Piaget’s Stages Name:

1. What are Piaget’s four stages and what is the key characteristic of each stage?

2. Identify by name which of Piaget’s stages the following children are in and use that to
approximate the child’s age (don’t give the range just give an estimated age).
a) When James is asked the question “Why does the sun shine?” he responds: “To keep me
warm”.

b) Michelle complains because her brother Gary has taken two cookies when he only gave
her one. Gary takes her cookie and breaks it in half saying, “Now we both have two”.
Michelle yells at him “Not fair, all you did was break mine into two pieces!” (answer Michelle
and Gary separately)

c) Rebecca wants to pull her book into her playpen. She is getting frustrated because she
is pulling it sideways through the bars of her playpen.

d) Sydney sits in class and daydreams about what kind of society could be created if a
group of humans from all over the world moved to a newly discovered planet.

e) Christina’s ball rolls out of sight under the sofa. She stares at the sofa for a few
seconds and then turns and starts to play with her doll.

f) Rachel becomes upset because her sister’s scoop of ice cream looks taller than her own.
Her mother squashes down the sister’s scoop and Rachel is happy now that it looks like
they have the same amount.

g) Chris’s teacher decides that since the math class is so bright, he will introduce them to
algebra. Chris can’t understand what his teacher means when he says that x is a number.
Steven thinks to himself, “Silly Mr. Morphett doesn’t know that x is a letter.’
 Stump ‘Em Challenge

Create three scenarios that are based in Piaget’s or Vygotsky’s theories – use only one at a
time. Do not give the ages but give a situation that highlights the child’s capabilities or lack
of capabilities (as on the front side). You will be using these to challenge your classmates
so be sure to have an answer and a justification.

Scenario #1

Scenario #2

Scenario #3
Understanding Cognitive Dissonance and How It Changes Us

1. Teenagers drive fast, knowing that doing so is dangerous and illegal.

Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Consistency
Attitude – New attitude or new behaviour?

Behaviour –

2. A student who hates psychology class is asked by her teacher to encourage a group of
students to take psychology next year. The student spends more than one hour speaking to
other students.
Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Consistency
Attitude – New attitude or new behaviour?

Behaviour –
3. After much investigation a young man buys a used car for $4,500. It does not have many of
the options he would have liked but it is all he can afford. Two weeks after his purchase, another
car becomes available for the same cost but with more desirable options. He cannot
return the car he bought.
Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Consistency
Attitude – New attitude or new behaviour?

Behaviour –

4. A young mother thinks of herself as an honest person and tries to raise her children that way.
Yet, she writes notes excusing them from school for illnesses when they are not sick.
Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Consistency
Attitude – New attitude or new behaviour?

Behaviour –

5. A young man is involved in drugs and belongs to a gang that espouses violence. He falls in
love with a girl who is a social worker trying to stop drugs and violence.
Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Consistency
Attitude – New attitude or new behaviour?

Behaviour –