According to Hinchliffe & Woodward (2000), the first stage of cognitive development in children starts during infancy and concerns sensorimotor abilities. In this stage, the child begins making contact with the environment using body organs. Research studies have indicated that during this stage the child has many sensory abilities. This can best be described using sensory abilities such as touching, seeing, suckling and feeling. Through the experimentation process, the infant is able to develop the difference between two selves. During this stage, the child develops the ability to coordinate between two different activities. Another important thing worth mentioning here concerns object permanence.
Preoperational stage
During this stage cognitive development is marked by the reaction of the child to objects. Most mothers through studies have indicated that the child’s reaction to objects is as if all objects are similar. The child through the process can be said to be transductive. The child can look at objects and reason. An intuitive period follows and the child is characterized by egocentric behavior. This behavior has been interpreted in a manner that suggests the infants have a belief that everybody thinks like them (Fischer,1980)
Concrete operational stage
Logical reasoning begins to be observed during this stage. In most of the child’s activities and behavior, there is some notable organization. Abstract things cannot be well interpreted or reasoned by the child during this stage. The logic at this stage according to Piaget is characterized by inductive reasoning whereby the child is able to reason from specific concepts to general principles. The child also understands the ability of objects and situations to be reversed. A major achievement during this stage concerns the ability of the child to overcome the limitations of the preoperational stage. (Fischer,1980)
Formal operational stage
This stage commences from eleven to twelve years of age. It is the final stage in the child’s cognitive development process. During this stage, an individual is able to come up with a hypothesis and test them using experiments in the search for answers to problems affecting his or her life. Abstract reasoning and thinking are evident at this stage in life with children demonstrating abilities to handle mathematical problems. Critical thinking also characterizes this stage and individuals can argue for or against facts. (Hinchliffe & Woodward, 2000)
The role of social science in preventing natural disasters
Social science provides an important study of human behavior and interactions. Social science provides theories and explanations to the causes of human interactions and what comes out of the interactions. Natural disasters affect human interactions and therefore within the theories of humanity. Social science attempts to explain the causes of natural disasters especially those that arise as a consequence of human interactions.
A good example concerns human activity that leads to diseases that fall under natural disasters.Social science can also provide solutions to the prevention of some natural disasters using appropriate human interaction mechanisms. (Hinchliffe & Woodward, 2000)The explanations provided by social science on the causes and prevention of natural disasters are important in understanding the patterns of human interaction. Human interactions are characterized by certain behavior patterns. People in society choose whom to interact with because of social reasons that are well explained by social science. A study of human interactions is instrumental in understanding the nature of human conflicts that also result in disaster. Explanations on natural disasters by social sciences highlight the importance of human interaction especially when it comes to coping with and managing natural disasters life famine and drought.
References
Hinchliffe Steve and Kath Woodward (2000) The natural and the social: uncertainty, risk, change London; New York: Routledge, ISBN 0415222893
Fischer, K.W. (1980). “A theory of cognitive development: The control and construction of hierarchical skills”. Psychological Review, 87(2), 477-531.