The Behaviour of Idiots Interpreted by Piaget's Theory of Sensori-motor Development

Bibliographic Data

ID5263471
AuthorsMary Woodward (Fountain University, corresponding author)
Year1959
Volume29
Issue1
Pages60-71
Publication date1959-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Educational Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-0998 • E-ISSN: 2044-8279
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.2044-8279.1959.tb01475.x
OpenAlexW2048212438
LanguageEN
Citations received5

Piaget's observations on sensori-motor intelligence and the concept of permanent objects in the development of the normal infant were applied to the study of 147 mentally defective children. The postulated order of difficulty of responses typical of each of Piaget's sensori-motor stages was confirmed. Repetitive behaviour with objects was readily classifiable into the types of manipulation which Piaget terms secondary, derived secondary and tertiary circular reactions; most of the hand mannerisms resembled the hand movements of infants to which Piaget has given the name of primary circular reactions. The postulated correspondence between the type of problem-solving or grasping behaviour and the type of circular reaction was found in 43 per cent of the cases. The postulated correspondence between the stage of sensori motor intelligence and object concept development was found in 87 per cent of the cases. It was concluded that the sensori-motor activities of severe mental defectives could be classified into the six main types distinguished by Piaget

Cognition · Cognitive development · Developmental psychology · Object (grammar) · Piaget's theory of cognitive development · Child and Animal Learning Development · Neuroscience · Philosophy · Psychology

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