Verified Document

Cognitive Development Theory Term Paper

Cognitive Development In the many different veins of cognitive development research, certain themes and assumptions seem to run throughout. Most of the background beliefs common to the field are truly taken for granted to such an extent that they become largely unspoken and perhaps never even considered. For example, most cognitive research theory assumes without question the theory of human minds which claims that ones fellow humans are not automata but that one can look at their actions and listen to their words and from their gain a relatively accurate image of the mind which is producing these phenomena of movement and speech. This seems obvious to cognitive researchers, but is much in debate among philosophers. Many other such basic assumptions are taken for granted, such as the idea that children actually learn and progress from a relatively blank state, rather than (as Plato and others such as Wordsworth have suggested) entering the world "trailing clouds of glory" and past memories and perceptions which are recalled rather than discovered. With such a broad base of common assumptions, the slight variations in assumptions between the different veins of cognitive development may seem more trivial. Nonetheless it is difficult to truly identify -- across the board -- what one would call the primary assumptions and propositions of cognitive development theory, as these do vary from case to case.

Some of the more foundational assumptions for many schools of cognitive development theory are those which claim that growth and development take place in recognizable stages, and the question is only how to define those stages. This assumption is linked to the idea that growth develops from the simple to the complex linearly, with each stage setting the foundation for the next and being integrated into it. Varying schools of theory will argue about the assumed way in which people change and the nature of this change, whether it is active or reactive, internally or externally motivated, and based on continuity or discontinuity. Stage theories tend to assume active and reactive learning, but say that development is based on qualitative change and the discontinuity of development, and that biological maturation is a primary influence. Learning theorists, on the other hand, assume a continuity of development...

So one can see that assumptions are not quite the same across the field of cognitive research, and may actually be somewhat opposite in nature. Some of the differences in theory and even in the results of the various approaches to cognitive research may stem from these differences in the basic assumptions made before research is done.
The difference that assumptions can make in the research findings of cognitive development is evident if one compares and contrasts the findings of Piaget and Bruner. These two have rather different basic assumptions and different ways of defining central terms, which have led to differences in their focus and in their conception of the stages of development. Piaget's theory was centered on the linear development of cognition as the child progressed from infancy into adulthood. He spoke of cognitive development as a sort of continual movement from one distinct stage to another, and indicated that at each stage the mental processes were uniquely different. Progress was made between stages when children experienced discrepancies between prior knowledge and knew experiences. This created a sort of disequilibrium that destroyed the old stage and ushered in a new one. As Piaget defined it, then, cognition was based on an understanding of the world and its classifications, whether that be through mental representation or more abstract thought. Stages were defined by shifts in the way cognition was performed, and maintained a relatively strong set of boundaries between them. Specific stages were generally associated with periods (ages) in a child's life which were generally progressive and led naturally one into the other.

For Bruner, on the other hand, the theory was centered on the way in which individual cognition --or understandings-- were formed. He focused more on learning as the outcome of cognitive development, rather than on cognitive development as independent from learning. He seemed to assume that children were not inherently different from adults in their approach to learning. Both children learning about life for the first time and adults approaching new situations would, according to Bruner's ideas, go through similar cognitive stages as…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Cognitive Development: Case of Anna and Jojo
Words: 1830 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

Cognitive, Social, And Emotional Developmental Theories Understanding the concept of child development is critical when the need to appreciate human interaction is required. This is because childhood memories and environments tend to affect their cognitive, social, and emotional development. In fact, children from different backgrounds tend to depict different adulthood behaviors unlike those with shared experiences. For instance, children born and raised in violent homes may become violent in their adulthood

Cognitive Development Nativism Refers to
Words: 795 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Piaget believed in the child to society association whereby children have the skills to organization information they receive from the society. He felt that children make sense of the world around them with the innate organization skills they possess. As the child grows, his views might undergo a change and his association with society might also alter depending on his age. While in his theory, innate knowledge is important,

Cognitive Development and Theory
Words: 1516 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

Cognitive Development Jean Piage is a luminary as far as cognitive development theory goes. This is because of his contributions in his intellectual development theory. According to Piaget, intellectual development is a continuation of innate biological processes. He emphasizes that children go through four sequential processes of development. These four stages also occur with sub stages within them. The sensory motor stage: 0 to 2 years; intuitive stage: 2 to 7 years;

Cognitive Development and Disabilities
Words: 697 Length: 2 Document Type: Chapter

Jean Piaget Cognitive Development Theory The way we consider development and disability has started to change. With these progressions come new potential outcomes for moving toward the treatment of kids with disabilities. These new thoughts broadly look at health and improvement, considering them to be perplexing networks of cooperation instead of simple chains of timed situations (McLinden, 2012). Piaget's hypothesis of cognitive development generally manages the view that all species acquire

Cognitive Development in Early Childhood
Words: 2265 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

Abstract This paper explores two fundamental theories that are considered to be worthy guides and reference points in different discourses of early childhood cognitive development and education. Scientists and scholars world over hold the principles established in the two theories in high esteem. However, the theories, though explicably analyzed the behaviors and learning abilities at each developmental stage of early childhood, but have divergent opinions on how those behaviors early are

Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory Psychology
Words: 1475 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Paper

Piaget's Cognitive Development The Webster Dictionary describes the word cognition as; the psychological means of distinguishing, including features such as consciousness, perception, reasoning and decision making (Cognition). Piaget's Cognitive Developmental theory was a novel idea at the time of its birth. In depth, this theory, was the first on the issue and continued the specification of the field for a while. All through this paper, Piaget's thesis will be torn down

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now