Child Development Jean Piaget Theory. The author of this theory was jean piaget a swiss psychologist known as the great pioneer of the constructivist theory of knowing. He believed cognitive development the emergence of thinking and memory functions to be the key element of the whole process with language development for instance contingent upon the acquisition of knowledge and understanding via cognitive advances.
The four stages of cognitive development include. He disagreed with the idea that intelligence was a fixed trait and regarded cognitive development as a process which occurs due to biological maturation and interaction with the environment. Piaget s 1936 theory of cognitive development explains how a child constructs a mental model of the world.
Along with piaget s theory on child cognitive development we shall look at the physical changes in children through different stages and what parents should do.
Other theories of his time placed importance on environment or biology. In his theory he breaks down development into 4 stages based on the child s age. Piaget observed how children learn and adapt to their environment. Piaget believed that cognitive development began at birth and lasted through adulthood.