Piaget And Vygotsky Compare And Contrast

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Compare and Contrast Two Educators Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are arguably two of the most noted and influential developmental psychologists. Their contributions to the field of developmental psychology, while different, also have several similarities. Throughout the following paper, I will discuss some of the similarities and, according to Orlando Laurenco, definitive differences of Piaget and Vygotsky. The Theories of Piaget and Vygotsky Piaget’s stage theory of cognitive development demonstrates a child’s cognitive ability through a series of observational studies of simple tests. According to Piaget, a child’s mental structure, which is genetically inherited and evolved, is the basis for all other learning and knowledge. Piaget’s …show more content…

The dialectical approach involves interaction among distinct processes, where Vygotsky’s theory that development is a complex dialectical process is also a main theme in Piaget’s approach to cognitive development. A non-reductionist view of consciousness and human intelligence. Vygotsky’s thesis, states that “psychology teaches us at every step that though two types of activity can have the same external manifestation, whether in origin or essence, their nature may differ most profoundly” (as cited in Laurenco, 2012, p. 283), which coincides with Piaget’s “distinction between the external content of a child’s answer on the operational task, and its underlying structure or form” (Laurenco, 2012). The two also share the non-dualist thought, in that, the individual’s physical and social context are not independent, but rather based on relational interactions with others (Laurenco, 2012). Piaget and Vygotsky also both put a strong emphasis on action. As Piaget stated, “To know an object is to act on it” (as cited in Laurenco, 2012, p. 283), which is similar to Vygotsky’s thought that “The word was not the beginning—action was there first” (as cited in Laurenco, 2012, p. 283). Stressing the primary processes of development instead of the outcome is another similarity of …show more content…

Piaget uses an autonomous approach to development within the world. Piaget states, “…the development of operational behavior is an autonomous process rather than a secondary consequence…When we speak of the autonomy of this development we wish to understand in the very precise sense that the development can be explained without necessary reference to various factors which undoubtedly do play a part in its concrete realization, e.g. maturation, learning and social education, including language. For the key to its explanation lies in the concept of equilibration in that it is a wider notion than any of these and comprehends them all” (as cited in Laurenco, 2012, p.

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