Piaget and Vygotsky: Cognitive Development Theories

Piaget's four stages of cognitive development

Sensorimotor (Birth-2), Preoperational (2-7), Concrete Operational (7-11), Formal Operational (11+)

Scheme in Piaget's theory

A mental framework used to organize and interpret information.

Reflex

An automatic response to a stimulus; foundation of early learning.

Assimilation

Incorporating new experiences into existing mental schemes.

Accommodation

Changing existing schemes or creating new ones for new experiences.

Simple Reflexes substage (0-1 month)

Infants use reflexive behaviors to interact with their environment.

Primary Circular Reaction (1-4 months)

A baby sucking their thumb repeatedly because it feels good.

Secondary Circular Reaction (4-8 months)

Repeating actions that produce effects on the environment, like shaking a rattle.

Coordination of Secondary Circular Reactions (8-12 months)

Intentional actions begin; object permanence starts to develop.

Tertiary Circular Reaction (12-18 months)

Experimenting with actions to see different results (e.g., dropping toys differently).

Beginnings of Thought (18-24 months)

Development of symbolic thought and deferred imitation.

Egocentrism in the preoperational stage

Difficulty understanding others' perspectives.

Centration

Focusing on one aspect of a situation and ignoring others.

Animism

Belief that non-living objects have feelings or lifelike qualities.

Conservation

Knowing that quantity remains the same despite changes in appearance. Example: Same amount of water in a tall vs. short glass.

Reversibility

Understanding that something can return to its original state. Example: Flattening and reshaping clay.

Classification

Grouping items by shared characteristics. Example: Sorting blocks by color.

Seriation

Arranging objects in order (e.g., from shortest to tallest).

Abstract thought in the formal operational stage

Thinking about things not directly experienced, like justice or imaginary worlds.

Hypothetical-deductive reasoning

Making and testing hypotheses to solve problems. Example: Trying different ways to win a game.

Metacognition

Thinking about and understanding your own thought process. Example: Realizing you need to reread something to understand it.

Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The range between what a child can do alone and what they can do with help.

Scaffolding

Support from adults or peers that helps a child learn a new task.

Cultural tools in Vygotsky's theory

Tools like language, writing, and technology that influence learning.