What is Cognitive Development Theory?

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Cognitive development is best described as how a person's thought process develops, and how these thought processes impact how we comprehend and interact in the world (Cherry, 2014). As a person progresses through life from childhood to adulthood, the manner to which they take in knowledge and mature is the basic theory of cognitive development.

There are many different opinions and theories to cognitive development, but through each of these there are three things that are always constant;

1. There are multiple stages of learning throughout a person's life, and each person will inevitably experience each of these stages.

2. Constructivism will always be present.

3. The influences of society will always limit the growth of a person's cognitive development.

Over the years cognitive development has been linked to many controversies, the largest of these is the debate of nature vs. nurture. The question debated was whether or not a person's cognitive development is influenced more by their genetics (nature) or through real life experiences (nurture), this debate lasted through most of the 20th century. Fortunately, this argument stalled out in the mid 2000's, in a 2007 article Saul McLeod stated that "hardly anyone today accepts either of the extreme positions. There are simply too many "facts" on both sides of the argument which are inconsistent with an "all or nothing" view" (McLeod, 2007).

In this essay, I will compare and contrast many aspects of cognitive development based on the theories of psychologist Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Piaget and Vygotsky are considered innovators in the field of cognitive development; their theories are world renowned and often referred to as the foundation for cognitive development r...

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...ors, 2nd Edition, Charles E Merrill Publishing Co., Columbus, Ohio

4. Cherry, K. (2014). An overview of early childhood development. Retrieved from www.physcology.about.com

5. Crawford, K. (1996). Vygotskian approaches to human development in the information era. Educational Studies in Mathematics. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

6. Kozulin, A. (2003). Vygotsky's Educational Theory in Cultural Context. New York, NY: Cambridge Press

7. McLeod, S.A. (2007). Lev Vygotsky. Retrieved from simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html

8. McLeod, S.A. (2012). Piaget's Cognitive Theory. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html

9. Piaget, J. (1973). Main Trend in Psychology. London, England: George Allen and Unwin.

10. Wadsworth, B.J. (2004). Piaget's Theory of Cognitive and Affective Development: Foundations of Constructivism. London, England: Longman Publishing

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