Essay on Social Cognitive Developmental Frameworkd

In the “Study of the Child: Theories of Development I” (Learning Seed, 1997), according to Vygotsky, the cognitive development in children is in direct relationship, and dependent on interaction with others. (Feldman 2010, pg. 20). Vygotsky believed to truly understand cognitive development; a child’s social and cultural experiences must be considered.

Vygotsky may have overplayed importance on social influences because he suggests that child’s cognitive development occurs through social interactions, for example children do internalisation of problem solving via mutual interactions. However, if social learning is the essence of cognitive development then learning would be a lot faster than it is. Thus Vygotsky ignores the biological aspects that aid or restricts the cognitive development such as the development of brain and maturation. Therefore Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is different to

Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development was one of the first steps in understanding how children become who they are as adults. In early childhood, children begin to understand symbols and representations (Berk, 2014, p. 227). Their learning shifts from sensing the world as in the sensorimotor stage to trying to find commonalities like symbols. According to Berk (2014), Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory focused on “social context of cognitive development” (p. 234). Vygotsky incorporated social context and social interactions into childhood development; in other words, who, how, and what children interact with in their everyday social environment contributes to their mental and emotional development. When it comes to both of these cognitive theories, there are many similarities and differences between Piaget and Vygotsky.

Lev Vygotsky believed that social and cognitive development work simultaneously to build and evolve on one another. He believed that social, cultural and personal experience cannot be detached from each other and many things influence the way children learn and develop, not just their own experiences, thus Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory. Vygotsky’s ideas were and remain controversial as he had no specific training in psychology or children’s development. His preeminent contribution to children’s development is his recognition of the value of progressing knowledge by means of interaction with educators, peers and family (Mooney, 2000, p. 83). The major ideas of Vygotsky’s theory are scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Scaffolding is a process Vygotsky described as the framework or temporary support for children’s learning. In order for scaffolding to be beneficial, it must be responsive to the child’s needs (Coon & Mitterer, 2013, pp. 106-107).

Psychology is diverse, and there are many diverse specialty areas available to individuals seeking a career in the field of psychology. Most Psychologists choose to specialize in subfields that focus on specific subjects. Obtaining a profession in any of the specialty areas would require graduate study in that area of interest. Some professionals have a broad general knowledge, are skilled in several areas, and work with a range of clients. Some are specialist in treating a specific type of psychological disorder, or work with a specific age group. For those interested in specializing in a psychology career, developmental Psychology is one of the many fields available.

From a social constructivist perspective, parents and carers are key in child development. Vygotsky theorized that cognitive development was achieved through social interaction. He stated that without the support of a ‘more knowledgeable other’ (MKO) children were unable to build upon their knowledge of a particular subject. The MKO may refer to a parent, teacher or peer. (Atherton

In order to function in a social world, acquiring a theory of mind is a fundamental component in a child’s early cognitive development (Premack & Woodruff, 1978; Wellman, 1990). Theory of mind (ToM) is the ability to understand the mental state of one’s self and others (Greene, Sandoval, & Bråten, 2016) and to comprehend and forecast others’ actions (Tager-Flusberg, Baron-Cohen & Cohen, 1993; Wellman & Lagattuta, 2000). When children begin to develop a theory of mind (ToM) they develop awareness that human behaviour is governed by belief, knowledge, memory and imagination that conflict with overt reality. However, while the notion of theory

The theory used throughout this intervention was the Social Cognitive Theory, which is based on the Social Learning Theory to differentiate learning as a

There are multiple theories explaining how cognitive development occurs. Piaget’s stage theory, for example, focuses on whether children progress qualitatively through stages of development (Diener 2017). A theory based in nature vs. nurture, Piaget believed a child’s cognition develops biologically as they grow, based on their interactions with the environment. Sociocultural theory, on the other hand, believes children are influenced by the beliefs, values, perceptions, and opinions of those around them. Finally, information processing theories suggest that children process the information they receive and do not merely react to stimulus.

In understanding the emotional and cognitive development in children, many theorists including Bowlby and his attachment theory, Baumrind theory towards parenting styles and also Vygotsky and his theory on social development, have all worked hard over many years of research into producing theories on understanding how the development of children is important. It has been found that emotional and cognitive development are becoming linked much more closely as children grow. There is constant advancements and research in old and new theories towards a Child development. In this essay, different theories will be discussed about child development such as their, social, emotional, cognitive and language and how the role of nature and nurture adapts to these theories.

Social interaction plays an important role in people’s life starting from the early childhood as infants interact with their caregivers and build the emotional attachment that is the base for future relationships. By social interaction with others children learn how to communicate, play and behave in particular situation. Berk (2009) proposed the overview of the literature that concentrates upon the early attachment and its importance. Knowing the influence of social interaction on child development in the first few years, the essay is going to elaborate upon the implication of social interaction on the development of cognition. Cognitive development as Lee & Gupta (eds.) claimed is the term that refers to acquisition and development of

it can contribute to an understanding of the social influences of infants’ cognitive abilities and

In the 21st century, most caregivers know how children grow and develop. They are also aware of the social, cognitive and cultural factors that influence infants and children in their development. There are numerous theories that have been developed to explain the patterns of cognitive and language development in children. The most popular theory that provides the framework used in this analysis of infant and child psychology is Piaget’s stages of cognitive development and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theories.

Developmental Psychology has widened my perspective and knowledge of the nature of development from humans’ infancy to adolescence and emerging adulthood. Although I have learned about biological, cognitive, and socioemotional processes and periods of development, I am especially interested in socioemotional development in infancy because it is the foundation for a child’s future development. That is to say, if children have a healthy socioemotional development from infancy, they will have a healthy life later on. By understanding the developmental process in infancy, I will be fully prepared when I have children or when my family’s members do.

Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of development suggested that to develop cognitively, children must have social interaction. He also “believed that this lifelong process of development was dependent of social interaction and that social learning actually leads to cognitive development” (Riddle, 1999). Vygotsky believed that children 's social learning must come before social development. Vygotsky also believed that "human activities take place in cultural settings and cannot be understood apart from these settings" (Woolfolk, 2004). Therefore, our culture helps shape our cognition.