Jean Piaget's stages of cognitive development describe the intellectual development of children from infancy to early adulthood. Piaget believed that children are not less intelligent than adults, they simply think differently. He also proposed a number of concepts to explain how children process information.

* Key Concepts of Piaget's Theory
Important concepts in Piaget's stages of cognitive development include assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration. Learn more about these concepts as well as the background of Piaget's theory.

* The Sensorimotor Stage
The sensorimotor stage can be divided into six separate substages that are characterized by the development of a new skill.

* The Preoperational Stage
This stage is characterized by an increase in playing and pretending. Characteristics of this stage include egocentrism and difficulty understanding conservation.

* The Concrete Operational Stage
During this stage, children begin thinking logically about concrete events, but have difficulty understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts.

* The Formal Operational Stage
During this stage of cognitive development, skills such as logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning begin to emerge.

* Support and Criticism of Piaget's Theory
While Piaget's stage theory of cognitive development has been influential in psychology, there have been a number of criticims of his work. Learn more about support and criticism of Piaget's theory.

* Quiz - Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
Test your knowledge of Piaget's theory with this quiz.

Introduction to Research Methods
Psychology experiments can range from simple to complex, but there are some basic terms and concepts that all students of psychology should understand. Learn more about types of research, basic experimental design, and relationships between variables.

Steps in Psychology Research
Psychologists use the scientific method to conduct studies and research in psychology. The basic process for conducting psychology research involves asking a question, designing a study, collecting data, analyzing results, reaching conclusions, sharing the findings. Learn more about each step of psychology research in this article.

The Simple Experiment - Psychology Research
The simple experiment is one of the most basic methods of determining if there is a cause-and-effect relationship between two variables. Find more information on the parts of a simple experiment and how results are measured.

Correlational Studies
Correlational studies are one of the two major types of psychology research. Learn more about the subtypes of correlational studies as well as methods of observation and scientific surveys.

Psychology Research Methods Quiz
Most introductory courses in psychology will spend some time covering basic research methods. Topics such as the different types of research studies, basic statistics and the scientific method are important for a solid understanding of psychological study. How well do you understand psychology research methods? Test your knowledge in this research methods quiz.

What Is Reliability?
Reliability is a vital component of a valid psychological test. What is reliability? How do we measure it? Learn more about reliability in psychology tests.

What Is Validity?
When determining the merits of a psychological test, validity is one of the most important factors to consider. What is validity? How do we measure it? Learn the answers to these questions and more.

ERIC-Education Resources Information Center
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, ERIC is one of the best sources for researching literature on a variety of subjects. Many formerly fee-based articles are now available for free and the database includes more than 1.1 million entries dating back to 1966. An excellent research resource for psychology students.

Psychological Research on the Net
This site from Hanover College provides a current list of psychological experiments that take place online. Find links to experiments in a variety of subject areas including biopsychology, human factors, and social psychology.

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