Question

Describe one of the following theories and discuss why you agree or disagree with this theory. You can use one of the other theories to support your position.
a. Theory of moral development (Kolhberg)
b. cognitive theory of development (Piaget)
c. Psychosocial stages of development (Erikson)

Please use nonplagarized material, have a reference list and in text citations (APA format)

Answer 1

(b)

The cognitive theory of development given by Piaget enlightens the construction of the mental model of the world in a child. He explained that intelligence was not a fixed trait but a cognitive development that occurs due to a broadminded reorganization of mental processes involving biological interaction and maturation with the environment.

The earlier work of the psychologists suggests that adults are more competent thinkers than children but Piaget’s work indicated that how children think is exotically different than adults. Piaget said that children genetically inherit and evolve a basic mental structure that helps them learn and gain knowledge.

Some characteristics of Piaget’s theory are given below:

• All the learners are not incorporated in this theory, only children are included in Piaget’s theory.
• It does not include learning of specific behaviours or information but solely focuses on the development.
• It suggests distinct stages of the development based on qualitative differences instead of a steady increase in complexity and number of concepts, ideas, and behaviours, etc.

The major components of Piaget’s theory are mentioned below:

1. The building blocks of knowledge- Schemas.
2. The transition from one stage to another by the process of adaptation.
3. The cognitive development stages:

• Sensorimotor
• Preoperational
• Concrete operational
• Formal operational

This theory explains the processes and mechanisms by which infant followed by the child develops into a person who has the ability to think and reason using hypotheses. Children first develops the understanding of the world and then differentiates between the knowledge they already have and the knowledge they discover in their surrounding with time. Therefore, I agree with this theory.