What are some of the similarities and differences between Piaget or Vygotsky cognitive development theories?

The Learning Theory of the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget considered the father of constructivism, focuses on the cognitive development of children and adolescents. His theory describes and explains the changes that occur in logical thinking at these ages. Piaget suggested that cognitive development occurs following a series of stages of maturation and experience: sensory-motor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations. Similarities and differences between Piaget and Vygotsky

Piaget reveals to us in his theory that thanks to the interaction with the environment we acquire new information. But as a constructivist psychologist and pedagogue, in his research he realized that children play an active role in obtaining knowledge, that is, he considered them “little scientists” who actively build their knowledge and understanding of the world.

A schematic summary of Jean Piaget’s Theory

In summary, the key points of his theory are cited below :

Sociocultural Theory of Lev Vygotsky

Lev Vygotsky is also one of the most influential and important authors in the field of education and psychology. The Theory of the Socio-Cultural Development of Vygotsky states that individuals learn through social interaction and culture. Vygotsky explains that dialogue is an important psychological tool in the development of children’s thinking, and as children grow and develop, their basic language becomes more complex. Similarities and differences between Piaget and Vygotsky

Language is key in human development because it is produced through processes of exchange and transmission of knowledge in a communicative and social environment. In other words, the transmission of cultural knowledge is carried out through language, which is the main vehicle of the development process and is what decisively influences cognitive development.

Furthermore, as a constructivist psychologist like Piaget, he thinks that children learn actively and through practical experiences. Now, Vygotsky thinks that learning is built through social interactions, with the support of someone more expert. Not like the Swiss psychologist, who claims that knowledge is built individually. Vygotsky was important to understand collaborative learning and to know more about the influence of the socio-cultural environment on the cognitive development of children.

Basic principles of Vygotsky theory Similarities and differences between Piaget and Vygotsky

• Children develop through informal and formal conversations with adults.
• The first years of life are fundamental for development since it is where thought and language become increasingly independent.

• Complex mental activities begin in basic social activities.

• Children can accomplish more difficult tasks with the help of a more skilled individual.
• Tasks that are challenging promote growth in cognitive development.

Similarities between both theories

The theories of Vygotsky and Piaget have similarities, but there are also some differences. First of all we are going to start with the similarities.

Both Piaget and Vygotsky are two constructivist theorists, although the latter is considered the main precursor of social constructivism. They both think that children are active learners who actively organize new information with existing information. Therefore, Piaget and Vygotsky postulated that knowledge is built by each subject and is not the result of an acquisition of responses.

Both authors think that cognitive development declines over time. They also believe that cognitive development begins with conflict. For example, in the case of Piaget, when the child realizes that a new idea does not fit with previous knowledge, and then it is necessary for him to seek a new answer to allow balance. Similarities and differences between Piaget and Vygotsky

In addition, both Piaget and Vygotsky share the idea of ​​the importance of play in the psychological, pedagogical, and social aspects of the human being. Lastly, they both think that language is important for cognitive development, but from different perspectives.

Differences between both theories

After seeing the similarities between the theories of these two authors, let’s move on to the differences :

As we can see, both authors are constructivists, but Vigotsky differs from Piaget in the role played by the environment and culture. For Vigotsky, in addition to seeing the child as an active subject who builds his knowledge, he emphasizes the consideration of the social, which contributes with the mediators, to transform reality and education. These mediators have a guiding role to assist them in the learning and development process.

In Piaget’s case, learning occurs individually. It is the conflict between what is new and what is known that leads the individual to seek balance.

Piaget’s theory treats cognitive development in universal stages. On the other hand, for Vigotsky there are no such stages since when building knowledge through social interaction, each culture is different and therefore cannot be generalized. Similarities and differences between Piaget and Vygotsky

This means that, for Piaget, the potentiality of cognitive development depends on the stage in which the subject is. On the other hand, for Vygotsky, the potentiality of cognitive development depends on the quality of the interaction and on the subject‘s Zone of Proximate Development.

3. Role of learning Similarities and differences between Piaget and Vygotsky

Vygotsky thinks that development depends on learning and children learn through history and symbolism. Instead, Piaget thinks otherwise. That is, learning depends on development. Piaget claims that intelligence comes from action and does not attach much importance to external influences.

4. The role of language

Piaget states that egocentric speech manifests the inability to adopt the perspective of the other and, as it does not adapt to adult intelligence, egocentric speech disappears. For Vygotsky, egocentric speech helps children organize and regulate their thinking. Similarities and differences between Piaget and Vygotsky

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Abstract

Numerous theories explain the process of cognitive development from childhood to adulthood. However, the Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories are the two main works that have dominated this field. The theories have formed a framework for which modern research on the topic is based as scholars seek to unearth the truth in the various concepts highlighted by the two psychologists. Piaget bases his argument on four stages of development where he describes what transpires in each phase. On the other hand, Vygotsky bases his argument on the cultural and social interactions to explain the process of cognitive development. This paper explores the main theories on the topic and analyzes the major similarities and differences.

Introduction

Cognitive development refers to the systematic acquisition of intelligence, knowledge, and problem-solving tactics that starts during infancy and continues through adulthood. The most influential theories that have shaped the peoples’ understanding of the topic are the Piaget and the Vygotsky’s theories (Carpendale & Lewis, 2006). The two theories explore the process of knowledge acquisition among infants even though the arguments presented by each theory vary greatly. The theories have undergone evolution as modern scholars embark on practical research to verify the concepts outlined by the two psychologists. This research paper explores the two theories by highlighting their main similarities and differences to gain insight into the major concepts described by their developers.

The Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

Jean Piaget, a French psychologist, developed this theory in 1952 to explain the process of cognitive development (Pass, 2007). In the theory, Piaget argues that children acquire intelligence in four critical phases with each stage being marked by certain developmental activities. The theory highlights the following four major stages of cognitive development in children.

The Sensorimotor Stage

This stage is characterized by the recognition of the reality by the kid and it occurs between zero and two years of age (Tryphon & Vonèche, 2013). In this phase, a child encounters the environment and starts accepting its various aspects. Often, at the early stages, the motions and actions undertaken by the child are of trial and error nature. However, at the mastery level, the activities become intentional as opposed to trial and error.

The Preoperational Period

At this stage, children have already realized the reality side of nature having passed through the previous phase. The child now tends to engage in pretend play albeit he/she has difficulties adopting the viewpoint of other people with whom he/she relates. This stage occurs between two and seven years, and even though the child cannot conceptualize abstractly, he/she can comfortably play different games. Towards the end of this phase, the child is confident about his/her abilities, and he/she can perform various childhood activities independently (Pinter, 2006). At the late stages of this phase, children can handle games with rules as opposed to easy games at the start.

The Concrete Operational Stage

In this stage, a child begins to think more logically, and he/she tends to view life from other peoples’ perspectives. Children can now understand the feelings of others. Besides, they appreciate that their thinking is unique. At this stage, a child can share his/her ideas with other people and listen to suggestions. The child now starts recognizing the uniqueness of everyone’s mind and the difference in opinions among different people.

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The Formal Operational Stage

The development of logical thoughts and enhanced reasoning characterize this stage. In this stage, a child starts viewing life more positively and he/she can offer scientific explanations for various phenomena. Additionally, the child can now offer viable solutions to problems.

The Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

This theory is premised on the assumption that knowledge is passed from adults to children through social interactions. The theorist argues that a child acquires knowledge through the interaction with experienced persons such as teachers or other older groups of people. As opposed to the Piaget’s theory that does not emphasize on communication, Vygotsky insists that communication is essential.

Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding

Under this concept, Vygotsky argues that kids need assistance from adults to develop a particular set of skills that they initiate independently. For example, a child may develop a set of sounds before he/she can speak fluently. In such a case, assistance or scaffolding from an adult is essential to guide the child through the sounds (Pass, 2007). The assistance may be availed through the development of pictures and sounds similar to the ones discovered by the child.

Language Development

Vygotsky emphasized the role of language in the development process and argued that a common language would enhance the passage of knowledge. The theory outlines the following three levels of communication:

According to the theory, social expression denotes communication between the kid and other people in society in which the child resides. Such communication is demonstrated as essential when the child attains the age of 2 years (Pinter, 2006). On the other hand, private speech refers to inner communication that is usually directed to oneself, but the audience can still hear it. The communication mode develops upon attainment of three years. Lastly, the silent inner speech refers to an inner voice directed to oneself, and it is usually inaudible.

Imaginative Play

Imaginative play refers to the tendency of a child to mock adults and pretend to be acting in their capacities. According to Vygotsky, such mockery helps kids develop a sense of life and unravel the meaning of the world around them.

Piaget, Vygotsky: Theories Differences

Interaction with adults vs. peers

Piaget recognizes the need for kids to interact with peers, and he asserts that children tend to acquire intelligence faster when interacting with age-mates as opposed to similar interactions with adults (Tryphon & Vonèche, 2013). Piaget alleged that the interaction between kids and adults was immaterial to cognitive development since a child could not skip any stage of development. However, his counterpart, Vygotsky, advocates for the interaction with adults. He claims that children stand to gain a lot from interacting with older people. Vygotsky premised his claims on the view that adults have more knowledge as compared to the kids. Therefore, knowledge is quickly passed to the child through such interactions.

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Developmental stages

Another difference between the two theories is how each theorist presents his school of thought. Piaget identifies four stages of cognitive development. He asserts that the development of knowledge must align with the defined stages. Piaget states that children acquire knowledge independently through interaction with the environment. On the other hand, Vygotsky emphasizes the need for guidance by adults to facilitate the transfer of intelligence.

Vygotsky vs. Piaget: Theories Similarities

Interaction

The two theories differ on the extent to which knowledge is acquired through interaction with nature. However, they both agree that knowledge is acquired through the interaction with the environment. Piaget argues that children gain knowledge through interaction with peers and the environment at large with the only limitation to such acquisition being the age. Vygotsky also concedes that knowledge is acquired through interaction with adults and the environment in general.

Speed of acquisition

The other similarity that is evident in the theories is the idea that the extent of cognitive development differs with age. Both tend to agree that the development is faster in childhood than in adulthood. Moreover, they both agree that conflicts present an opportunity for the children to develop their knowledge as they seek solutions to problems that present in the course of their development.

Evolution of the Theories

The two theories have undergone evolution as the theorists, and other scholars seek to offer better explanations regarding cognitive development. Piaget improved the theory by observing kids as they developed and gained intelligence. Modern scholars have indulged in research to verify the concepts outlined by the theorists. The two theories form the framework on which contemporary research is established with psychologists making their inputs in favor of either the theories or their opposition. Modern researchers have made significant contributions as they try to verify the concepts contained in the two theories. Contemporary researchers use laboratory research to prove their findings and criticize the theories. For example, a recent study found that children tend to acquire intelligence through the memorization of ideas (Pass, 2007). None of the two theories recognizes memorization as a way of intelligence acquisition.

Conclusion

Cognitive development is a continuous process that starts right from birth and continues through adulthood. Various researchers have engaged in research to unravel what transpires during a child’s development. The two main theories that seek to explain the development process are the Piaget and the Vygotsky’s theories. The two theories have similarities as well as differences that surface in the way each views the developmental process. Both theorists agree that the acquisition of knowledge occurs due to the interaction with nature. However, while Piaget breaks down the developmental process into four stages, Vygotsky asserts that knowledge acquisition is not restricted to age but the kid’s background.

References

Pinter, A. (2006). Teaching young language learners. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Tryphon, A., & Vonèche, J. (2013). Piaget Vygotsky: The Social Genesis Of Thought. East Sussex, UK: Psychology Press.

Carpendale, J., & Lewis, C. (2006). How children develop social understanding. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.

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Pass, S. (2007). When constructivists Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky were pedagogical collaborators: A viewpoint from a study of their communications. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 20(3), 277-282.