Piaget's and Vygotsky's Views of Cognitive Development

Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s Views of Cognitive Development

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

A child’s intellect progresses through four distinct stages.

Each stage brings about new abilities and ways of processing information.

Children are born with the innate tendency to interact with their environments.

Young children and adults use the same schemes when dealing with objects in the world.

Children adapt their responses and assimilate new schemes to handle situations.

They will then accommodate their schemes.

Definitions

Schemes- mental patterns that guide behavior

Adaptation- the process of adjusting schemes in response to the environment by means of assimilation and accommodation

Assimilation- understanding new experiences in terms of existing schemes

Accommodation- modifying existing schemes to fit new situations

Piaget’s Stages of Development

Criticisms of Piaget’s Theory

Most criticisms are in regards to his research methods.

Although Piaget believed children will automatically advance to the next stage, environmental factors may play a role in the development of formal operations.

Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Social interaction plays an important role in the development of cognitive skills.

The development of cognitive skills depends upon the zone of proximal development .

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