Piaget's theory of cognitive development: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:18, 2 May 2025

Revision as of 12:16, 9 May 2025

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===Cognitive equilibration===

Piaget agreed with most other developmental psychologists in that there are three very important factors that are attributed to development: maturation, experience, and the social environment. But where his theory differs involves his addition of a fourth factor, equilibration, which "refers to the organism's attempt to keep its cognitive schemes in balance".<ref>{{Citation |last1=Bjorklund |first1=David F. |last2=Causey |first2=Kayla B. |year=2018 |section=Social construction of mind |title=Children’s thinking: Cognitive development and individual differences |edition=6th |pages=65–91 |publisher=[[SAGE Publishing]] |isbn=978-1506334356}}</ref>

<ref>{{Citation |last1=Bjorklund |first1=David F. |last2=Causey |first2=Kayla B. |year=2018 |section=Thinking in symbols |title=Children’s thinking: Cognitive development and individual differences |edition=6th |pages=147–198 |publisher=[[SAGE Publishing]] |isbn=978-1506334356}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Miller |first=Brittany |date=June 2020 |title=Do Children Learn on Their Own or With Others? |work=You Don’t Say? Developmental Science Offers Answers to Questions About How Nurture Matters, Chapter 17 |publisher=Presswords}}</ref> Also see Piaget,<ref>{{Citation |last=Piaget |first=Jean |year=1977 |title=The Development of Thought: Equilibration of Cognitive Structures |publisher=University of California}}</ref> and Boom's detailed account.<ref>{{Citation |last=Boom |first=J. |year=2009 |title=Piaget on Equilibration |work=The Cambridge Companion to Piaget, Chapter 6 |pages=132–149 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/CCOL9780521898584.006}}</ref>

.<ref>{{Citation |last=Miller |first=Brittany |date=June 2020 |title=Do Children Learn on Their Own or With Others? |work=You Don’t Say? Developmental Science Offers Answers to Questions About How Nurture Matters, Chapter 17 |publisher=Presswords}}</ref> Also see Piaget,<ref>{{Citation |last=Piaget |first=Jean |year=1977 |title=The Development of Thought: Equilibration of Cognitive Structures |publisher=University of California}}</ref> and Boom's detailed account.<ref>{{Citation |last=Boom |first=J. |year=2009 |title=Piaget on Equilibration |work=The Cambridge Companion to Piaget, Chapter 6 |pages=132–149 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/CCOL9780521898584.006}}</ref>

Equilibration is the motivational element that guides cognitive development. As humans, we have a biological need to make sense of the things we encounter in every aspect of our world in order to muster a greater understanding of it, and therefore, to flourish in it. This is where the concept of equilibration comes into play. If a child is confronted with information that does not fit into his or her previously held schemes, disequilibrium is said to occur. This, as one would imagine, is unsatisfactory to the child, so he or she will try to fix it. The incongruence will be fixed in one of three ways. The child will either ignore the newly discovered information, assimilate the information into a preexisting scheme, or accommodate the information by modifying a different scheme. Using any of these methods will return the child to a state of equilibrium, however, depending on the information being presented to the child, that state of equilibrium is not likely to be permanent.

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==Postulated physical mechanisms underlying schemes, schemas, and stages==

First note the distinction between 'schemes' (analogous to 1D lists of action-instructions, e.g. leading to separate pen-strokes), and figurative 'schemas' (aka 'schemata', akin to 2D drawings/sketches or virtual 3D models); see [[Schema (psychology)|schema]]. This distinction (often overlooked by translators) is emphasized by Piaget & Inhelder,<ref>Piaget, J., & B.Inhelder (1966/1971). Mental Imagery in the Child. Routledge & Kegan Paul: London</ref><ref>Piaget, J., & B.Inhelder (1968/1973). Memory and Intelligence. Routledge & Kegan Paul: London.</ref> and others<ref>Furth H.G. (1969) ''Piaget and Knowledge: Theoretical Foundations'' Prentice Hall.</ref> + <ref>Traill, R.R. (2008), Thinking by Molecule Synapse or Both? - From Piaget's Schema to the Selecting/Editing of ncRNA, ''Gen. Sci. J.'', https://gsjournal.net/Science-Journals/Research%20Papers/View/891</ref>(Appendix p.&nbsp;21-22); also in an earlier (1958) Psychology dictionary.<ref>English H.B. and English A.C. (1958) ''A Comprehensive Dictionary of Psychological and Psychoanalytical Terms'' Longmans</ref>.

In 1967, Piaget considered the possibility of [[RNA]] molecules as likely embodiments of his still-abstract schemes (which he promoted as units of action) — though he did not come to any firm conclusion.<ref>Piaget, J. (1967/1971). ''Biologie et connaissance: Essai sur les relations entre les régulations organiques et les processus cognitifs''. Gallimard: Paris — ''Biology and Knowledge''. Chicago University Press; and Edinburgh University Press.</ref> At that time, due to work such as that of Swedish biochemist Holger Hydén, RNA concentrations had, indeed, been shown to correlate with learning.<ref>For example: {{cite journal |last1=Hydén |first1=H. |last2=Egyhazi |first2=E. |title=Nuclear RNA changes of nerve cells during a learning experiment in rats. |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |date=1962 |volume=48 |issue=8 |pages=1366–1373|doi=10.1073/pnas.48.8.1366 |pmid=14450327 |pmc=220960 |bibcode=1962PNAS...48.1366H |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>Egyhazi, E., & H.Hydén (1961). "Experimentally induced changes in the base composition of the ribonucleic acids of isolated nerve cells and their oligodendroglial cells". ''J.biophys. biochem. Cytol.'', '''10''', 403-410.</ref>