Question

Piaget's theory was used to explain the nature of children's cognitive (mental) growth from infancy through childhood. Knowing about this theory should help parents, teachers, and others to promote healthy child development. Discuss how parents, teachers, and other concerned adults could apply knowledge of Piaget's theory to promote cognitive development through childhood.

Q:2:

According to research in the textbook, which of the following is a potential consequence of corporal punishment (such as spanking)?

Lower levels of aggression toward peers

Higher levels of immediate obedience to authority figures

Higher likelihood of internalizing moral beliefs - i.e., "being good because I believe it is the right thing to do"

Higher levels of healthy coping behaviors during childhood and adolescence

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily.

(Answer) (1) Jean Piaget’s Stages of Development: Piaget’s stages of children’s cognitive development –

Sensorimotor (0-2 years) Infant develops learning based on what is absorbed through the senses.

Preoperational (2-6 years) Child uses images to understand objects but does not understand them logically.

Concrete operational (7-12) Child can think logically about concrete objects. They can add, subtract and observe.

Formal operational (12 and up) The child understands abstract terms and is able to hypothesize.

One of the basic advantages of this theory is that it is sharply outlined by age. This makes it easy for a parent who isn’t perhaps well-versed in pediatrics or child psychology, to understand. Furthermore, parents can plan everyday activities based on these stages of development. For instance, parents can talk more openly to their children about logically solving problems between the ages of 7-12 since that is the age where their concrete operational abilities are to be nurtured.

Recreational activities like playing can be centered on these stages as well. Since the sensorimotor activities develop well during the ages of 0-2 years, parents can ensure buying toys that administer this development. However, the most pivotal benefit is that parents need not overburden a child by trying to progress through the stages too quickly. Neither will it be that parents coddle or shield their child too much. Also, parents can spot abnormalities in a child’s cognition if the progress of these stages is not fulfilled.

(2) “B” Corporal punishment like spanking inculcates blind obedience to authority with the primary focus being to avoid hurtful punishment. The child fails to prioritise values like, standing up for themselves, focus on producing quality work despite opposition etc. This is when they have higher levels of immediate obedience towards authority figures.