Cognitive Development During Childhood - Essay Example

?Cognitive Development Childhood development has been a major field of interest to psychologists. In the early stages of developing cognitive behavior theories, psychologists considered children as small or underdeveloped versions of adults. However, developments in the field have led to the categorization of childhood as an independent stage of human development. In the early XX century, the field of cognitive development mainly focused on existence of abnormal behavior in childhood development. Current understanding of children growth has made people to understand and appreciate physical, cognitive, and social growth in children. This has led to the development of cognitive theories as a method of interpreting cognitive development in children. This essay will, therefore, explore the different cognitive behavior theories and theorists that have contributed to the field. Children are instrumental in advancing human knowledge. According to Jean Piaget (2001), children can be considered as little scientists who experiment with their surroundings to advance human knowledge. This argument provides the main basis of cognitive development theories. Most cognitive behavior theorists base their argument on the curiosity of young children to learn about their environment. This approach contradicts biological inheritance theories which claim that children inherit knowledge and understanding from their parents. Unlike the inheritance theories, cognitive theories assume that children are born with blank minds and it is their responsibility to develop their knowledge according to their own desires. The environment plays a critical role in children cognitive development. In this context, environment refers to both the physical and social environment. Most cognitive theorists believe that children’s development is a reaction towards the environment. The need to interpret different phenomena contributes to the development of observation skills and learning among children. In addition, children’s development is influenced by their reaction towards the social environment. Theorists such as Watson and Pavlov argue that rewards, punishment reinforcement and stimuli are significant social environmental factors that influence cognitive development among children. Other significant premises of cognitive behavior development theories are based on the need to overcome conflicts (Bruner, 2008). According to the theorists, growth and development are a process of overcoming conflicts. Thus, cognitive development is a means of countering environmental conflicts. Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner are some of the most instrumental theorists in cognitive development. Although the three psychologists deal with a similar issue, they have a different approach in the derivation of their theories. According to the three theorists, thinking is an outcome of cognitive development. According to Bruner (2008, p. 234), “intelligence is a generic system that allows an individual to derive information from data.” On the other hand, Vygotsky believes that internalization (thinking) is what constitutes cognitive development. Other than cognitive development and thinking, the three theorists shares similar principles on the impacts of environment on cognitive development. According to Vygotsky (2008), intellectual development evolves from the outside to inside through the internalization process. This indicates the dependency of Vygotsky’s theory on the environment. On the other hand, Piaget considers intelligence or cognitive development as a way of adapting to the environment. Cognitive development or accumulation of knowledge is a continuous process that involves balancing of information and experiences. The three theorists base their theories on the continuous aspect of learning and accumulation of knowledge. The process of internalization suggested by Vygotsky also depicts learning and cognitive development as a process. Although the three theorists share a similar approach in explaining cognitive development, their respective theories have significant contradictions. According to Bruner (2008), cognitive development results from interaction with basic human capabilities and cultural invention. In this case, cultural invention refers to certain aspects of culture such as language and social values. The theorist believes that such cultural inventions are amplifiers of cognitive development. Bruner shares similar views with Vygotsky towards the role of language as a cultural creation. Both Vygotsky and Bruner consider language as a factor that mediates individual’s response and environmental stimuli. On the other hand, Piaget considers cognitive development as independent of cultural inventions. The three theorists categorize childhood growth into three basic stages. A specific scale of learning categorizes each of these stages. According to Piaget, the first of development (preoperational) occurs during the first 2-7 years of a child’s growth. During this stage, the child learns how to present the environment through verbal communication. In the second stage (7-12), a child learns how to manipulate thoughts of real objects. The third stage (above 12 years), cognitive development is characterized by the ability of an individual to manipulate both real and abstract thoughts. Although the three theorists acknowledge the existence of three stages of development, they have opposing views towards the role of each stages of childhood development. For instance, Bruner does not consider the three stages of development as independent modes of thoughts. Instead, he considers the different stages as a continuous acquisition of skills and techniques that leads to adulthood. The views of the three theorists have a considerable classroom application. Firstly, the theories attempt to explain the learning process and factors that influence learning among children. Cognitive theories are, therefore, instrumental in designing school syllabus at different levels of a child’s life. The theorists categorize cognitive development into three stages which depend on a child’s ability. The ability of children to understand and interpret real and abstract things depends on the different stages of development (Vygotsky, 2008). Thus, an effective school curriculum would be designed to accommodate the mental ability of the students according to the three stages of development. Finally, the cognitive development theories consider language to be a significant aspect of interpreting the environment. This explains why language is a basic element of a school’s curriculum and why it is taught at the entry level in all schools. In conclusion, cognitive theories explain childhood development and learning behaviors among young children. Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner are among the cognitive behavior theorists who have made significant contribution to the field. The three theorists consider intelligence to be the accumulation of information. In addition, the three theorists consider intelligence as tool for interpreting the environment. However, the theorists have conflicting views towards cognitive development and knowledge. The continuous nature of gaining knowledge and the three levels of learning are some of the conflicting factors. Despite the conflicting views, the theorists’ hypothesis on language and mental abilities are applied in designing school curricula and learning aids. References Bruner, J. (2008). The Process of Education. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Jean, P. (2010). Theories of cognitive development. Psychohawks. Retrieved from: http://psychohawks.wordpress.com/2010/09/05/theories-of-cognitive-development-jean-piaget/ Vygotsky, L. S. (2008). Mind in society: the development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, UK: Harvard University Press. Read More