thumb|jean piaget in ann arbor piaget's theory of cognitive development is a comprehensive theory about the nature and development of human intelligence. it was first developed by a swiss developmental psychologist, jean piaget (1896â1980). piaget believed that one's childhood plays a vital and active role to the growth of intelligence, and that the child learns through doing and actively exploring.mcleod, s. a. "piaget | cognitive theory". simply psychology. retrieved 18 september 2012 the theory of intellectual development focuses on intuition, believing, remembering and perceiving. it is primarily known as a developmental stage theory, but, in fact, it deals with the nature of knowledge itself and how humans come gradually to acquire, construct, and use it. to piaget, cognitive development was a progressive reorganization of mental processes resulting from biological maturation and environmental experience. accordingly, he believed that children construct an understanding of the world around them, then experience discrepancies between what they already know and what they discover in their environment. moreover, piaget claimed that cognitive development is at the center of the human organism, and language is contingent on cognitive development. piaget's earlier work received the greatest attention. many parents have been encouraged to provide a rich, supportive environment for their child's natural propensity to grow and learn. child-centered classrooms and "open education" are direct applications of piaget's views.great lives from history: the twentieth century; september 2008, p1-3 below is a short description of piaget's views about the nature of intelligence, followed by a description of the stages through which it develops until maturity. ==nature of intelligence: operative and figurative== piaget noted that reality is a dynamic system of continuous change and, as such, is defined in reference to the two conditions that define dynamic systems. specifically, he argued that reality involves transformations and states. transformations refer to all manners of changes that a thing or person can undergo. states refer to the conditions or the appearances in which things or persons can be found between transformations. for example, there might be changes in shape or form (for instance, liquids are reshaped as they are transferred from one vessel to another, and similarly humans change in their characteristics as they grow older), in size (for example, a series of coins on a table mig
Child_development Cognitive_psychology Developmental_neuroscience Enactive_cognition Neuroscience Stage_theories