Pyschology- Piaget and Vygotsky

Piaget *Missing Works Cited* Piaget work has received world wide acclaim and recognition , as well as having a positive impact in areas such as education and social curricula. Though he had made an impact on understanding of the child cognitive development , his theory of cognitive development has suffered a great deal of critics that it neglects the social nature of human development.(Hook, Watts and Cockroft ,2002).So the following essay will discuss on whether this critic is valid or not based on detail discussion of Piaget theory. The theory of Vygotsky shall also be discussed to prove that indeed social factors play a role .

4. I relate most with cognitive theories of development. Piaget provides the foundation by explaining the distinct stages of development. His insights allow teachers and parents to have a basis of what children are capable of during each stage. If the child drastically strays from these stages, it allows the caring adults to take action to help the child to reach the appropriate stage. With an understanding of these stages, the theories of Vygotsky can then be successfully utilized. Vygotsky stresses that with the

Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky both agree and disagree in the area of the Nature/Development of Intelligence. Piaget and Vygotsky agree on the idea of constructivism, the certainty that cognitive development happens by accumulation to and building from what is previously recognized and learned. Piaget was a trivial constructivist, he believed that individuals acquire knowledge by interacting with their environment and building on their knowledge and understanding of their environment. On the other hand, Lev Vygotsky was a social constructivist, believing individuals acquire knowledge through social interaction and learning from others. They also both agree that the restrictions of intellectual growth are defined by social interactions. Individuals acquire knowledge from interactions that they have already been exposed to and what other people can teach them, whether if it other children that are older than they are, adults in the life, or teachers. Jean Piaget believed that individuals acquire their knowledge by interacting in their environment, and it comes as a direct outcome of the individual’s actions on to their environment. Piaget believed that individuals must learn before they develop (Educational Psychology). According to Jean Piaget’s theory, the order of acquiring knowledge is an individual acts upon their environment, learning from the consequences of their actions, and then developing knowledge and understanding of

Piaget was the first psychologist to make a systematic study of cognitive development. Piaget’s work includes a detailed observational study of cognition in children. Piaget showed that young children think in different ways to adults. According to Piaget, children are born with a very basic mental structure (genetically inherited and evolved) on which all subsequent knowledge is based.

171).” This, in other words, is when a child cannot completely perform a task independently but can do it with a bit of assistance from a more competent figure. This zone of proximal development is something I experience with Blair. At two years old she has got to pick out her tooth and hairbrush, but she still needs a bit of help with both operations. Another idea that Vygotsky believed in was the method of scaffolding. This is known as the support for learning and problem solving that encourages independence and growth (Feldman 2012). For example, sometimes Blair has a tough time communicating using her words. I often encourage conversation by asking questions that instigate more of a response from Blair. This helps her grow in her communication and is good practice for her. Cognitive development was viewed by Vygotsky as the product of social interactions. He focused on the social aspects of development and learning instead of concentrating on individual performance.

Since language is our means of communicating cultural knowledge, it is extremely important in this theory. Vygotsky was particularly interested in the relationship between language and thinking processes; he believed language was crucial for cognitive development.

Educational Implications of Piaget’s Theory. Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is well-known and provides a basic understanding of the cognitive process and how children

Outline the main similarities and differences between Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s explanations for cognitive development in children.

Vygotsky believed that make believe play profoundly affect zone of proximal development. Children can advance their cognitive skills by following social norms and expectations associated with make believe play roles. By combining sensory exploration and motor skills, children cultivate their intellect and socio-emotional capabilities. He also believed that language (speech) is a greatest tool of communication and gets refined from social interactions. Language is an accelerator of a rational understanding. In the video Vygotsky has defined two types of speech.

There is an end to cognitive development for Jean Piaget’s theory. It is from birth to adolescence, whereas Vygotsky’s theory has no end to it. It carries out from birth till death. Piaget’s theory proclaimed that cognitive development is influenced by social transmission, which is also called learning from people around. On the other hand, Vygotsky’s theory states that cognitive development is influenced by social interaction; meaning that when an individual is engaged in social activity, his language and cognition are developing. Consequently, Piaget’s theory claims that the development of thinking and language in an individual can be traced back to the actions, perceptions and imitations by little children. On the contrary, Vygotsky’s theory postulates that there is a strong connection between learning language and the development of thinking Piaget (“Difference between Piaget and Vygotsky Theories”, 2016) and Vygotsky approach learning in different ways. Piaget observed in detail how children’s learning works, but he did not highlight the role of a mentor or a teacher. Vygotsky’s theory, on the other hand, does not observe the actual mental development,

Piaget is often misunderstood with regards to his theory of a child developing knowledge independently. Although his research focused on individuals in a laboratory setting according to Bedrova and Leong (1996) it would be incorrect to suggest that Piaget was only concerned about the thought process involved in child development. According to De Vries (2000) and Smith (1995) Piaget did acknowledge the importance of social factors in the construction of knowledge as he stated: “social life is a necessary condition for the development of logic (Piaget 1928/1995, p.120). Later on in life Piaget (1950/1995, p.40) also stated “interaction among individuals… modify the mental structures of

Piaget and Vygotsky are two well-known individuals in the history of psychology. The two psychologists held different beliefs regarding Cognitive Development in children. According to the text, “Piaget’s theory of cognitive development proposes that a child’s intellect, or cognitive ability, progress through four distinct stages” (Pg. 25). The stages are Sensorimotor Stage, Preoperational Stage, Concrete Operational Stage, and Formal Operational Stage. Piaget found that each stage occurs as a child ages. He also suggested that child cannot skip a stage.

Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are two renowned psychologists in the field of developmental psychology. The purpose of this paper is to summarize, to discuss the similarities, to discuss the differences, and to discuss what can be gained from a better understanding of the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky.

In this theory, Vygotsky suggests the idea of scaffolding from external influences, including parents and teachers. To scaffold is “to use language and social interaction to guide children’s thinking” (Trawick-Smith, 2010, p.53). The key to do this properly, is to know how much or how little guidance to give the children.

In the world of psychology, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are considered to be very prominent figures in the area of cognitive development. Both of these men considered themselves a constructivist, which entails a viewpoint that is concerned with the nature of knowledge. In their lifetime, both of them made contributions in the area of education and even after death, their theories still influence teaching methods. The purpose of this paper is to show some similarities as well as differences in the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky and what can be gained by having a better understanding of their theories.