THEORIES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 

Theories of Cognitive development

o prepare:

  • Review this week’s Learning Resources related to Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories of cognitive development and next week’s Learning Resources on behaviorist, biological, and nature-versus-nurture theories.
  • Select two theories to compare for this Assignment.

The Assignment (3 pages):

Write a 3-page paper in which you do the following:

  • Briefly introduce the theories you selected.
  • Explain how each theory characterizes cognitive development. What are the major causes/influences, processes, or stages within each?
  • Which one of these theories do you think best explains cognitive development and why? Provide examples from the literature to support your argument
Flavell, J. H. (1982). On cognitive development. Child Development53(1), 1. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.ep8587504
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Galotti, K. M. (2017). Major theories of cognitive development. In Cognitive development: Infancy through adolescence (2nd ed.) (pp. 18–45). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Galotti, K.M. (2017) Cognitive Development: Infancy through Adolescence. Copyright 2017 by Sage College. Reprinted by permission of Sage College via the Copyright Clearance Center. 
Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/…
Kuwabara, M., & Smith, L. B. (2012). Cross-cultural differences in cognitive development: Attention to relations and objects. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology113(1), 20–35. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2012.04.009
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Document: Piaget Stages (PDF)

Required Readings

Galotti, K. M. (2017). Other frameworks relevant to cognitive development. In Cognitive development: Infancy through adolescence (2nd ed.) (pp. 46–78). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Galotti, K.M. (2017) Cognitive Development: Infancy through Adolescence. Copyright 2017 by Sage College. Reprinted by permission of Sage College via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Lourenço, O. (2012). Piaget and Vygotsky: Many resemblances, and a crucial difference. New Ideas in Psychology30(3), 281–295. doi:10.1016/j.newideapsych.2011.12.006
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Sundararajan, L., & Fatemi, S. M. (2016). Creativity and symmetry restoration: Toward a cognitive account of mindfulness. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology36(3), 131–141. doi:10.1037/teo0000027
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Megalakaki, O., Craft, A., & Cremin, T. (2012). The nature of creativity: Cognitive and confluence perspectives. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology10(3), 1035–1055. Retrieved from http://investigacion-psicopedagogica.org/revista/n…
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Optional Resources

Daniels, H. (2010). Vygotsky and psychology. In Goswami, U. (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Child Cognitive Development (pp. 673–696). Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/waldenu/reader.action?p…
Note: You will access this book from the Walden Library databases.

Müller, B. C. N., Gerasimova, A., & Ritter, S. M. (2016). Concentrative meditation influences creativity by increasing cognitive flexibility. Psychology of AestheticsCreativity, and the Arts10(3), 278–286. doi:10.1037/a0040335
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Answer previewAnalysis of how the theories characterize the cognitive development

Cognitive development is the ability of a child to think intellectually and understand various aspects of the world which are characterized in different perspectives by the two theories.  Piaget’s theory…900 words

Scroll to Top