Influence of Jean Piagets Theory of Human Development - Essay Example

Piaget while observing his children noted that all children develop through all these stages with a child's understanding of the world changing as a child moves from one stage to another. In his study, Piaget was able to prove that choices that people make in life are dependent on the developmental stage that a person has reached (Pressley and McCormick, 2007). This is after the psychologist proved that because children and adults think differently, the choices that people make depend on whether an individual is still a child or an adult. Certainly, Piaget's theory of human development has significantly influenced the choices I have made in life. I have particularly used Piaget's child intelligence and thought process to guide for pursuit of education as the ultimate means of succeeding in life.

For instance, I did not take education seriously during my childhood days. To me, everything was normal because I used to think mostly in an abstract manner. I used to find it difficult to go to school since I did not view education as something important in life. Such thought process continued until middle adolescence when I began to learn of the importance of education in present-day society. Piaget's findings can explain the sudden change in my thought process. In this case, Piaget demonstrated that, once an individual has reached the formal operational stage, the individual's moral decision-making process is refined (Van Blerkom, 2008). Similarly, I began to realize the importance of education upon reaching the adolescent stage.

Nevertheless, as much as I was aware of the importance of education, the fact that I still had childhood thinking prevented me from studying hard. However, as soon as I approached 16 years old, I realized that, for me to succeed in life I have to study hard and obtain good grades. Otherwise, my life will be a misery. My understanding of the importance of studying hard to perform well in class can be explained by Piaget's developmental stage theory. In this regard, Piaget elaborated that, as a child grows up, he or she discovers more about life and accordingly begins to make rational decisions that are beneficial in life. Additionally, Piaget's theory was very critical in influencing pursuance of education. In this regard, I was able to use Piaget's theory to evaluate the best career choice that I have been passionate about since childhood.

In conclusion, Jean Piaget's theory of human development is certainly one of the most influential theories as far as making choices is concerned. Piaget's theory influences decisions that people make since it highlights the stages that children go through in intelligence development and thought process. According to Piaget's theory, children and adults think differently because of the differences in developmental stages and so intelligence and thought processes.