Piaget’s Theory
Piaget’s theory is mainly based on the idea that individuals acquire knowledge on their own, individually, without the help of anyone (Bruner, 1997; Forman, 1992; Tappan, 1997). For Piaget (1983, 1985; Piaget & Inheler, 1969), the individual’s action and its coordinations are regarded as the main factor responsible for his/her own growth, cognizance and understanding. Put differently, his theory includes the concept of psychogenesis ( Bennour & Venoche, 2009), which explains his belief that development takes place in a relatively natural and instinctive fashion (Piaget, 1969, p. 59), that is to say, that development takes place from within and not from without (as something social or cultural).
Vygotsky’s Theory
Vygotsky’s theory is based on the premise that through the use of instruments or devices, an individual acquires knowledges as he/she engages in different forms of social interaction. This instrument can be a pen, screwdriver, etc. He also mentions signs like, language, pretend play, mathematical formulae, etc., all of which are social items in themselves. (Vygotsky’s thinking). Vygotsky’s theory tilts towards heteronomy. This is an individual who is influenced by a force outside himself, or the condition of being ruled, or governed. Vygotsky’s theories which also includes the concept of sociogenesis, or the understanding of logical memory or voluntary attention. Similarities in the Theories of Piaget and Vygotsky Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories share the following characteristics: 1. …show more content…
Genetic. A development perspective is essential in understanding psychological issues, as is the case of Piaget’s mental operations and/or formal operation, (Inheler & Piaget, 1958; Piaget, 1947), and of Vygotsky’s (1978) symbolic operation, like to tie a knot on one’s finger for an individual to remember to perform a task in the near future (i.e., mediated memory). Vygotsky (1978) states: ”…we are advocating the developmental approach as an essential addition to experimental psychology” (p. 61, emphasis added).
2.Dialectical approach. This approach is related to metatheory in developmental psychology. Both Piaget and Vygotsky agreed on this approach, which is that “psychological development involves a continuous stream of engagement between distinct, but interdependent, functions or processes, such as assimilation/accommodation” in Piaget’s theory (1952/ 1980, 1985) and internalization/externalization in Vygotsky’s thinking (1962, 1978). Strictly speaking, it focuses on the study of interrelationship and change. 3.A non-reductionist view. For both psychologists, consciousness and human intelligence are forms of organization and adaptation, neither of which are capable of being reduced to reflexes (Vygotsky, 1987), which do not include the initial or external manifestations through which such formation often materialize (Piaget, 1967b). Vygotsky quotes in his thesis (1978, p. 63) that “in reality, psychology teaches us every step that though two types of activity can have the same external manifestation, whether in origin or essence, their nature may differ profoundly”, which brings to mind Piaget’s theory when it comes to the difference between the external content of an individual’s answer on an operational task and its underlying composition or form. 4.A non-dualistic thesis. Piaget and Vygotsky both assert that in physical and social contexts, individuals cannot engage in solitude within the world. According to Piaget, individuals could not perform intellectual operations unless the individual had someone with whom to interact. (See Piaget, 1947, p. 174). 5.An emphasis on action. Both developmentalists not only stress the great significance of action when it comes to intelligence, but also on all functions of intelligence. Piaget (1964, p. 176) declared: “To know an object is to act on it. To know is to modify, to transform the object, and to understand the process of this transformation”. Likewise, Vygotsky (1962, p. 153, emphasis in original) said “In the beginning was the deed. The word was not the beginning – action was there first; it is the end of development, crowning the deed.” 6.A primacy of processes over external contents or outcomes. Both theorists believed that processes were more vital than end results or outcomes of a given method. For Vygotsky (1978, p. 63) mainly, if an individual wanted to understand the nature of the activity of another individual, one had to understand first, the psychological processes underlying that activity. Accordingly, neither of the developmentalists approved of mental tests such as Wechler’s (1983) test or