Jean Piaget: A Life of Cognitive Inquiry

Introduction to the Theorist Swiss theorist Jean Piaget is known for his insights into cognitive and developmental theory, later proliferating what is now known as, “genetic epistemology” (Corry 1996). Growing up in Switzerland with his professor father and French mother, Piaget had a profound interest in zoology and the natural world. This resulted in his publishing of various research papers on mollusks by the time he turned fifteen due to sheer curiosity. He sought education in Switzerland at both the University of Neuechatel and later at the University of Zurich (Presnell 2015). After moving to, and later teaching in France, he met his would-be wife, Valentine and married in 1923. Piaget had three children, which became observation subjects for him from infancy. In his life, he held positions at the University of Neuechatel, the University of Geneva, and the Sorbonne in Paris (Presnell 2015).
Overview of the Theory

This cognitive development theory is known as “Stage Theory,” a comprehensive set of observations made by Piaget that detail four stages in which human intelligence development occurs (Huitt et al 2003). Rooted firmly in evolution and biology, Piaget’s Stage Theory articulates key differences in the growth of individual’s throughout their early life. He believed that everyone passes through the four stages in exactly the same order. The stages are as follows: The Sensorimotor Stage, The Preoperational Stage, The Concrete Operational Stage, and the Formal Operations Stage (Woolfolk