Historical Foundations in Psychological Research
Lisa Hamilton
PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology
Week 1 Discussion 1
Summarize the contributions of the influential figure you selected to the field of
psychology.
The psychologist I choose is Jean Piaget. His theory is the understanding and views about human
intelligent
Summarize the contributions of the influential figure you selected to the field of
psychology.
The psychologist I choose is Jean Piaget. His theory is the understanding and views about human
intelligence and cognitive development. His father was a medieval literature scholar and his
mother, however, suffered from what Piaget was later to characterize as "a rather neurotic
temperament" and "poor mental health" coupled with religious enthusiasm (Evans, 1973, p. 106),
His mother illness made him gave up playing since elementary school and he began studying.
Paget passion of learning about cognitive development and mental development was because of
the difficulties his mother had and that are why he had a great interest in psychology. At the age
of 18 he got his bachelor's degree and three years later his Ph D.
Jean Piaget is the psychologist of choice for me. His thesis encompasses his knowledge and
points of view on human intellect and cognitive growth, among other things. His father was a
medieval literature expert, while his mother, on the other hand, had what Piaget subsequently
described as "a fairly neurotic temperament" and "bad mental health," which she combined with
a strong religious belief 7As a result of his mother's sickness, he had to give up playing since
elementary school and devote his time to studies. Paget's fascination in learning about cognitive
growth and mental development stemmed from his mother's struggles, which explains why he
had such a strong interest in psychology. He earned his bachelor's degree at the age of 18 and his
Ph.D. three years later at the age of 22.
7As a result, Piaget argued that children have an active part in the learning process, behaving
much like tiny scientists as they conduct experiments, record observations, and learn about the
environment. The way children engage with the world around them, they are constantly adding
new knowledge, building on current knowledge, and modifying long-held beliefs in order to fit
newly acquired information. Piaget was born in Switzerland in the late 1800s and was an
exceptionally bright student, writing his first scientific article at the age of 11 and earning his
doctorate at the age of 22. While working as an assistant to Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon, he
had his first exposure to the intellectual growth of children. At the time, they were working to
standardize their renowned IQ test.
His observations of his own nephew and daughter were a major source of inspiration for Piaget's
research into the cognitive development of children. These discoveries bolstered his developing
