Model of Hierarchical Complexity - Orders and Corresponding Stages

Orders and Corresponding Stages

The MHC specifies 15 orders of hierarchical complexity and their corresponding stages, showing that each of Piaget's substages, in fact, are robustly hard stages. Commons also adds four postformal stages: Systematic stage 11, Metasystematic stage 12, Paradigmatic stage 13, and Crossparadigmatic stage 14. It may be the Piaget's consolidate formal stage is the same as the systematic stage. There is one other difference in the orders and stages. At the suggestion of Biggs and Biggs, the sentential stage 5 was added. The sequence is as follows: (0) computory, (1) sensory & motor, (2) circular sensory-motor, (3) sensory-motor, (4) nominal, the new (5) sentential, (6) preoperational, (7) primary, (8) concrete, (9) abstract, (10) formal, and the four postformal: (11) systematic, (12) metasystematic, (13) paradigmatic, and (14) cross-paradigmatic. The first four stages (0–3) correspond to Piaget's sensorimotor stage at which infants and very young children perform. The sentential stage was added at Fischer's suggestion (1981, personal communication) citing Biggs & Collis (1982). Adolescents and adults can perform at any of the subsequent stages. MHC stages 4 through 5 correspond to Piaget's pre-operational stage; 6 through 8 correspond to his concrete operational stage; and 9 through 11 correspond to his formal operational stage.

The three highest stages in the MHC are not represented in Piaget's model. These stages from the Model of Hierarchical Complexity have extensively influenced the field of Positive Adult Development. Few individuals perform at stages above formal operations. More complex behaviors characterize multiple system models. Some adults are said to develop alternatives to, and perspectives on, formal operations. They use formal operations within a "higher" system of operations and transcend the limitations of formal operations. In any case, these are all ways in which these theories argue for and present converging evidence that some adults are using forms of reasoning that are more complex than formal operations with which Piaget's model ended.

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