CHAPTER 1:

COGNITIVE AND
PSYCHOMOTOR
DEVELOPMENT
 I. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

- Growth and development exist in a particular pattern. This pattern is a series of interactions overtime. The stages
of growth are variably distinct from each other.

1. PIAGET’S Stages of Cognitive Development

Sensorimotor Stage (Birth – Two Years) – determined basically by actual perception of the senses. This is the
process experienced between the sense and the external or physical factors. The development of cognition in the
sensorimotor stage is a continuous experience. The first experience develops continuously on its encounter. How
learning takes place depends on what is experience at the beginning . Later, the process is called “Object
permanence” ( can be learned through visual suits.”

Intuitive or Preoperational Stage (Two – Seven Years) – cognitive process during the intuitive or preoperational
stage increases the ability to store words and language structures. It is significant in language development when
adults talk, teach, read, and even sing to children. Concerned with themselves, they talk to toys, tell wild stories, and
have imaginary friends. This is called “collective monologue.”

Concrete Operations (Seven – Eleven Years) – concrete operations develop logical thinking in relation to
functions. Children can understand measurement and are able to test different problems by applying certain
principles.
 Formal Operations (Eleven and Above) – this is characterized by hypothesis testing. Before making
conclusions, things must be tested with logical evidences. Being teenage at this stage, they have their own mind and
thoughts about others. This is called “metacognition.” This is self-reflection, in which ideas and imaginations are
tried out to be aware of existing realities (internal dialogue).

EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS –a relevant educational implication of cognition is that development in each stage
relies on activity. Learners must be involved actively to learn.

Sensorimotor (Birth – 2 years)

Egocentrism – this centers on self and is not concerned with others’ opinion. The individuals do not possess social
interaction.

Object Permanence – objects or persons once out of sight do not exist for the infant, and he primarily stops looking.

Concepts of Space and Time – when baby moves to reach objects, the sense of distance develops into concepts of
space and time.

Causality – this starts to identify of the things surrounding the infant or baby.
 Preoperational (2-7 years)

Egocentrism – children need things as what they want them to be; other viewpoints have no meaning.

Centering – focuses on a particular part of the object or activity and its relationship to other things is not
considered.

Irreversibility – the child is unable to reverse his thinking.

Other Features of the Preoperational Stage

Realism – this is the ability to accept the difference of the real world.

Animism – this is the tendency to associate life with other moving objects. A typical activity is imitating sounds and
movements of animals.

Artificialism – it is a conclusion that things are created by humans.

Transductive Reasoning – this is a technique to explain movement in an illogical way.

 Concrete Operation (7-11 years)

Conservation – this is the knowledge or understanding that the essence of thing remains the same although other
features may be varied.

Seriation – this is the capacity to sequence objects according to their quantitative order (increasing or decreasing).

Classification – this is to group objects based on their quantitative similarities within a bigger category.

Piaget (1973) believed that youngsters use three arguments to conserve:

1. The argument of Identity. Concrete operational children say that since no water has been removed or added to
either jar, it is still the ‘same thing’.

2. The argument of Reversibility. Concrete operational children state that you have to pour the water back to see
that it is the ‘same thing’.

3. The argument of Compensation. Concrete operational children say that although the water is higher in the taller
beakers, it is narrower.
 Number Concepts – this is further development in understanding numbers and their applications.

Formal Operations (11 and Above)

Separate the Real from the Possible – this is looking for and trying different possibilities in problem solving. The
method that can be used is to cite a situation and gather the answers from the students and determine the common
response.

Propositional – deals with abstract concept that contains concrete statements or proposition. The strategy best
used can be in a form of debatable discussion.

Gathering much information as possible solution to a problem – data gathered are organized by seriation and
classification which lead to a proposition. Different propositions are formulated, and tested by reasoning (deductive
– inductive) to solve a problem.
 II. PSYCHOMOTOR DEVELOPMENT

- The individual must adjust to the dynamic society all through out life. Coping is action in response to the
environment. Motor skills become the first and foremost reaction to the external world.

EARLY DEVELOPMENT – the motor process in early development is based on Jean Piaget’s sensorimotor stage. This
is subdivided into six stages:

Stage I (birth – 1 month) – the general characteristics of motor function is seen in neonatal reflexes; the
response is usually of uncoordinated movement.

Stage II (1 month – 4 months) – most reflexes can occur simultaneously or act in combination with other
reflexes.

Stage III (4 months – 8 months) – response is repeated in patterns; motor behavior is intentionally done to
satisfy the needs.

Stage IV (8 months – 12 months) – behavioral patterns of response cope with complex stimuli; behavior
becomes intentional on anticipatory feelings; visual sense intensifies in search of disappearing objects.

Stage V (1 year and 18 months) – behavior sequence has various effects on varied stimuli; there is definite
direction of effect or response to achieve needed goals.
 Stage VI (1-2 years) – symbolic ideation begins; has recourse to external trial and error as a new process in
realizing internal desires.

Motor behavior is classified into various overt actions or movements.

Babyhood Skills – activities are manifested by hand and leg skills. The hand skills are self-feeding, self-dressing, and
self-grooming.
AGE (Months) SEQUENCE OF GROWTH
2 Chest up
3 Reaches for object
4 Sits with help
5 Sits on lap; grasps object
6 Sits on high chair
7 Sits alone
8 Stands with support
9 Stands holding on to furniture
10 crawls
11 Walks with assistance
12 Pulls himself up
13 Climbs
14 Stands alone
15 Walks alone
18 Runs stiffly; walks upstairs