The Main Features of Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
Jean Piaget (1896-1980), a Swiss biologist turned Psychologist, has had perhaps the most influential development on the understanding and …show more content…
This is a form of cognitive process that does not change with maturation unlike variant cognitive structures.
The individual adjusts their behaviour to cope with the environment through adaptation of cognitive structures which lead to intellectual development. This process of adaptation takes place through what Piaget describes as Assimilation. He explains Assimilation as taking in new information or experiences into existing schemas in order to cope with the environment. The new experiences then go through Accommodation, a process complementary to Assimilation, which enables the individual to deal with new concepts by modifying existing schemas and to develop new schemas. This process is concluded by cognitive harmony, otherwise known as Equilibrium. In order for the above invariant structures to take place initially, equilibrium has to be disturbed. This is called Equilibration. Equilibration causes Assimilation and hence forth Accommodation which consequently restore Equilibrium. The cognitive development process of invariant …show more content…
According to Vygotsky, children acquire the mechanisms of thinking and learning as a result of social interactions. He believed that an 'expert' person, whether experienced older child or adult provides a framework or scaffold of information and learning that the child can feed from. The adult provides the props and verbal promts in order for the child to develop.
Vygotsky's theory is characterised by the importance of language. Through social interaction the child develops language and through the development of language, cognitive development occurs. Language allows the individual to organise his/her perceptions and thought processes.
Vygotsky stated that there were three major elements in the process towards fully developed cognitive ability;
1. The child responds purely through action. No language or thought is required
2. The child reflects upon their own thought processes through langage and uses strategies such as talking themselves through a problem.
3. Understanding is reached through social settings ie. Parents, Teachers, Peers,
Jean Piaget (1896-1980), a Swiss biologist turned Psychologist, has had perhaps the most influential development on the understanding and …show more content…
This is a form of cognitive process that does not change with maturation unlike variant cognitive structures.
The individual adjusts their behaviour to cope with the environment through adaptation of cognitive structures which lead to intellectual development. This process of adaptation takes place through what Piaget describes as Assimilation. He explains Assimilation as taking in new information or experiences into existing schemas in order to cope with the environment. The new experiences then go through Accommodation, a process complementary to Assimilation, which enables the individual to deal with new concepts by modifying existing schemas and to develop new schemas. This process is concluded by cognitive harmony, otherwise known as Equilibrium. In order for the above invariant structures to take place initially, equilibrium has to be disturbed. This is called Equilibration. Equilibration causes Assimilation and hence forth Accommodation which consequently restore Equilibrium. The cognitive development process of invariant …show more content…
According to Vygotsky, children acquire the mechanisms of thinking and learning as a result of social interactions. He believed that an 'expert' person, whether experienced older child or adult provides a framework or scaffold of information and learning that the child can feed from. The adult provides the props and verbal promts in order for the child to develop.
Vygotsky's theory is characterised by the importance of language. Through social interaction the child develops language and through the development of language, cognitive development occurs. Language allows the individual to organise his/her perceptions and thought processes.
Vygotsky stated that there were three major elements in the process towards fully developed cognitive ability;
1. The child responds purely through action. No language or thought is required
2. The child reflects upon their own thought processes through langage and uses strategies such as talking themselves through a problem.
3. Understanding is reached through social settings ie. Parents, Teachers, Peers,