Purpose

Both Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s work have been hugely influential in the field of developmental psychology (and beyond). These 2 theorists were developing their ideas about children’s cognitive development around the same time. Vygotsky even read some of Piaget’s writings and presumably was influenced by them in some ways. So this week I want us to think a little more deeply about how both of these theories characterize what happens as children grow cognitively and how they compare to each other.

Instructions

• Initial post: Address the following 3 prompts:

  Which of these two cognitive theories do you think is better or more accurate? Tell us why.
  How is the theory you selected similar to or different from the other theory?
  What is one “real world” implication you see for the theory with which you agree? 

• Reply posts: Find one person who agrees with your choice of theory and one person who disagrees (that is, chose the opposite theory from you). Respond in a way that furthers the conversation with each person. What new idea or thought or question or challenge can you add to deepen their thinking?

Find one person who agrees with your choice of theory and one person who disagrees. (that is, chose the opposite theory from you). Respond in a way that furthers the conversation with each person. What new idea or thought or question or challenge can you add to deepen their thinking?

1) James Brennan,

I feel Vygotsky’s cognitive theory of development is more accurate than Piaget because of how people can develop. Vygotsky’s theory states that cognitive abilities are socially guided and constructed. Culture plays a big part in helping children develop specific abilities such as learning, attention and problem solving. I feel that these abilities cannot be normally developed by children themselves, but environmental and societal factors help the children through their development. Piaget’s stages kind of make sense to me, but it seems what it was missing was Vygotsky’s theory of how cognitive abilities are socially guided and constructed. A real world implication of this I would say is that the way you see mothers talking to their baby’s even though they cannot respond back in coherent sentences to understand. I think that when mothers do this, it helps the child develop an understanding early on of when people are talking to them, even though they communicate properly. 

2)Claudia,

Out of these two cognitive theories I think that Piaget’s is more accurate for cognitive development. I believe this because the four stages that are involved in his theory are pretty much right on track with the age and skill. Object permanence is a good example for the sensorimotor stage. This theory is different from Vygotsky’s theory because Piaget’s stages are universal and say that each kid will hit these stages exactly the same. Vygotsky’s is based more on the experiences that kids go through that affect their development. I agree a lot with the stage progression of Piaget because it follows along with physical and cognitive development. Schemas are involved with Piaget’s theory which is a kid learning something new like a pencil and then calling everything that looks like one like a pen or marker a pencil because it has similar qualities.