...An IQ test is a test designed to measure intellectual aptitude ,or ability to learn in school.Originally,intelligence was defined as mental age divided by chronological age,times 100-hence the term intelligent quotient or IQ. After taking the IQ test on the website ,I was not happy with my score and I don’t think it is an accurate assessment of my intellectual ability because i know I can do better than the score they gave me.English is not my first language,I am from Nigeria and an immigrant.I have to read the question very well and take my time to answer it but it stated in the test that each question should be answered in less than twenty seconds. I don’t think IQ test will predict academic achievement because the scores change,they are not consistent and i believe that no test can measure the complexities of the human brain.Many Studies suggest that people inherit a set of abilities,some high and some low,rather than a general intellectual ability(e.g Zhu et al,2010).Two leading developmentalists(Sternberg and Gardener) ...
Words: 524 - Pages: 3
...Cognitive Theorist – Jean Piaget Terry Cross University of Phoenix 10/17/2014 Contribution of the theorist in the field of learning Jean Piaget was one of the pioneer psychologists who concentrated on the systematic analysis of cognitive development. Jean Piaget contributed in the field of learning by developing a theory of cognitive development in children. His detailed and close observational studies of children’s cognition in addition to administering ingenious tests to children revealed varying cognitive abilities. Piaget’s drive to study the cognitive development in children was informed by the psychological assumption that children have reduced or less thinking competency that adults. As such, Piaget made observations that children have a different mode of thinking compared to adult members of the society. Piaget established that children have innate and basic genetically inherited and evolved mental structures upon which later knowledge and learning stems from (Piaget, 1936). The cognitive theory developed by Piaget contributes to the understanding of cognitive development in children. Cognitive development theory by Piaget concentrates more on the cognitive development and does not argue about learning and acquiring information on given behaviors. Cognitive theory details elaborate stages of cognitive development that differ from one another. As such, the cognitive theory contributes to the field of cognition by explaining processes and systems by...
Words: 853 - Pages: 4
...Cognitive Theorist – Jean Piaget Terry Cross University of Phoenix 10/17/2014 Contribution of the theorist in the field of learning Jean Piaget was one of the pioneer psychologists who concentrated on the systematic analysis of cognitive development. Jean Piaget contributed in the field of learning by developing a theory of cognitive development in children. His detailed and close observational studies of children’s cognition in addition to administering ingenious tests to children revealed varying cognitive abilities. Piaget’s drive to study the cognitive development in children was informed by the psychological assumption that children have reduced or less thinking competency that adults. As such, Piaget made observations that children have a different mode of thinking compared to adult members of the society. Piaget established that children have innate and basic genetically inherited and evolved mental structures upon which later knowledge and learning stems from (Piaget, 1936). The cognitive theory developed by Piaget contributes to the understanding of cognitive development in children. Cognitive development theory by Piaget concentrates more on the cognitive development and does not argue about learning and acquiring information on given behaviors. Cognitive theory details elaborate stages of cognitive development that differ from one another. As such, the cognitive theory contributes to the field of cognition by explaining processes and systems by...
Words: 853 - Pages: 4
...Stages of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget is a Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher known for his epistemological studies with children. Piaget believed that children play an active role in the growth of intelligence. He regarded children as philosophers who perceive the world as he or she experiences it (ICELS). Therefore in Piaget’s most prominent work, his theory on the four stages of cognitive development, much of his inspiration came from observations of children. The theory of cognitive development focuses on mental processes such as perceiving, remembering, believing, and reasoning. Through his work, Piaget showed that children think in considerably different ways than adults do and as such he saw cognitive development as a progressive reorganization of mental processes resulting from maturation and experience (1973). To explain this theory, Piaget used the concept of stages to describe his development as a sequence of the four following stages: sensory – motor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations. There are three elements however to understanding his theory of cognitive development. They are schema, the fours process that enable transition from on stage to another, and finally the four stages themselves. He began his studies by making naturalistic observations. Piaget made careful, detailed observations of children, typically his own children or their friends, from these he wrote diary descriptions charting their development. He also...
Words: 2023 - Pages: 9
...------------------------------------------------- Module: African Psychology (PSY 404) ------------------------------------------------- Lecturer: Mr. Mtemeri J. ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Assignment: Compare and contrast the concept formation according to Piaget and Vygotsky. How applicable are their theories to the African context. ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Due Date: 15 March 2012 Concept formation according to Muthivhi, (2009) refers to the development of ideas based on the common properties of objects, events or qualities using the process of abstraction. Jean Piaget (1896-1980) and Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) proposed the classical constructivist theories of concept formation or cognitive development. Their contributions to developmental psychology, albeit different, are similarly remarkable and unique. These two theories have some noted resemblances and differences. This essay will give an overview of these two theories, outlining their similarities and differences and their applicability to the African context with special reference to the Zimbabwean context. In Jean Piaget’s research, the main goal was to answer the question,...
Words: 1658 - Pages: 7
...Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development The cognitive development theory is a comprehensive theory about the nature and development of human intelligence. It is primarily known as a developmental stage theory, it deals with the nature of knowledge itself and how humans come gradually to acquire, construct, and use it. Piaget felt, cognitive development was a progressive reorganization of mental processes as a result of biological maturation and environmental experience. “For that reason, children construct an understanding of the world around them, and then experience discrepancies between what they already know and what they discover in their environment.”(McLeod 2014) Additionally, Piaget claimed the idea that cognitive development is at the center of the human organism, and language is contingent on cognitive development. Stages of Cognitive Development • Sensori-motor: (Birth-2 yrs) Differentiates self from objects. Recognizes self as agent of action and begins to act intentionally: e.g. pulls a string to set mobile in motion or shakes a rattle to make a noise. Achieves object permanence: realizes that things continue to exist even when no longer present to the sense. • Pre-operational :( 2-7 years) Learns to use language and to represent objects by images and words. Thinking is still egocentric: has difficulty taking the viewpoint of others .Classifies objects by a single feature: e.g. groups together all the red blocks regardless of shape or all the square blocks regardless...
Words: 735 - Pages: 3
...Piaget Versus Vygotsky Jean Piaget (1896-1980) and Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) proposed the classical constructivist theories of cognitive development. Although often compared, the concepts differ significantly. Indeed, the purpose of this essay is to argue that Piagetian theory marginalizes the social contribution to intellectual development and that, consequently, the Vygotskian approach offers a more accurate and comprehensive analysis. This paper will begin with an explanation of the theories of cognitive development propounded by Piaget and Vygotsky followed by a definition of constructivist and social constructivist theory. The superiority of Vygotsky’s theory will be established via a critical examination of Piaget’s stages of intellectual development, his perspective on language acquisition, and the methodology of his classic tests. Piaget maintained that cognitive development is a continuous progression of assimilation and accommodation and that these complementary processes lead to adaptation. Knowledge is constructed progressively via a sequence of behaviours or mental operations, what Piaget termed schemas. Piaget proposed that children develop mental representations of the world based on physical or mental actions, which they execute on the environment. These initially reflex behaviours are repeated while intrinsic motivation encourages the child to apply schemas to different situations. Assimilation occurs when the new experience is incorporated into an existing...
Words: 1662 - Pages: 7
...Jessica Odessa Shepherd Human Development and Learning - FHT4 Western Governors University Student ID 259630 FHT4 - Task 1 Cognitive Development refers to the construction of the thought process that includes problem solving, remembering and the ability to make decisions, from childhood up to the adulthood stage. Cognitive/Intellectual Development is the ability to learn, reason, and analyze the fact that a process begins from infancy and progresses as the individual (Educational Psychology). Cognitive Development contains events that are logical, like thinking and remembering. Some factors remain the same throughout many of the theories on cognitive development. All theorists agree that people go through specific steps and/or stages of learning and understanding. Along with the fact that there are certain principles must be meet before learning can occur. There are many ideas and opinions that cognitive theorist have about the development of a person’s cognition. Two theorists that are commonly known in the field of cognitive development are Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. These two theorists agree on the several concepts of cognitive development but differ on others, the most commonly agreed difference among all theorists involved in cognitive development is the simple yet complex question of how cognitive development occurs. Jean Piaget, born 1896 and died 1980, was a Swiss psychologist; his focused was on the way an individual child acts upon an object in their environment...
Words: 1675 - Pages: 7
...Cognitive Theory: An Annotated Bibliography History of Education in America Pamela Allen November 12, 2007 INTRODUCTION The study of child development has inspired many theories. Psychologists have tried to understand why there is a difference between a child’s level of intelligence, motivation, social skills, and mannerisms. The cognitive theory helps explain each step of a child’s development with different aspects of each. The study of development of children is important to help parents, teachers and caregivers’ insight in the different ways children grow and learn. Cognitive theory helps explain how senses, environment, and an individual’s brain effect how and what kind of personality develops and possibly predicting a future. If parents believe that intelligence can be strongly influenced by experience, they make special efforts to help them learn, if believed inborn and unchangeable, they are less likely to make any effort. Children have their own internal drives and needs as well as heredity endowments that influence development. The cognitive theory is only a stepladder and there may be different equations added in either direction but we are given a building block foundation. Cognitive theories emphasize the mental aspect of development like logic and memory and focus on Jean Piaget’s theory children are born with an inborn ability to adapt to their environment. STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE TO BE INVESTIGATED ...
Words: 3059 - Pages: 13
...Cognitive Theorist: Jean Piaget Tatiana Larson PSY/390 May 30, 2015 Richard Codd Cognitive Theorist: Jean Piaget Theorist Jean Piaget was the first psychologist to make a “systematic study” of cognitive development. The work of Piaget is often described as genetic epistemology simply put, “the origins of thinking” (McLeod, S. A. (2015). This theory is often recognized for its four stages, sensorimotor, preoperational thinking, concrete operations, and formal operations. Later in this article we will go over the details of each stage. The goal however of these studies was not to measure how well a child could function cognitively in order to grade their I.Q., but to identify the way the material concepts emerge in the mind. In this article we will be going over some key information regarding Jean Piaget and the theory he developed. Jean Piaget: Contributions After understanding what Jean Piaget set out to prove with this theory it is important to recognize the contributions that were made. It is because of this theory that “discovery learning” has been integrated with the primary school curriculum. The stages that were developed by Piaget help teachers, psychologists, etc. to identify the path that each child takes cognitively. Once we fully understood the true benefits of understanding the youth and were able recognize the importance of individuality we could then see an influence on the learning process. According to Piaget’s theory, classroom learning should...
Words: 1132 - Pages: 5
...Literature review of Piaget’s theory of developmental psychology (1954), object permanence and a critical evaluation of Piaget’s theory in relation to recent studies that show different results to that which Piaget originally gathered and based his stage theory on. Introduction The work of Jean Piaget (1896-1980), has made him go down in history as one of the most instrumental and influential figures in the history of psychology to date. His contribution to the world of psychology is based around the field of developmental psychology. He transformed this area of psychology and laid the foundations upon which subsequent research can be based around and undercover more of the truth behind the cognitive development of infants. Piaget believed that the key to understanding children’s thought processes is not whether they get the answer right, rather the key lies within how they arrived at the answer (Holt et. al, 2012). Piaget stated that our brains hold schemas, which are responsible for organising our patterns of thoughts and actions (Holt et al., 2012). Building on this mental framework he introduced the concepts of assimilation and accommodation which helped lay down the foundation upon which he could build his work on. Piaget committed 50 years of his life to study the intellectual development that occurs in children which ultimately led to the development of his well-acclaimed staged theory of cognitive development (Hock, 2009). His theory is based on the idea that four...
Words: 1369 - Pages: 6
...Cognitive development can be described as the process in which a person constructs their thoughts for example, remembering things, problem solving and attention. In this essay I am going to evaluate the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. I will look into the weaknesses and strengths of the theories with supporting evidence and also the similarities and the differences of the two theories. Piaget believed that children develop through the interaction of innate capacities with environmental events (Gross 2005). He saw children as scientists and he also argued that cognitive development consists of four evident phases the first phase being the sensorimotor stage, the pre-operational, the concrete operational and the formal operation. Piaget argued that cognition development in children developed through these four stages and that the thinking patterns always happened in a sequence with four key features. It also happened in the same order and no stage was skipped, each stage was an important change than the stage before it. In the sensor motor stage from birth to two years, Piaget observed that childrens cognitive development was limited to natural involuntary response. Children build on these responses and develop complicated processes through physical interaction and experience (Gross 2005). At around seven months, the child learned that even if an object is out of sight the object still existed. This is what Piaget called object permanency In this stage the children will learn...
Words: 1032 - Pages: 5
...Cognitive Theorist -Jean Piaget Erika Rakes Psy- 390 November 24, 2014 Matthew Pearcy Cognitive Theorist - Jean Piaget Jean Piaget was a Swiss developmental psychologist & philosopher, when it came to his career of course, has had a profound conclusion on both education and psychology. Throughout his career, Jean Piaget worked to compose a plethora of contributions to learning and also to cognition. This model that has been developed by Piaget still has modern day relevancy. Olson, M. H. & Hergenhahn, B. R. (2013). An introduction to theories of learning (9th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Contributions to learning and Cognition Piaget has created a plethora of contributions to learning and cognition by theories which in being beneficial to understanding the cognitive characteristics between adults and children. He has implemented as well as sustained for the idea of children and adults think differently. Piaget’s endeavors’ also bring about and increased interest in developmental and cognitive psychology. However when students in education and psychology, they study the theories of Piaget to understand learning and cognition. When we speak of implementing Piaget’s theories of cognitive development to education of children is yet another donation that enables the effective teaching of children (Kuhn, 1979). The last contribution of Piaget the creation of the International Center for Genetic Epistemology, this was created in 1955. ...
Words: 886 - Pages: 4
...Explanation Cognitive Development Theory was founded by one of the most influential researchers of the 20th century, Jean Paiget (A&M p. 3). Piaget was concerned with how we come to know and how children thought. Due to Piaget’s biology background, Piaget “was interested in how an organism adapts to its environment” (A&M p.3). Paget’s main hypothesis was that infants were born with reflex schemes and then as they aged, constructed schemes took place of the reflex. Piaget also noted, “Children are born with a very basic mental structure (genetically inherited and evolved) on which all subsequent learning and knowledge is based” (McLeod). Piaget claimed individuals use two process throughout life to adapt, assimilation and accommodation. “Assimilation is the process of using of transforming the environment so that it can be placed in preexisting cognitive structures. Accommodation is the process of changing cognitive structures in order to accept something from the environment” (A&M p.3). As one ages, behaviors become more complex forcing schemes to morph into structures. Piaget based much of his research on case studies. During his work, Piaget identified four stages of development; * Sensorimotor Stage (Infancy): “Intelligence is demonstrated through motor activity without the use of symbols (A&M p. 4). * Pre-operational Stage (Toddler): “Intelligence is demonstrated through the use of symbols, language use matures, and memory and imagination...
Words: 754 - Pages: 4
...Applications of Piaget and Vygostsky’s cognitive developmental theories in a practical classroom environment Piaget and Vygotsky have antonymous beliefs when dealing with the concepts of cognitive development. Vygotsky believes in development through social behaviour whilst Piaget believes in individuals acquiring knowledge on their own. Both however, believe that the interaction between development and learning hold significant implications for a child’s growth. This essay discusses some of the philosophical beliefs of each theorist in regards to a scenario based in the classroom of a year five teacher named Ann. Ann reinforces classroom lessons through the outdoor environment, exemplifying Piaget’s theories of constructivist based learning as well as teaching methods that cater to the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. Ann also displays Vygotsky’s cognitive theory involving the zone of proximal development and peer to peer or teacher-peer scaffolding within a group environment. The essay will examine Ann’s teaching methods and how they relate to these cognitive developmental theories. Ann’s socially-constructive pedagogical approach as described by Howell (2012) will help children build their knowledge base through collaborative learning as well as independent work, known as scaffolding. Ann would apply the technique of scaffolding by providing assistance and offering feedback relating to new information (Woolfolk, 2004). Vygotsky (1978) put forward a theory in which...
Words: 1779 - Pages: 8
