Piaget Vs Vygotsky

Piaget's theory holds that the ability to engage in abstract symbolic reasoning is what distinguishes human beings from other animals. Conversely, Vygotsky believed that social interaction was the primary source of human cognition and behavior. In observing children, Piaget suggested that young children were not less knowledgeable than older children, but instead thought differently. This led him to belief that human development is qualitative rather than quantitative. Thus, as a child develops, the type of thinking, as opposed to the quantity of thinking is what establishes development. Piaget believed that behavior is controlled through schemes, which are used to represent the world and designate actions. For instance, he believed that infants are born with reflexes, which are quickly replaced with schemes to aid in adaptation to their environment (Santrock, 2008).

Alternatively, Vygotsky's theory suggests that culture and learning are the key determinants of cognitive development. Thus, the social and cultural contexts are critically linked to development. As such, Vygotsky focused on the mechanism of development instead of the use of developmental stages. Furthermore, he rejected the idea that a single principle could influence cognitive development. One central concept which explains Vgotsky's view of cognitive development is mediation. Mediation holds that an individual can change the stimulus of a situation as a part of responding to it. As an example, humans make tools to mediate between them and their environment in such a manner that modification of an environment is also possible (Santrock, 2008). In my opinion, Vgotsky's view is more accurate, because empirical evidence has demonstrated that parents, teachers, teachers, and peers.

Reference

Santrok, J., W. (2008). Essentials of life-span development. New York, NY: The

McGraw-Hill