Piaget's Cognitive Theory Essay

A major underlying construct of Piaget’s theory is the idea of natural selection and organism adaptation. Inspired by Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” (1859) as well as his own extensive work as a zoologist, the ideas of assimilation and adaptation are at the very heart of Piaget’s cognitive theory. Piaget believed that humans have dynamic cognitive structures (formed through individual experiences) that help us adapt to a dynamic environment. This learning system promoted by Piaget-- combining biological maturation and empirical experience-- is a direct result of his study of natural selection and philosophy. In John L. Phillips Jr.’s book “The Origins of Intellect,” he poses the idea of the roots of Piaget’s cognitive theory: “a high animal’s behavior… is controlled not only by inputs from its immediate surroundings, but also by mediating processes within the transmission system” (Phillips, 1975, p. 8). Piaget agreed with Darwin that organisms have innate schemata that …show more content…
The school of Functionalism, influenced by Charles Darwin (1809-1882), dealt with the utility of consciousness and behavior in adapting to the environment. In essence, Williams James promoted the idea that consciousness has a purpose: to help us survive. Phillips presents Piaget’s theory as both biological and constructive: “The organism inherits a genetic program that gradually…provides the biological equipment necessary for constructing a stable internal structure out of its experiences with the environment” (p. 7). Because of this, Piaget can be labeled as a constructivist. Piaget’s theory was a contrast to nativist theory, promoting the idea that we inherit our mental attributes. He also believed organisms don’t copy the world around them, but that they assimilate what they see into their cognitive structures and their everyday