Theory of Cognitive Development and Children - 1854 Words

Discuss the concept of ‘constructivism’ (from Piaget’s theory of cognitive development). Use a mix of theory and research to back up your ideas about whether or not the child constructs his/her own development. The understanding of how children comprehend the world around them has been a highly researched part of cognitive development in Psychology. Jean Piaget was one of the first researchers to develop a theory suggesting that children understand the world around them by actively seeking information from their environment, and continuously expanding their knowledge by organizing, adapting and assimilating this information Berlin, (1992). Piaget’s theory known as constructivism theory, has undergone a high level of scrutiny, centring†¦show more content†¦The failure to reach the correct location Piaget explains as egocentrism clamming that at this stage children fail to see the situation in a different point of view thinking that because the object was placed in the first location that that object would permanently be there, Piaget, J. amp; Inhelder, B. (1969). Testing Piaget’s A-not-B theory Kaufman and Needham (1999) tested 40 six and a half month infants. Using h abituation technique they concluded that infants looked longer when the objects were moved. Contrary to Piaget’s findings, they suggested that infant special orientation development happens at much earlier age, arguing that Piaget underestimated infant ability. The second and third stage Piaget proposed are the preoperational and concrete stage at this stage children understand object permanence (that objects continue to exist even though they cannot see them) , spatial layouts and also the use of language for problem solving starts during the preoperational stage through constructing existing information and eventually expanding this information. However until the age of seven children still see the world from their egocentric view (i.e. refusing to see the world from a different point of view). At the concrete stage children are able to solve visual problems such as lining in order dolls from the tallest to the shortest, however they are not able to solve mentalShow MoreRelatedTheory of Cognitive Development and Children1466 Words   |  6 PagesPiaget s Theory of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget was born on August9, 1896, in the French speaking part of Switzerland. At an early age he developed an interest in biology, and by the time he had graduated from high school he had already published a number of papers. After marrying in 1923, he had three children, whom he studied from infancy. Piaget is best known for organizing cognitive development into a series of stages- the levels of development corresponding too infancy, childhoodRead MoreTheories on Human Learning and Cognitive Development in Young Children755 Words   |  4 PagesLearning is the keystone to American society. It has brought society trough times of economic darkness, religious revival and social instability. Learning has always been debated in the context of when does the learning start in human development, Is learning the result of nature taking its course as was argued by rationalist like Plato and Rene Descartes. According to (BeeBoyd, 2007) Rationalist view point on education is entrenched in the idea that ( â€Å"knowledge is inborn†). On the other end ofRead MoreChildren s Appearance Rigidity And Cognitive Theories Of Gender Development1110 Words   |  5 PagesElizabeth Meyer PSYC 232 05 A. May Ling Halim and Diane N. Ruble, 2013, Pink Frilly Dresses and the Avoidance of all things ‘girly’: Children’s Appearance Rigidity and Cognitive Theories of Gender Development, Developmental Psychology Vol 50 (4) pp.1091-1101 B. I chose this article because I found it to be a subject I could relate to. Growing up with a sister a younger than me, and a brother a year younger than her I distinctly remember all of us going through stages of being extremely picky aboutRead MoreJean Piaget And Vygotsky s Theory On Children s Cognitive Development1507 Words   |  7 Pageshave shared their knowledge on children’s cognitive development. Both psychologists had their own vision of what stimulates and helps a child grow. Jean Piaget s theory was shaped through the thinking and understanding of how knowledge is built through a series of four stages; preoperational, sensorimotor, formal operational and concrete operational. He believed that the development was with the child themselves. On the contrary, Lev Vygotsky s theory is shaped through adult social interactionsRead MorePiaget s Stage Theory Account For Children s Cognitive Development1759 Words   |  8 Pageswell does Piaget’s stage theory acc ount for children’s cognitive development? Intro Piaget believed there were four stages in a child’s cognitive development and sub stages within these stages. These stages have been the object of debate since Piaget introduced them and are still continuously debated. All of the stages are very concrete and large scale. They don’t account for children at a particular age who are behind or ahead. Piaget underestimated the capability of children to do particular thingsRead MoreCompare and contrast Piaget‚Äà ´s and Vygotsky‚Äà ´s theories of cognitive development in children1274 Words   |  6 PagesVygotsky’s theories of cognitive development in children. This essay will compare Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories of cognitive development in children. Also, show the differences between the two psychologist’s theories. Thus, by showing their similarities like in language and adaptation theories. Further, differences like Piaget’s theory on cognitive developmental stages and the schemas which are build to learn or accommodate new words or things. Vygostky’s theory differs to Piaget’s theory by hisRead MoreHow Does Piaget s Stage Theory Account For Children s Cognitive Development?1576 Words   |  7 PagesHow does Piaget’s stage theory account for children’s cognitive development? Jean Piaget (1896-1980) had a stage theory about cognitive development and how it works with children. There are 4 stages to this theory; sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. Piaget emphasised that they occur in this order. (Smith, Cowie, Blades, 2015, p. 446). He considered the fact that the way child’s mind develops, intellectually, is a continuous process of Assimilation and AccommodationRead MoreVygotsky s Theory And Development Of Higher Mental Functions898 Words   |  4 PagesIn Vygotsky’s theory, children have two basic kinds of functions or mental processes that Vygotsky entitled lower mental functions, and higher mental functions. Lower mental functions are defined as their natural way of learning or innate ways that one would respond to their environment. Higher mental functions are defined as a more complex way of thinking or processing. In Vygotsky’s view, the potential for acquiring lower mental functions is b iologically built in, but society and culture are criticalRead MorePiaget vs. Vygotsky1120 Words   |  5 PagesThe theory of cognitive development is defined as the development of the ability to think and reason. There are many theorists who have studied cognitive theories and the most famous is Jean Piaget. Cognitive development covers the physical and emotional stages of a child. The basic premise for cognitive development is to show the different stages of the development of a child so you can understand where the child might be in their development. Understanding cognitive development will betterRead MoreSocio Cultural Theory And Piaget s Cognitive Development Theory1493 Words   |  6 PagesThe two theorists that I have chosen to compare are Vygotsky for his work on the socio-cultural theory and Piaget’s Cognitive Development theory. The socio-cultural theory focuses on how norms, culture, beliefs and values are passed onto the next generation in a society (Berk, 2007). Piaget was the first psychologist to study cognitive development and described his work as genetic epistemology. He was concerned with how essential concepts such as the idea of time, numbers, justice etc. arose (Siegler