StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The Basic Premises of Cognitive Development Theory - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "The Basic Premises of Cognitive Development Theory" states that at preschool, teachers could outline activities, based on the fact, that at that age children tend to be ego-centric, as stated by Piaget. So talking to them on that level could help them understand better…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.6% of users find it useful
The Basic Premises of Cognitive Development Theory
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Basic Premises of Cognitive Development Theory"

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT The basic premises of cognitive development theory Cognitive theory concentrates on the way an individual reacts to situations based on their thought process. It deals with the link between a person’s perceptions and the resulting emotions, sensations, behaviors and personality. And many people believe that without these thoughts humans would be devoid of any emotion, and would be just like empty vessels. Cognitive development can then be defined as the development of every human being’s ability to Deduce and analyze. The basic fact that every human being processes information in a different manner differentiates them from each other. This is what helps a child learn, a student study, an adult to form relationships and so on. The very basis of forming friends is that their thought processes match and they can get along well. Many scientists today have proven the fact that cognitive development starts at the very beginning, that is, the womb. Fetuses are able to understand sounds. A newly born baby can recognize its parents and know when it is safe and when it is with a stranger. Their brain can recognize when the body is hungry or the baby needs a diaper change, leading the baby to communicate via crying. (online, 2004) Many theorists have developed theories that describe the stages of cognitive development and the way human’s link and process information. Such as Piaget, Vygotsky, Gesell and Spock. Piaget vs. Vygotsky Lev Vygotsky, a Soviet psychologist, and Jean Piaget, a Swiss developmental psychologist, are very well-known for their tremendous contributions to the cognitive development theory. They believed that the way children grow mentally, from an early age to adulthood, play a vital role in their ability to learn and comprehend. They gave a lot of importance to this theory and urged teachers to learn how to implement tactics that would help and enhance the cognitive development process. Both psychologists based their theories on the concept of ‘constructivism’. Constructivism or learning theory, a part of epistemology, is a theory which states that understanding is brought by linking ideas with behavior or basically mental construction, just like joining the dots. They also believed that communal influence set the precincts for cognitive enhancement. However, these were the only similarities between the two. Piaget assumed that cognitive development was influenced by an individual’s environment, children learn through interaction with their surroundings, and that development preceded learning. He believed that development was universal throughout all cultures. Vygotsky on the other hand believed that a person’s culture and historical background played a major role and the influence of one’s peers played a great role in the way one learns. Piaget did not believe that social interactions had anything to do with cognitive development and that a child had to explore on it’s on to discover new things. (Davison) Comparing the two theorist’s stages of development Piaget is said to have discussed four set stages of the cognitive development theory for each human being from childhood to adolescence, whereas Vygotsky hasn’t defined any clear cut stages, but has just discussed some aspects of cognitive development. Piaget’s first step towards cognitive growth is from when the child is born till it is two years old. This stage is also known as the sensorimotor stage, where children learn mainly through physical activity (crawling) or rely on their basic instincts (such as sucking, crying). But Vygotsky believes that the most important step is of private speech. He believed that it is essential for children to talk to themselves, so as to reason, analyze and understand better. The second stage, according to Piaget, is the pre-operational stage, which occurs when the child is from two to seven years old. In this stage children are said to be involved with themselves, i.e. they believe that the whole world revolves around them and that everyone thinks the way they do. Vygotsky believed in the zone of proximal development. This idea stated that children could not do everything on their own and they need assistance from others, i.e, they should not be left alone. This would help them achieve maximum learning. But Piaget had a third stage as well, the concrete operational stage. This stage states that during the ages of seven and eleven, the child begins to analyze, deduce and scrutinize information. The final stage of Development according to Piaget is the ability to master the art of abstract thought, i.e, use symbols to evaluate certain problems. However, Vygotsky simply believed that to reach the final aspect of development, one must be encouraged and assisted by others. This, eventually, helps them to become more confident and self-sufficient. (Slavin, 2006) Classroom Applications of both the theorist’s concepts Each Scientist provided a vast amount of insight into the area of cognitive growth. Such discussions helped teachers improve the classroom atmosphere and their teaching methods, so as to enhance each child’s learning process. From the very beginning from pre-school, to college. At pre-school, teachers could outline activities, based on the fact, that at that age children tend to be ego-centric, as stated by Piaget. So talking to them on that level could help them understand better. Also, when a child would interact with other students he’ll be able to understand and respect viewpoints, other than their own. (Pearson Education, Inc, 2010) Similarly, applying Vygotsky’s theory, children in the first or the second grade should be given assistance in things that they want to do but find difficult. Such as pronouncing words to help them read a book, or assisting them in tying their show-laces. Students at junior-high, such as eight 7th graders, should be taught math problems, using variables and other symbols, so as to enhance their abstract thinking skills. Acquiring this skill is considered an achievement by Piaget and not all are able to get a grip of this level completely. Also encouraging students for good work helps motivate them. And studies have proven that motivation leads to greater learning. Employing Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories to the classroom could help children obtain wisdom at an early and hence, grow up to be smarter individuals. Works Cited Davison, B. (n.d.). Piaget vs. Vygotsky: The Cognitive Development Theory. online, A. P. (2004). Cognitive Theory. Personality synopsis. Pearson Education, Inc. (2010). Cognitive Development in the Preschool... . Slavin, R. E. (2006). Educational psychology: theory and practice. Pearson/Allyn & Bacon. Read More
Tags
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Cognitive Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/psychology/1584056-cognitive-development
(Cognitive Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 2)
https://studentshare.org/psychology/1584056-cognitive-development.
“Cognitive Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words - 2”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/psychology/1584056-cognitive-development.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Basic Premises of Cognitive Development Theory

Importance of Cognitive and Language Development

ean Piaget was a Swiss cognitive theorist who completed his education in zoology and gave a biological explanation to the things he saw happening in his environment in terms of cognitive development.... Piaget's had a constructivist approach towards the idea of cognitive development.... In it he devised, that language is a very important determinant of cognitive development and it broadens the purview of cognition of children with the help of engagement in dialogues and conversations with people around them, who provide them with new knowledge and reinforce them to master socially relevant and culturally important tasks driven by the norms and values prescribed by the environment they are residing in....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Social Cognitive Theory

Social cognitive theory is established on the premise, humans learn by observing what fellow humans do or may not do.... The present paper seeks to describe an overview of the social cognitive theory, discuss the key constructs of social cognitive theory.... The Social Cognitive theory (SCT) is a scion of Social Learning theory (SLT) which traces its origins to the 1800s.... But it was not until mid19th century that the theory gaining popularity within the behavioral and social psychology circles, through the efforts of a behavior scholar known as Albert Bandura....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Piaget and Vygotsky: Cognitive Development

After a brief introduction to The Basic Premises of Cognitive Development Theory, this paper will compare and contrast the approaches of Piaget and Vygotsky to intelligence and its developmental stages.... Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are two central contributors to cognitive development theory.... Byrnes (1992) is interested in Meta Theoretical Belief Systems, in cognitive development theory construction and application.... Not all cognitive development theories are alike, but they do share some basic premises....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Piaget and Vygotsky

In addition, in Piaget's stage premise, he hypothesized children advance in their respective lives via four varied and distinct stages of cognitive development (Breseler, Cooper & Palmer, 2013).... His presumption, which many refer to as social development theory, is the foundation of the today's concepts besides teaching practices.... Piaget and Vygotsky Name Professor Institution Course Date Key Words: cognitive development, Theory, Knowledge, Premise/Theory, Compare and contrast Piaget's and Vygotsky's theories of language development and cognition....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Psychological Perspectives with a Focus on Cognitive Theory

Apart from cognitive development theory of Piaget's, Vygotsky's Socio-cultural Cognitive Theory is also a vital one to be discussed.... He stated in his theory that cognitive development takes place in four subsequent stages, which comprise sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational stage and formal operational stage.... Secondly, with his cognitive development, he depicted those cognitive skills of individuals can only be arbitrated with the help of analysis of words and language....
3 Pages (750 words) Research Paper

Consumer Behaviour Dissonance

"Consumer Behaviour Dissonance" paper critically appraises the statement "First know yourself, then adorn yourself accordingly" in light of modern consumer behavior theory.... n theories that attribute a "brand" to personality (Sirgy, 1985), the same principles can well apply to the development of the brand image of a product, as they apply to the consumer's path to proper purchase.... Modern consumer behaviour theories postulate that a consumer who is not aware of his/her self and fails to achieve "self-congruity" is bound to suffer in the act of purchasing a product from pre-choice anxiety, and/or post-choice regret arising from cognitive dissonance....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Cognitive Development In Early Childhood Education

This essay talks about cognitive development in early childhood grooming which has been an important area of concern for many psychologists working on the framework of young minds.... cognitive development in early years of education is also essential because during early childhood a child is developing various concepts which he implements and executes throughout his life if at this point his concepts are clear and has a targeted sort of thinking therefore then many problems can be countered which a child having weak cognition might suffer from....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Artificial Intelligence and Human Cognition

Contemporary psychology, in broad outline, is dominated by three general viewpoints or theories: evolutionary theory, psychoanalytic theory, and computational theory.... In evolutionary theory, the environment reinforces certain behaviors of the organism, resulting in survival.... In psychoanalytic theory, adaptation and adjustment result from the harmonious integration of dynamic aspects of the personality.... In computational theory, the mind is viewed as a mechanism....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us