Piagetian Accounts of Child Development in Media Research

Abstract

This entry describes Piagetian accounts of child development in media research both in the past and in more recent years. It first outlines the fundamental principles of Piaget's cognitive development theory then reviews the research literature on children's understanding of media content using Piagetian theory. The entry covers research on both older technologies (e.g., television) and newer technologies (e.g., computers and touchscreens). It ends with the critiques of Piaget's theory and concludes with implications for future research on children's understanding of media using Piaget as a framework.