COPE
Center for Psychological Effectiveness
SOLUTIONS NOT TALK
 
 

Contact

6950 Cypress Road
Unit 103-A
Plantation FL. 33317
(954) 583-8831
(800) 714-COPE (2673)
 

Cognitive & Emotional Development

These tasks are based on Piaget and Erikson’s theories

Birth – 2 Years

  • Infants are exploring their world through sucking, grasping, gazing, etc.

  • Need consistency and will develop trust if they can rely on their parents

  • Aware that objects exist even when out of sight (object permanence)

    • Example: when a toy is placed under a blanket, child knows that the toy is still there

  • Child mirrors another person’s behavior after it has occurred (deferred imitation)

2 – 7 Years

  • Can move around and explore the world, giving him/her more independence (autonomy)

  • The control the child has can give him/her self-esteem

  • Becomes curious about people, models adults, and becomes aware of gender differences

  • Takes on new responsibilities and learns new skills

  • Thinking is based on how the child sees the world; children believe that everyone thinks like they do (egocentrism)

  • Begins to play by pretending an object is something else (symbolic play)

    • Example: a block can be used as a telephone

  • Focuses on one part of an object at a time (centration)

7 – 11/12 Years

  • Begins school and wishes to succeed

  • Learns important skills and gains status among classmates

  • Thought becomes more organized

  • Can understand that something can have the same properties, even if it looks differently (conservation)

    • Example: an equal amount of water is poured into a tall, skinny glass and a short, wide glass.  The glasses look very different, but they still hold the same amount of water.

  • Can reverse the steps he/she has taken (reversibility)

    • Example: 5 + 2 = 7 and 7 – 2 = 5

  • Can sort dissimilar objects into groups that make sense (classification)

  • Can put items in a particular order (seriation)

    • Example: arranges toys according to height

11/12 – 19 Years

  • Concerned with appearance

  • Development of a personal identity

  • Thinks about the future (goals, occupation, a partner, etc.)

  • Capable of identifying a problem, coming up with several suggestions, and testing them

  • Uses planning to think ahead

  • The adolescent can put together all the possible outcomes before beginning the problem (abstract thinking)