Cognitive Development: Overview
Author: Anne Hurley
I. Main Objectives
Learn that:
• Developmental theory views cognition as a sequential and increasingly complex unfolding of biologically
driven abilities. These abilities can be influenced by the environment.
• There are five basic aspects, or fields, of development. These fields are language, visual-motor tasks,
fine motor development, gross motor developm ent, and social behavior. Different theorists have
proposed different theories on the development of each field.
• At varying ages, children sequentially achieve abilities that become increasing complex. These abilities
may be mediated by two central features related to the concept of "executive" functioning. The first is
increasing development of "working memory " and the second is the influence of "expertise."
• Children develop at varying rate. Therefore, the exact age at which children develop skills is not
necessarily predictive of their ultimate adult capabilities (i.e. children who begin to read at age 4 years
may have similar outcomes as children who begin to read at age 7).
II. Various Theorists of Development
Arnold Gesell
Arnold Gesell was a pediatrician who wrote early books on development. He proposed a "sequential"
theory to development where each stage of dev elopment was a prerequisite for the next stage.
Erik Erikson
Erikson took a "psychological view" of development. He proposed a model made up of eight stages
(known as the “Eight Stages of Man”) that extended into adulthood. Failure to master th eses stages
result in difficulties. For example, the failure to successfully master toilet training wou ld result in shame
rather than autonomy. In this case, Erikson believed that the child has some awaren ess of his/her skills
and progress.
Edgar A. Doll/Alfred Binet
Like Gesell, Doll/Binet proposed adaptive skill development. However, Doll extended his theories into
adulthood. Doll’s stages could be readily interpretable by a child’s parents. For example, the stages
included actions such as rolling over or drinking from the cup.
Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget devoted his life to epistemology, or how thoughts were transformed into a body of
knowledge. His theories of cognitive development were inspired by observations of his three children
from infancy. Piaget believed that children were ac tive participants in learning. He viewed children as
busy, motivated explorers whose thinking developed as they acted directly on the environment using their
eyes, ears, and hands. According to Piaget, between infancy and adolescence children move through
four stages of development.
III. Important Piagetian Concepts
Scheme
A scheme is an organized way of making sense of experience, and it changes with age. In other words, a
scheme describes a thought, notion, or behavior that has been learned and ingrained into the child’s
mind. The child then uses this scheme and applies it to the external environment. Fpr example, at 2
months an infant will grasp anything placed in his hand the same way, but at 4 months the infant adjusts
his hand to open to the size of the object offered.
Assimilation
