand that when my mother and I were separated, I needed something to rely on to feel safe. Through this new environmental experience, I developed cognitively by using the new information I had learnt and adding it to my old scheme of thinking.
Communication strategies
From this event, I have learnt the importance of children having an attachment to a caregiver and communicating in a way they understand and are comfortable. One study by Ahmad, Ch, Batool, Sittar, & Malik (2016) concluded that the age of a child doesn’t define which stage they are at in Piaget’s theory. This is important to remember in health care; we need to assess the current cognitive ability and communicate in an appropriate way. The same study suggests that if a child doesn’t have sufficient time to play, they may not have developed to the formal operational stage as rapidly. Another study notes the importance of having parents present during a child’s healthcare appointments/hospitalizations (Alsop-Shields and Mohary 2001). This study suggests dysfunctional families should be kept together and given the resources needed to prevent adverse outcomes for the child in long term care. Therefore, I would be considerate of the child’s needs, as well as the parent’s; to make sure they fully understand the treatment they are being given. Ethical factors to consider include the religious diversity of New Zealand and how particular treatments are considered unethical in other cultures due to their impact on quality of life. Boles (2016) reported that healthcare situations require good communication to prevent unethical decisions. Management of pain and disease is dependent on how well professionals communicate with the family, thus meaning the ability to impede or improve the child’s health.