Which psychologist is associated with the theory of cognitive development and the constructivist approach, describing how children build knowledge?

• A. Jean Piaget
• B. Erik Erikson
• C. Carl Jung
• D. Viktor Frankl

Answer: (A)

Cognitive development theory paired with constructivism describes how children actively build knowledge through interacting with their environment. Piaget championed this view, proposing that kids move through distinct stages as their thinking becomes more sophisticated. He saw learners as active problem-solvers who form and revise mental structures called schemas. When they encounter new experiences, they either fit them into existing schemas (assimilation) or adjust the schemas to accommodate the new information (accommodation). This ongoing balancing act, aimed at achieving equilibrium, drives qualitative shifts in thinking over time.

In the sensorimotor stage, infancy learns about the world through touch and movement and discovers object permanence—the understanding that things continue to exist even when not seen. In the preoperational stage, young children begin to use language and symbols but tend to think in egocentric terms and struggle with taking other viewpoints. The concrete operational stage brings logical thinking about concrete objects and concepts, including mastery of conservation—recognizing that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or arrangement. Finally, during the formal operational stage, adolescents develop abstract reasoning and hypothetical thinking.

This framework contrasts with other theories that focus on ages and tasks of psychosocial development or different approaches to meaning and personality, rather than on how children construct knowledge through active exploration.