Running head: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT THEORIES 1

Cognitive Development Theories

Ethan Nolan Mills

College of Southern Nevada

EDU 220

Professor Wyckoff

28 March 2017
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Cognitive Development Theories

Piagets Theory

Piagets theory of cognitive development explains as children grow they learn to adapt

and organize what they learn. Children take in the new information and then reorganized with the

old information. The new information is then adapted to the old, making it a new connection to

old information. Piaget came up with 4 stages that every person goes through in their life. From

birth to two years old children go through the sensorimotor stage. This is where babies try to

master their motor skills and learn more about their world around them. As children get older

they advance to the preoperational stage. Young children from two years old to seven-year-old

learn simple letters, language, and small words. They only speak from their point of view and

can only focus on detail of a story at a time. While playing children play alone engaged in their

own little worlds (McLeod, 2017). At age seven years-old to eleven years-old children start the

stage of concrete operational. In this stage children can use simple equipment, ask simple

questions or explain what they have observed in recent studies. Last comes the formal

operational stage, this stage starts in middle school and continues into adulthood. By this time

children can plan for their future, think hypothetically and work out abstract concepts. (McLeod,

2017)

Because Royce is fifteen years-old he should be in the last stage of Piagets theory. Royce

displays many examples of formal operational thinking. He can think in abstractly about any

subject thrown at him. Royce loves to ask hypotheticals questions about science related topics or

science fiction. Though Royce has made up his mind on his future goals when I asked him what

exactly he wanted out of life, Royce just simply said he wanted to work with computers. He

didnt talk about any minor goals that would lead him into the world of computers at all. I then
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noted that his planning skills are still not as developed as a peer around his age would be.

Hopefully as he gets older his planning skills develop more.

Vygotsky's Cognitive

Vygotsky believed that cultural values shape a childs learning process or the child becomes who

they are based on what culture they grow up in. Children use psychological tools like writing,

gestures, rules, and memory techniques theyve learned in their environment to become who they

are as a person. By learning how the world works children begin to understand how and why

things are the way they are. Thus, building themselves up as functioning adults.

It is evident that Royce uses the tools around him to develop more of a concept on how

the world works. You can find Royce looking up information on a wide variety of topics on his

phone or computer. Royce can duplicate procedures after watching a demonstrator work on it

project first. It is noted that Royce in some ways relies on others modeling what to do because

his reading skills are not as strong as his peers.

Erikson's Psychosocial

Erikson theorized that humans go through five main stages of growth in their lives. As

infants we learn to trust, at age two we realize what makes us different form others, then we learn

how to take more initiative in activities from four to five year- old. Each stage in our lives gives

us the tools to become successful adults, from age six to eleven we start to make a name for

ourselves but if a child gets criticized too much for being who they are, that child will take on the

role of being an inferior and scared to take risk in fear of being wrong. The last stage in
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Ericksons theory is identity versus role confusion. At this stage the child, is faced with trying

out different personas until one fits.

It is very clear that Royce was given the love that he needed to develop his confidence in

himself. He doesnt need to rely on others to compliment him on his achievements and will boast

about his himself if need be. Royce is fifteen years-old therefore he is in the identity vs role

confusion stage. (twelve-eighteen years old) for Royce being very sure of himself, he doesnt

question much about what he wants to be when he grows up. As he grows older there is a chance

he will change his mind on a couple of things but for now Royce knows he wants to be a

computer programmer. For now that he has found the role he wants to play in this world.

Kohlberg's Moral

Kohlberg expanded on Piagets developmental theory. Mainly he cared about how kids

rationalized what was right and wrong. Kohlberg explained his version of developmental growth

in six stages. Kohlberg also noted that that everyone advances to each stage of development in

their own time but also some may never reach certain stages throughout their life. The first &

second stage-preconventional morality (eight to nine -year olds). At this age kids do not

question society rules because they understand that if you do something wrong then you must be

punished. Stages three & four are conventional morality stage (10-year-olds) children go with the

majority and conform to what others think. Kids understand that there are certain rules that need

to be obeyed. Their attitude towards rules are the they are made to protect everyone. The final

stage five & six are called post conventional stage, this is the stage that most people cant get to.

A kids moral compass directs them to what is ethically right. Young adults will argue that if a
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life is on the line then money has no power and that life should be saved. Other dilemmas are

weighted out and then justified.

Royce stands in his moral dilemma at stage five. I asked where he him his opinion on

the moral dilemma story of the desperate husband and his sick wife. The story was about a

husband trying to save his sick wife by stealing for the doctor who over charge for the lifesaving

medicine. Royces answer was that the husband was right to steal from the doctor. He reasoned

that money should not be the final answer on whether a humans life is worth saving. Therefore,

stealing what is needed is acceptable to do and the husband shouldnt be punished. This showed

that Royce knew that steal is wrong but in this special case the thief was right to steal because he

was saving another human.

Snowman's General

High school level students are at a physical level gain weight and get taller. For social

ques students watch their peers for what the new cool trend is. Kids begin to argue with their

parents over house rules or expression of their outer appearance. Emotionally high school

students experience eating disorders, depression, or drug abuse throughout their school career.

High school students become increasingly capable of engaging in formal thought, but they may

not use this capability. (Snowman & McCown, 2013, p.68)

Being Royce is in high school, he is faced with many decisions involving if he should

join in on the fun with his peers. Because of his religious background, Royce has no interest in

getting involved with drugs or making big fashion statements. He tends to stay unnoticed and

only shows off himself when the topic is about science or the television show Doctor Who. We

can often find Royce walking the hallways looking for an adult to start a conversation with
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because adults are his comfort zone. In my opinion Royce is fortunate to skip Mr. Snowmans

stage of child development. There are many high school kids who do drugs and Royce doesnt

feel the need to fit in those types of kids. Though it may seem he is missing out socially he is

able to skip the bad side of attending high school.

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References

McLeod, S. (2017, March 27). simply psychology. Retrieved from simplypsychology.org:

https://www.simplypsychology.org/concrete-operational.html

Snowman, J., & McCown, R. R. (2013). Ed psych. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.