PSYCH 048: Piaget and Cognitive Development

Clinical Deep Dives · Jul 2, 2026 · 1h 5m

This chapter explores how human cognition develops across childhood through the pioneering work of Jean Piaget. Rather than viewing children as miniature adults, Piaget proposed that thinking evolves through distinct stages, each representing a qualitatively different way of understanding the world.

At the core of his theory are two fundamental processes: assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation involves interpreting new experiences through existing mental frameworks, while accommodation requires modifying those frameworks when reality no longer fits. Development emerges from the tension…