This document discusses the theory of cognitivism. It defines cognitivism as examining how people think and gain knowledge through processes like learning, memory, problem solving, and intelligence. It outlines Jean Piaget's influential stage theory of cognitive development in children, including the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stages. Finally, it discusses factors that influenced the emergence of cognitivism like experimental psychology, language acquisition research, and the development of computers/artificial intelligence.