Cognitive Development Of “Learning Theory”

Second Research Paper about “Learning Theory” Name Institution Second Research Paper about “Learning Theory” Learning is a continuous process that happens through a person`s life. From the time one is born until maturity, learning still goes on and usually influenced by different factors either intellectually, culturally, environmentally and even socially. Different theories have been used to explain how each of these factors affects the learner. In this regard cognitive development theory, Skinner`s theory of operant conditioning and social context theories will be explored. Cognitive Development Theory This theory is based on human intelligence, particularly its nature and how it develops. It also explores knowledge, its acquisition, construction and use. The theory came into play between the years 1896-1980 through its creator Jean Piaget, a developmental psychologist. He referred to this intellectual development in human beings as cognitive development. According to him, as people continue to mature biologically and interact with different experiences within their environments, this intellectual development continues to happen in a progressive manner (McLeod 2014). The thought process in people is constructed during the transition from childhood to adulthood in such a way that makes it easier to remember things, solve problems, and even make decisions. The theory further postulates that from the time of birth active learning begins in children using information from their immediate surroundings that is then gathered, sorted and processed. From this information, perceptions are developed together with the skills that enable one to think. The whole process has several parts to it, which include development of language, intelligence, processing of information, the ability to reason and memory. According to Piaget`s theory, schemas were the basis upon which the knowledge in a child was built, whereby new experiences were better understood by relying on the accumulated knowledge about the experiences of the past. The processes of assimilation and accommodation further aid this. Assimilation simply entails the process of how newly found information is perceived and adapted to by people. Usually, in an effort to make sense of the new information, the information learned in the past is used as a source of reference, which makes up the assimilation process. Accommodation on the other hand, works in the opposite manner whereby pre-existing knowledge, or schema is altered in such a way that it fits any new information humans come across. The two processes of assimilation and accommodation are not independent of each other and thus they are both needed to ensure that there is equilibrium in the cognitive development process in humans. Cognitive development has four stages to that describe how the thought process in humans develops from an early stage until later in life. The four are sensorimotor or infancy stage, pre-operational stage, concrete operational stage and the formal operational stage. The first stage of sensorimotor, takes place from the time a child is born until when they acquire language. During this stage, infants show their intelligence through physical interactions where they can hold, suck or step on objects and in the process, they gain a little understanding of the world. Also this intelligence is shown through experiences such as seeing and hearing and then connecting these experiences with the real interaction with the objects. Memory then develops at around seven months after a continued interaction with these objects and these intellectual abilities only get better as the child learns how to move from place to place. The stage ends with the acquisition of language where symbols are used. In the Pre-operational stage, toddlers tend to be egocentric thinkers but with a much developed imagination and memory. The stage is also marked by improved language and symbol use. The third stage of concrete operational begins in elementary and extends to early adolescence. Here symbols are manipulated systematically and logically as a show of intelligence. Thinking becomes operational and not egocentric. Formal operational stage is the final one that covers adolescence until adulthood. The stage involves symbols that are related to abstract concepts being used logically. This is used as a measure of intelligence and an individual tends to reason more hypothetically and deductively. Strengths of the Theory The practical applications of this theory are many. For example, Baron-Cohen (2000) in his study on Theory of the Mind found the theory useful in determining if a child had autism. This knowledge is useful as it can come in handy in school or at work to help know how to handle such children or individuals who suffer from the illness. In essence, the theory has not only impacted psychology, but society as a whole. Moreover, the research method used in this theory is mainly dependent on experiments, which makes the findings quite reliable. The experiment by Baron-Cohen is an example where such an approach that practically involves cause and effect gives this theory a great advantage especially in its practical application. Irani et al (2012) agree that cognitive learning helps learners to be critical thinkers and better at solving problems. Weaknesses of the Theory The theory also has some notable weaknesses. The heavy reliance on inference than on what can be seen is weakness of the theory. It is true that the direct observation of cognitive processes is not possible which has made many questions how the development in memory was determined with there being no way of observing this memory in the first place. Some see such findings as being a result of poor judgment or demand characteristics, which reduces its validity. In addition, there are other factors known to affect human behavior that are completely ignored by this theory. For instance, in investigating on how moral reasoning contributed to criminal behaviors in individuals, Palmer and Hollis (2011) compared delinquents to non-delinquents. The study concluded that differences in cognitive decision-making explained why some committed crimes while others did not. In other instances, these criminal tendencies have been linked to biological factors and also the type of upbringing. These are areas that have not been explored in the cognitive theory. Assessments Considering that children develop differently depending on age, teachers need to consider this in their teaching by using props and visual teaching aids for small children. Information should not be too exaggerated to enable easy internalizing and application. In an event that learners give different opinions, this has to be respected and positively considered instead of dismissing. During adolescence as students learn to reason in a hypothetical and logical manner, it is necessary for experiments to be involved as a way that further develops these skills. Skinner`s Theory of Learning (Operant Conditioning theory) A psychologist, Skinner, created the theory and it functions on the idea that reinforcements, both positive and negative are used to modify human behavior. This process is referred to as operant conditioning whereby every behavior is associated with some consequences (Cerutti and Staddon 2002). Unlike the cognitive theory that relied on studying the mind, Skinner preferred to base on outside behavior that can be observed. The operant conditioning theory was a development from the law of effect by Thorndike. In this law, the likeliness of a behavior to be repeated when its consequences were good was high, while in cases where consequences were unpleasant the likeliness to repeat such a behavior was less. Skinner built on this law by introducing the idea of reinforcement whereby a repeat of a behavior was expected where reinforcement was used and lack of reinforcement on a behavior led to its death. Apart from reinforcers being used to determine behavior, Skinner also identified neutral operants and punishers as possible determinants. Neutral operants as the name suggests are those environmental responses that have no effect on the probability of repeatability of a behavior. Reinforcers increase the chances of repeating a behavior...