Free Essays on Cognitive Development

The study of childhood development is a fundamental part of facilitating our comprehension of how we grow physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively into adults. Theorists in all these areas have strived to explain the genetic and/ or environmental influences which sculpt us into the people we are. The objectives of this assignment are to focus on a theoretical explanation of how children develop cognition (namely the work of Piaget) and to discuss the implications of this knowledge for nursing practice. The author will further demonstrate how this knowledge was utilized to meet the unique and individual needs of a four year old child admitted to the A&E department, gaining consent from the family and maintaining confidentiality. Finally, concluding with a discussion on the important role of the nurse in promoting cognitive abilities. Cognitive development has been referred to as the action of acquiring thought and understanding (Moules and Ramsey, 1980) (See appendix one). When working with children it is essential to determine their powers of comprehension. Children cannot be viewed as miniature adults, as their understanding and interpretations are different to that of an adult. Jean Piaget (1896-1990) was a leading Swiss biologist and psychologist and one of the main figures in the arena of cognitive development. Although his theories are dated, they still provide the cornerstone to our understanding of how children develop intelligence and subsequently, many other psychologists have build their theories on the basis of his rationalization. Piaget concluded from his research findings that children do think in radically different ways. Piaget was concerned with the child’s cognitive processes, he sees the child as having cognitive structures or schema, that are central to how they function as human beings, as it allows them to adapt to changes in the environment through two mechanisms, assimilation and accommodation. A... Free Essays on Cognitive Development Free Essays on Cognitive Development â€Å"Drawing on both theory and research, compare and contrast the Piagetian and Vygotskian models of cognitive development† I will start off this essay by introducing Piaget and his model of cognitive development by briefly explaining schema’s and then the four developmental stages of sensori- motor, pre-operational, concrete-operational and formal operational. I will then move on to Lev Vygotsky and compare and contrast his theory with Piaget’s focusing mainly on the idea of the zone of proximal development, social interaction and egocentrism in language and thought. I will conclude this essay by summarizing the main comparisons and contrasts, between Piaget and Vygotsky’s model of cognitive development, which have been made throughout the essay. Prior to Piaget, psychological thinking about children’s cognitive development was dominated by two perspectives; the biological maturation, which emphasized the ‘nature’ component of development, and the environmental –learning perspective, which emphasized ‘nurture ‘ (Gross, 2001). Piaget opened up a whole new world and focused on interaction between the child’s naturally maturing abilities and his interactions with the environment. He saw the child as an active participant in this process rather than as a passive recipient of the environment. In other words, children must interact with the environment to develop, but it is of extreme importance that it is they, and not the external influences, who build new cognitive structures through their own activities. The results of these activities are used to construct so-called schema’s which are theories about how the physical and social world operate. These schemas are made up out of three aspects of thought. These are the organization of schemas through assimilation and accommodation. Organization to Piaget means the innate capacity... Free Essays on Cognitive Development The study of childhood development is a fundamental part of facilitating our comprehension of how we grow physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively into adults. Theorists in all these areas have strived to explain the genetic and/ or environmental influences which sculpt us into the people we are. The objectives of this assignment are to focus on a theoretical explanation of how children develop cognition (namely the work of Piaget) and to discuss the implications of this knowledge for nursing practice. The author will further demonstrate how this knowledge was utilized to meet the unique and individual needs of a four year old child admitted to the A&E department, gaining consent from the family and maintaining confidentiality. Finally, concluding with a discussion on the important role of the nurse in promoting cognitive abilities. Cognitive development has been referred to as the action of acquiring thought and understanding (Moules and Ramsey, 1980) (See appendix one). When working with children it is essential to determine their powers of comprehension. Children cannot be viewed as miniature adults, as their understanding and interpretations are different to that of an adult. Jean Piaget (1896-1990) was a leading Swiss biologist and psychologist and one of the main figures in the arena of cognitive development. Although his theories are dated, they still provide the cornerstone to our understanding of how children develop intelligence and subsequently, many other psychologists have build their theories on the basis of his rationalization. Piaget concluded from his research findings that children do think in radically different ways. Piaget was concerned with the child’s cognitive processes, he sees the child as having cognitive structures or schema, that are central to how they function as human beings, as it allows them to adapt to changes in the environment through two mechanisms, assimilation and accommodation. A...