Cognitive and Moral Development of Children

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Cognitive and moral developments are determined by a child’s experience and environment. As the child matures into adulthood they begin to view the world differently. The capacity to imagine what other people may be thinking and feeling is defined as perspective taking (Berk, 2007). This view aids in adolescents moral understanding and development. Identifying a child’s developmental stage assists in determining the proper support that is needed in order to provide a safe and nourishing environment. Seven year old Jaylen was interviewed to access and determine her cognitive and moral development well as her perspective taking stages.

Jean Piaget a Swiss cognitive theorist believed that children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore the world (Berk, 2007). Piaget believed that children moved through stages during cognitive development, sensorimotor, preoperational, and concrete operational and formal operational. In Piaget’s sensorimotor stage (birth -2 years) a child brain is developing and they process information with their body. As they progress into the Preoperational stage (2-7years) a child language develops but they have yet to develop rational logic. In the concrete operational stage (7- 11 years) a child begins to understand perception and has logical reasoning and in Piaget’s formal operational stage a child demonstrated adult intelligence. During the interview with Jaylen she was given a series of activities to test her logic. She was asked question on volume, mass and numbers. She answered each question correct. This demonstrated that Jaylen reasoning was logical. She understood that although appearances change the content doesn’t. Jaylen was in Piaget's concrete operational stage of cog...

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...not recall a situation in the past. I understand that it is impossible to recognize which experience has the most impact on a child’s life but with various theories we are able to comprehend how children grow into adulthood. This assignment has supported feelings that cognitive and moral development theories are used to assist in the development of a child. Although life cannot be controlled we should all use the information provided in these theories as a blueprint to assist in providing our youths with a nurturing beginning from childhood into adulthood.

References

Berk, L. E. (2007), “Development Through the Lifespan”.(4th Ed.) Boston,

MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Kavathatzopoulos, I. (1991, February). Kohlberg and Piaget: Differences and similarities.

Journal of Moral Education, 20 47. Retrieved October 15, 2009, from Academic Search Complete Database.

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