The Four Principles Of Piaget's Infant Cognitive Development

703 Words2 Pages

Infant cognition also known as infant cognitive development is the study of growth and change of intelligence, thought, processes and problem solving abilities for infants. As the infant explores his environment, he will go through a cognitive growth. He will sort and gather information from his surroundings and develop perception and decision making skills.

Jean Piaget was born on August 9, 1896, in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He was the firstborn of Arthur Piaget and Rebecca Jackson. At a young age Piaget became fascinated with observing animals in their natural environment. At the age of 10, he attended Neuchâtel Latin high school, and published his first article on an albino sparrow. After graduating from high school, Piaget acquired his …show more content…

Piaget then divided the sensorimotor stage into three substages, primary circular reactions, secondary circular reactions, and the final substage tertiary circular reactions. These substages are known as circular reactions, which are repetitive action-oriented schemas or habits. The basic four principles to Piaget’s infant cognitive development are schemas, assimilation, accommodation, and adaption. Schemas are defined as build blocks of knowledge. Assimilation is using an existing schema to deal with a new object or situation. Accommodation happens when the existing schema does not work and needs to be changed to deal with a new object or situation. Adaption occurs when assimilation and accommodation are achieved and it permits the transition from one stage to …show more content…

The age category is from a month to four months. Primary circular reactions is subsequent to the to the infants reflexive actions such as crying and squirming. The infant develops repetitive body centered schemas. Examples on body center schemas are sucking toes, sucking thumb, or sucking object after observing it. The infant will intentionally repeat the schema because he will find it satisfying. Piaget’s four basic principles can be applied to the substage of primary circular reaction. Since an infant has sucking reflex, whenever an object touches his lips he will suck the object. Piaget would have said he has a ‘sucking schema’. The infant will develop new

Open Document