Evaluating Middle Childhood and Adolescent Thinking and Reasoning

Evaluating Middle Childhood and Adolescent Thinking and Reasoning

Which aspects of Piaget’s description of the concrete operational child do you accept? Which aspects of Piaget’s description of the formal operational child do you accept? Which aspects do you doubt for each stage? Explain, citing research evidence.

I agree with Piaget’s view of concrete operational thinking as logical reasoning founded on reversibility, conversations, or classification. A concrete operational child can be identified based on how they interpret what they are told and how they respond during conversations, making concrete operational thinking a vital indicator of cognitive development (Mensah, 2011). According to Piaget, a concrete operational child can solve problems that apply to concrete events or objects. However, I doubt the possibility of a child solving problems that apply to concrete events or objects without the assistance of an adult.

I agree with Piaget’s view of a formal operational child as a child who can imagine the outcome of specific actions because the formal operational stage includes advanced and sophisticated thinking, indicating cognitive development. However, I doubt Piaget’s argument that a formal operational child uses ‘what if’ scenario assessment in decision-making. According to Piaget, a formal operational child is roughly 11 years old (Beilin & Pufall, 2013). In my opinion, children at this age often make impulse decisions that serve their interests and deal with the consequences later, creating no time for ‘what if’ scenario assessments.

Benefits or advantages of the following ways of adolescent thinking

Imaginary audience and personal fable

One of the advantages of imaginary thinking and personal fable is that it prepare an individual for what may result from making a specific decision by anticipating other people’s reactions to them in impending or actual social situations (JungTakJoon, 2016). The second advantage is that it promotes good behavior because individuals focus on presenting a good image to those paying attention.

Idealism and criticism

The main advantage of idealism and criticism is enabling an individual to discover the truth about what is happening around them through debate and discussion. Idealism also makes a person open-minded because he or she gets access to a wide range of information on people’s perspectives on different things.

Faulty decision making

One of the advantages of faulty decisions is enabling a person to learn from their mistakes, hence improving decision-making to avoid repeating a mistake. The second advantage is promoting accountability because individuals may be put in a position where they have to take responsibility for their actions.

What are some examples of your own self-concern, idealistic thinking, or poor decision-making as a teenager? What advice would you give your teenage self on how to handle your adolescent thinking and reasoning?

Teenage life is a crucial face in a person’s life because the decisions made during this phase can either build or destroy a person’s future. When I was a teenager, I always focused on meeting my interests, especially when it came to spending time with my friends. One example of my self-concern during my teenage phase was skipping classes with my friends to help a friend plan a party on a school night. Although the decision had severe consequences, it felt justified because we were just young and felt that skipping classes was not a bad decision as long as we maintained a high academic performance. However, I would not make the same decision if I were a teenager again because it made me part of a group of students who were a bad influence on others. Therefore, I would advise my teenage self to use the ‘what if’ scenario to explore all possible consequences of my actions so that I can settle on the most appropriate decision.

References

Beilin, H., & Pufall, P. B. (2013). Piaget’s theory: Prospects and possibilities. Psychology Press.

JungTakJoon. (2016). A study on the meanings of moral education according to the cognitive characteristics of adolescents: Centering to “Imaginary audience” and “Personal fable”. Journal of Ethics, 1(111), 189-214. https://doi.org/10.15801/je.1.111.201612.189

Mensah, F. (2011). Investigating whether children’s transition from the pre-operational stage to the concrete operational stage can be accelerated using an intervention strategy. IFE PsychologIA, 19(2). https://doi.org/10.4314/ifep.v19i2.69594

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Topic: Evaluating Middle Childhood and Adolescent Thinking and Reasoning

In this unit, you will learn about cognitive development in middle childhood and adolescence. The focus of this Discussion is on assessing Piaget’s ideas on the concrete operational child and the formal operational child. You will also explore the positive consequences of adolescent cognitive changes.

Please respond to the following:

Which aspects of Piaget’s description of the concrete operational child do you accept? Which aspects of Piaget’s description of the formal operational child do you accept? Which aspects do you doubt for each stage? Explain, citing research evidence.

Adolescent cognitive changes are reflected in many aspects of adolescents’ everyday behavior, including self-concern, idealism, criticism, and faulty decision-making (Berk, 2021). Discuss some of the benefits or advantages of the following ways of adolescent thinking:

Imaginary audience and personal fable
Idealism and criticism
Faulty decision making
What are some examples of your own self-concern, idealistic thinking, or poor decision-making as a teenager? What advice would you give your teenage self on how to handle your adolescent thinking and reasoning?
NB: I need it to be written in your own words