Jean Piaget (1896 - 1980) was one of the most influential researchers in the area of developmental psychology during the 20th century.
1. Sensorimotor stage (birth - 2 years).
In this period (which has 6 stages), your child's intelligence is demonstrated through motor activity without the use of symbols. Knowledge of the world is limited (but developing) because it's based on your child's physical interactions / experiences. Your child acquires object permanence at about 7 months of age (memory). Physical development (mobility) allows your child to begin developing new intellectual abilities. Some symbolic (language) abilities are developed at the end of this stage.
*At this stage, expect your child to cry during an exam. It is completely normal. A "lap exam" performed by Dr. Hsu allows him to see the teeth and mouth clearly.
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*At this stage, expect crying during an exam, it is completely normal and during a lap exam allows the dentist to see the teeth and mouth clearly. |
2. Pre-operational stage (2 - 6 years).
In this period (which has two substages), your child's intelligence is demonstrated through the use of symbols, language use matures and memory and imagination are developed. Thinking is done in a nonlogical, nonreversible manner. Egocentric thinking predominates.
Characteristics of pre-operational thought
- Egocentrism - "me, me, me"
- Animism - attributing a soul or human qualities to an inanimate object (for instance - saying "clean teeth are happy teeth" makes good sense to a child at this age)
- Idiosyncratic Reasoning - a unique perspective, not based upon logic
- Magical Thinking - Harry Potter's spells and tricks seem plausible
3. Concrete operational stage (6 - 12 years).
In this stage, watch your child demonstrate intelligence through logical and systematic manipulation of symbols related to concrete objects. Operational thinking develops (mental actions that are reversible). Egocentric thought diminishes.
Characteristics of concrete operational thought
- Central nervous system reorganizes between 5 - 7 years of age. New abilities; literate, can reason, capable of logical thought
- Develops rule system to organize experiences
- hinking dominated by rules and logical explanations
- Have ability to self-evaluate and take responsibility for actions
- Perceive others' evaluation of them: increased awareness of body image and increased importance of peers
4. Formal operational stage (> 12 years).
In this stage, your child exhibits intelligence through the logical use of symbols related to abstract concepts. Early in the period there is a return to egocentric thought. Only 35% of high school graduates in industrialized countries obtain formal operations; many people do not think formally during adulthood.
Young Kids And Memory
- Poor recall of past events
- Difficulty sequencing unfamiliar events
- Few memories before age 4 are retrievable
- Will have poor recall of dental procedures but excellent memory of rewards (toys, balloon, stickers)!
