Jean Piaget: Psychological Theory

JEAN PIAGET-1

His concept of intelligence and learning is basically defined in terms of Content, Structure and Function.

1.      Content ; It refers to the organism’s response

2.      Structure ; It refers to the genetic aspect of development

3.      Function ; It refers to certain modes of interaction with the environment

 

·         Organization:

i.            It is the tendency to systematize responses (and combine processes into coherent general system)

·         Adaptation :

i.            It refers to the tendency to adjust to the environment.

ii.            Both physical and mental functioning are governed by these two tendencies .

iii.            It is the process of creating a good fit between one’s own schema and new experiences one gets. It comprises two sub processes  Assimilation  and Accommodation

·         Assimilation :

i.            It is the fitting of new experiences in the older stock of experiences

ii.            It is the process of responding to the environment according to one’s existing cognitive structure

iii.            It occurs when something new is drawn into the old pattern and becomes a part of the inner organization

iv.            Individual’s old schema does not change in this process. It alone does not lead to intellectual development

·         Accommodation :

i.            It involves changing the existing experiences (schema) to incorporate the new ones

ii.              It involves modification of existing cognitive structure

iii.               It is the major vehicle or means  of intellectual development

·         Equilibration

i.            It is the innate tendency leading to the organization of one’s experiences towards maximal adaptation

ii.            It is a continuous drive towards equilibrium or balance

iii.            It is proceeding towards better forms of knowledge.

iv.            It is the dual mechanism of assimilation and accommodation headed with equilibration which leads to steady intellectual development.

·         Interiorisation ;

i.            The process of decreasing dependence on the physical environment and increased use of cognitive structure is termed as interiorisation.

·         EQUILIBRATION

i.            Cognitive structure, disequilibrium, schema, reversibility, assimilation, accommodation, equilibration, and adaptation. Educational implication.