Theories

Theories
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Theories
Cognitive Theory
The model that is primarily linked to Jean Piaget defines cognitive development based on four distinct stages. After observing how children make sense of the world around them, Piaget suggested four phases of how the mind processes any new information that it encounters (Laske, 2012). During the first phase commonly termed as sensorimotor, infants develop a sense of self-awareness, and that of the surrounding world by interacting with the environment. In the next stage, they require simple classifications of important features as they are unable to conceptualize abstractly. During the subsequent concrete phase, children begin to think hypothetically. Lastly, they achieve cognition during the formal operations stage.
Preschool children especially those aged three years spend most of their time inquiring about specific features. At this stage, children are full of questions and prefer simple classification of essential elements due to their inability to conceptualize theoretically. During the formal operations stage, which begins at around age twelve and lasts into adulthood, children develop the capacity to contemplate abstract ideas. At this phase, children expand the ability to think not only about their thoughts but also the view of others.
In cognitive psychology, nature and nurture interact to produce intellectual development. Nature deals with motivation, the development of body and brain, the capability to learn, and act.

Nurture is often associated with adaptation and organization. During the various stages of cognitive development, children react to environmental demands in ways that meet their goals (Jaswal, Akhtar, & Burack, 2016). Organization allows them to assimilate specific observations into a coherent understanding.
Notably, babies start to learn actively from birth by gathering, sorting, and processing information. They use the acquired data to develop insight and intellectual capabilities, in a referred to as cognitive development (Jaswal, Akhtar, & Burack, 2016). The milestones of cognitive development that children accomplish during their growth into adulthood include memory, intelligence, information processing, and reasoning.
Besides Piaget, other philosophers such as Skinner and Vygotsky developed essential concepts about cognitive development. Notably, all the three theorists agree on the notion that community plays a critical role in the meaning-making process. However, unlike Piaget who believes that development must precede learning, Vygotsky argues that social knowledge paves the way for growth. On the other hand, Skinner posits that reinforcement incidents in the external environment influence behavior. Skinner’s assertions differ significantly from those of Piaget who believed that children learn intrinsically.
References
Jaswal, V. K., Akhtar, N., & Burack, J. A. (2016). Building Bridges: Cognitive Development in Typical and Atypical Populations. Journal of Cognition & Development, 17(4), 549-552. 
Laske, O. (2012). Living Through Four Eras of Cognitive Development. Integral Leadership Review, 12(4), 1-20.