Chart 3: Cognitive Development
Chart 3: Cognitive Development
Ten cognitive-development researchers correlated against the basic-structures spine, including Piaget's own stages with average ages of emergence, three researchers' own numbered sequences (Commons & Richards, Kurt Fischer with ages, Alexander), and five more theorists (Pascual-Leone, Koplowitz, Arlin, Labouvie-Vief, Sinnott, Basseches) — the last five run alongside Aurobindo's own terms for the spine, which map 1:1 onto the basic structures (see Chart 2).
Transcribed and cross-checked against the source page images
(library/2000-integral-psychology-images/00024.jpg-00027.jpg); draft, not yet
independently verified by a second pass.
Average age of emergence and Piaget
| Level | Structure | Average age of emergence | Piaget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensorimotor | — | 0–18 months | Sensorimotor |
| Phantasmic-emotional | Image / Symbol | 1–3 yrs | Preconceptual / Preoperational |
| Rep-mind | Endocept / Concept | 3–6 yrs | Intuitive (conceptual) / Preoperational |
| Conop | Rule/role, early | 7–8 | Concrete operational — substage 1 |
| Rule/role, late | 9–10 | Concrete operational — substage 2 | |
| Formop (transition) | — | 11–12 | Transition (late conop/early formop, substage 1) |
| Formop | Formal, early | 13–14 | Formal operational — substage 2 |
| Formal, late | 15–19 | Formal operational — substage 3 | |
| Postformal (transition) | — | 19–21 | Transition (late formop/early polyvalent) |
| Postformal | Vision-logic, early | open | Polyvalent logic (systems of systems) |
| Vision-logic, middle | [21–28] | — | |
| Vision-logic, late | [28–35] (earliest expectable) | — | |
| Psychic | — | [28–35] | — |
| Subtle | — | [35–42] | — |
| Causal | — | [42–49] | — |
| Nondual | — | [49– ] | — |
Commons & Richards, Kurt Fischer, and Alexander
Three independent numbered sequences, not the basic-structures spine — presented at their own resolution and roughly banded together by developmental correspondence rather than forced into row-for-row alignment.
| Rough band | Commons & Richards | Kurt Fischer (level, with ages) | Alexander (levels of mind) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensorimotor | 1a sensorimotor actions; 1b sentential actions | 1. Single sensorimotor set (3–4 mo); 2. Sensorimotor mapping (7–8 mo); 3. Sensorimotor system (11–13 mo) | 1. Sensorimotor |
| Preoperational / representational | 2a nominal actions; 2b preoperational actions | 4. Single representational set (20–24 mo); 5. Representational mapping (4–5 yrs); 6. Representational system (6–7.5 yrs) | 2. Prana-emotion-desire; 3. Representational mind |
| Concrete operational | 3a primary actions; 3b concrete operations | — | — |
| Formal operational | 4a abstract; 4b formal | 7. Abstract set (10–12); 8. Abstract mapping (11–15) | 4. Abstract mind |
| Postformal / systems | 5a systematic; 5b meta-systematic | 9. Systems (19–21); 10. Systems of systems (24–26) | 5. Transcendental intuition |
| Transpersonal | 6a paradigmatic; 6b cross-paradigmatic | — | 6. Root mind; 7. Pure Self; 8. Brahman-Atman |
Overall cognitive lines, Pascual-Leone, and Koplowitz
Back to the basic-structures spine.
| Level | Overall cognitive lines | Pascual-Leone | Herb Koplowitz |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensorimotor | Gross | Sensorimotor | — |
| Phantasmic-emotional | Preoperational | — | |
| Rep-mind | — | — | |
| Conop | Gross-reflecting | Late concrete | — |
| Formop (transition) | Early formal | — | |
| Formop, early | Formal | Formal | |
| Formop, late | Late formal | — | |
| Postformal (transition) | Pre-dialectical | — | |
| Vision-logic, early | Dialectical | Systems | |
| Vision-logic, middle | — | Transcendental-thinking | General systems |
| Vision-logic, late | — | Unitary concepts | |
| Psychic / Subtle | Subtle | — | — |
| Causal | Causal | ||
| Nondual | Nondual |
Aurobindo, Arlin, Labouvie-Vief, Sinnott, and Basseches
Aurobindo's own terms for the spine (matching Chart 2's Aurobindo column) correlated with five more postformal-cognition researchers.
| Aurobindo | Patricia Arlin | Gisela Labouvie-Vief | Jan Sinnott | Michael Basseches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical | — | — | — | — |
| Vital-emotional | Sensorimotor | — | Sensorimotor | — |
| Lower mind | Preoperational | — | Preoperational | — |
| Concrete mind | 2a low concrete; 2b high concrete | Symbolic | Concrete | 1a preformal |
| Logical mind (reasoning) | 3a low formal; 3b high formal | Intra-systemic | Formal | 1b formal |
| Higher mind (systems) | 4a postformal; 4b–e late postformal (dialectical) | Inter-systemic, autonomous | Relativistic, unified-theory | 2. Intermediate/postformal; 3. General advanced; 4. Advanced, dialectical thinking |
| Illumined mind | — | — | — | — |
| Intuitive mind | — | — | — | — |
| Overmind | — | — | — | — |
| Supermind | — | — | — | — |
| Satchitananda | — | — | — | — |
See Also
- Jean Piaget — the central figure in this chart's first table
- Chart 2: Basic Structures in Other Systems — shares the Aurobindo column
- The Proximate Self and the Distal Self — the self-development milestones these cognitive-line researchers are distinguished from
