Formal Operational
- Piaget's final stage of cognitive development and the highest level of cognitive ability.
- Begins at age 11 to 12.
- The main accomplishment of this stage is to maintain the ability to think about ideas that are not based on reality.
- Individuals' thoughts are not longer limited to observable objects or past experiences.
- Abstract ideas are possible which allows young people to solve problems that go against their concept of reality
- Young people during this stage are challenged but enjoy the challenge of solving new problems.
- Piaget states that some people many never reach this level of thought.
- Piaget found that people that score lower on intelligence tests have not reached the formal operational stage of thought yet.
- During formal operations people are about to perform interpropositional thought.
- Interpropositional thought is an advanced level of cognitive ability that allows children to connect one or more parts of a situation or element to another part to come to a solution.
- Interpropositional thought is useful in game situations trying to come up with a solution or strategy to win.
- During formal operations people are also capable of hypothetical-deductive reasoning.
- Hypothetical-deductive reasoning is a problem solving style in which solutions to a problem are created and systematically thought about.
- Piaget believed that this reasoning had great effects on a child's emotional development, creating new feelings, behaviors, or goals.
How does this relate to Physical Education?
Children who have reached this stage can now handle more complex games involving strategy and complex rules. Developing PE program that is going to stimulate and challenge children is crucial to their motor development.
Children who have reached this stage can now handle more complex games involving strategy and complex rules. Developing PE program that is going to stimulate and challenge children is crucial to their motor development.