An Analysis of Cognitive Development Theory and Health and Wellbeing

This essay provides an overview of cognitive development theory, primarily focusing on Jean Piaget's stages of cognitive development and its implications for health and wellbeing across the lifespan. It examines the influence of social, cultural, and economic contexts on health and wellbeing, highlighting how these factors intersect with Piaget's stages, including sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stages. The essay also discusses the practical implications of cognitive development theory in healthcare, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies and policies to address health disparities. It also examines the importance of understanding schemas and mental representations to promote effective care services and reduce inequalities in healthcare. The essay emphasizes the importance of cognitive thinking, especially during the adolescent stage, for long-term development and overall wellbeing.

Health and Wellbeing Across
the Lifespan
1

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
2

INTRODUCTION
It is important for human being to maintain well being in their entire life span. This is
because there are various factors which influence health of people in different population.
Moreover, they all follow different ethics and values as per their cultural norms. However, there
are different theories of human development that is applied. Each theory is having its own
features. During entire lifespan there occurs many developments in communities. This brings in
change in health and well being of human. There are some implications of theory in practice as
well.
This essay will describe about cognitive development theory of Jean Piaget and how it
applies to health and well being.
MAIN BODY
Social, culture and economic context influence health and well being as any change in social
or economic factor impact on health. For example- some people prefer to eat veg as per their
cultural ethics. So, their lifestyle is good as compared to non veg.
In health and well being there are different types of theories which is available and applied.
The theories state that how development of human being occur and in what stage. Similarly, here
cognitive development theory of Jean Piaget is explained. This is as follows:
He stated that intelligence changes as child grows. Also, development of child is not only
acquiring knowledge but also to develop mental model of world. So, cognitive development refer
to long term changes which occurs in thinking process (Cognitive development: The theory of
Jean Piaget, 2018). Piaget said that learning is inter play of assimilation and accommodation. In
this the to and fro process led to long term development changes. Along with that, Piaget gave 4
stages of cognitive development that are sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and
formal operational. Thus, the stages are as follows
Sensorimotor (birth to age 2)- In this age children learn about world with their sense and
actions. Cognitive ability such as self recognition, object permanence, etc. develop in it.
Preoperational (age 2- 7)- It is an age in which children represent world with language and
mental image. They start thinking logically and show animism. Thus, there is progress made
towards cognitive development.
3

Concrete operational (age 7 -11)- In this stage children learn to think in logical way. An
understanding of concept of conversation develops in it. Children become egocentric and reverse
things in mental way.
Formal operational (age 11- beyond)- This is last stage in which major cognitive development
occurs. Here, adolescent deal with abstract ideas, hypothetical problems, etc. Alongside, they
follow logical argument within reference.
It is evaluated that the theory shows how child develop mental model of world and it
argue that intelligence is fix trait. Also, it is argued that cognitive development is process of
biological ability and interacting with environment. The theory explain mechanism which child
develop and think using hypothesis. Besides that, he said knowledge does not emerge from
sensory experience but there are some structure required in it. Thus, schemas are building blocks
of intelligent behaviour. It shows how to organise knowledge. Piaget focus on importance of
schemas in cognitive development and described how they were developed or acquired. A
schema is defined as a set of linked mental representations of world, which is used both to
understand and to respond to situations.
Discussion on how theory inform perspective on human development
There are various stages across lifespan that are childhood, adulthood and old age. So, in
all stages there occurs various progress. Thus, accordingly programs are designed by
communities for it.
Human development is a result of the interaction of biological, cognitive, socio-
emotional and ecological processes. Genetic factors are the basic framework of the biological
processes of development. In addition, there are certain stages of human development that is
childhood, adolescent and adult. The cognitive theory is related to development theory. It focus
on child development into 4 stages. So, it has provided framework to understand human thinking
and growth. With that it is easy to predict how cognitive development has occurred. So, it is easy
to understand child development. Hence, overall understanding about cognitive development has
changed. Also, it has become easy to find out progress of children and nature of development.
The theory is useful in identifying gap in stages of development. Therefore, through each stage
elements of cognitive development are determined. Then, it is related with human development.
So, a child mind develops from age of 2. The memory thinking becomes logical and it led to long
term development. There occurs change in thinking pattern with each stage as child logical and
4

cognitive ability enhances. Here, child acquire and gain knowledge from external world. This is
shown in their action and behaviour. Thus, along with cognitive there also occurs physical
development. Alongside, there are some factors which affect on human development that is
environmental, biological, etc. However, contextual variables such as social interactions are said
to play an important, and even essential, role in cognitive change into adulthood, especially those
interactions that centre around the exploration and potential reconciliation of differing
viewpoints that occur in significant social relationships.
Implications on understanding health and well being across life span
It has been analysed that there are certain implications in health and well being. The
implication highly impact on overall life span. The understanding of well being is complex
process as it requires in depth knowledge about each stage and how well being occurs. In this it
require to view each life stage differently with help of different model. Other than this, there is
need to make changes in theories as well so that it becomes easy to understand human
development. Moreover, in cognitive and behavioural development age related differences can
be analysed. This will show paradox of well being with regard to age and satisfaction. In
communities it is necessary to find out differences or gaps in well being so that it becomes easy
to overcome it. In that it can be identified that how social, cultural, economic, etc. context
influence on health and well being. So, on basis of that strategies and policies is framed which
helps in providing effective care services to people. Thus, inequalities in health care are being
determined and on basis of that policy is developed. This has benefited in reducing health
disparities. Alongside, social and economic conditions are analysed and trends in health care is
found. There has been a shift toward elucidating the complex roles that social, political, and
economic inequalities play in shaping the health of adults and their families within and across
societies.
Also, physical health is used as index in order to assess well being of human
development. The entire life span is studied to find out how development occurs in initial stage.
So, relationship is developed with psychological well being.
Findings
It can be analysed that there is need to work with all level of society and promoting
health and well being. Besides that, it require to provide high quality and effective care services
to people. So, here cognitive theory can be adopted by nurses and health care workers so that
5

they are able to understand how human development occurs with help of this theory. Thus, the
theory can be adopted to evaluate cognitive behaviour of child and then identify their needs. For
that effective training can be given to nurses regarding understanding of theory. Besides, some
factors in the social environment influence the rate of typical development of theory of mind.
The theory explain mechanism which child develop and think using hypothesis. A schema is
defined as a set of linked mental representations of world, which is used both to understand and
to respond to situations.
I have learned from practice that there is need to find out gap in health care service and
then develop strategies to provide health care service. By finding out gap it can be focused on all
level of society or groups. Then, on basis of that improvement in system is made. I also gained
knowledge about various developmental theories and how it is applied in human development.
Similarly, the cognitive development theory contain 4 stages of development. I got to know that
child not only learn from intelligence but also from outside world by understanding logic. But
there is need to follow a framework in order to educate people about well being. Moreover, it
require to practice various theories in communities so that it becomes simple to work with them
in efficient way. I found that for long term development there is need to emphasis on cognitive
thinking. Hence, adolescent stage is crucial in this as there occurs a lot of change in patterns of
thinking.
CONCLUSION
Here, from essay it can be summarised that there are different theories of human
development that is applied. Each theory is having its own features. The cognitive development
theory state that intelligence changes as child grows and long term changes which occurs in
thinking process. Also, theory has provided framework to understand human thinking and
growth. There are certain implications in understanding health and well being like inequalities in
health care are being determined and on basis of that policy is developed.
6

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Alvarez, H. A. O., Appleton, A. A., Fuller, C. H., Belcourt, A., & Kubzansky, L. D. (2018). An
integrated socio-environmental model of health and well-being: A conceptual framework
exploring the joint contribution of environmental and social exposures to health and
disease over the life span. Current environmental health reports, 5(2), 233-243.
Brajša-Žganec, A., Kaliterna-Lipovčan, L., & Hanzec, I. (2018). The relationship between social
support and subjective well-being across the lifespan. Društvena istraživanja, 27(1), 47-
45.
Chopik, W. J. (2017). Associations among relational values, support, health, and well‐being
across the adult lifespan. Personal relationships, 24(2), 408-422.
Fancourt, D., & Finn, S. (2020). What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health
and well-being? A scoping review.
Horn, S. R., Fisher, P. A., Pfeifer, J. H., Allen, N. B., & Berkman, E. T. (2020). Levers and
barriers to success in the use of translational neuroscience for the prevention and
treatment of mental health and promotion of well-being across the lifespan. Journal of
abnormal psychology, 129(1), 38.
Lansford, J. E. (2018). A lifespan perspective on subjective well-being. Handbook of Well-Being.
Salt Lake City, UT: DEF Publishers.
Online
Cognitive development: The theory of Jean Piaget, 2018. [online] Available through : <
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/educationalpsychology/chapter/cognitive-
development-the-theory-of-jean-piaget/#:~:text=Piaget%20proposed%20four%20major
%20stages,of%20childhood%2C%20but%20only%20approximately.>
7