Theoretical Perspectives of Piaget’s and Skinner’s learning theory. (Part 3)

The above mentioned two theories are having some similarities and differences too. This will see the similarities and difference of the theory. Cognitive development theory and operant conditioning theory are two quite different theories. Two theories had very little in common. But, while the differences are clear, the similarities do exist. Behaviourism and Piaget’s theory both deal primarily with the individual reaction to the environment. Both the theories support learning and they both talk about the development of child. Educators are very much helpful in both these theories.  
The other similarity that found out from the two theories is both were talking about uniformity of the mind. In other words each theory believes that every cognitive process in the mind of occurs according to the rules of the respective theory. Different concepts and styles of learning are not treated differently in the mind. So much for the similarities and will move to the differences.

Differences of these two Skinner and Piaget theory are much obvious. The most important difference is that the two theories are based entirely on different areas. Skinner is talking about the unseen behaviour and its improvement form operant conditioning through stimuli and response. And Piaget’s cognitive development theory is discussing the mental structure of cognitive development of the child. In other words mind verses entirely unseen. To Skinner, reinforcement affects behaviour at any age. Reinforcement will always affect behaviour. Piaget, on the other hand made the concept of development a cornerstone of his theory.

Another difference between two theories lies in the individual’s role in learning. Piaget felt that the learner is active, believed that children act on the world to understand the world. Skinner on the other hand is more passive. A subject performs an act and is consequently rewarded or punished for that act. The differences between operant conditioning and cognitive development are most clear in their practical application. Here follows an example of both this theories in a classroom. This is the class of seventh grade English period. Class always starts with vocabulary exercise. That day the teacher gave the word as chafe. There are different dictionaries. When teacher asked the students to look up the definition. One student raised her hand and read from her dictionary. “Injury or wear caused by friction” (Merriam, 1979, p.181). Teacher congratulated the student on finding the correct definition. And teacher asks anyone had any other definition. A boy raised hand and read from the dictionary, “To become worn by rubbing” (Lexicon, 1990, p.162). His words are different, but basically the same. Teacher made a quick decision and praised the answer, but asked the class if that wasn’t just a rewording of the definition we’d already heard. Teacher was with blank stares. “OK,” he said “can anyone find a definition of chafe that means something other than rubbing together?” Teacher was surprised to see the someone offered, “to irritate, annoy” (Merriam, 1979, p.181). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development explains a great deal of this situation. Most of this seventh grade student was just entering the formal operations stage. In the concrete operational stage, they dealt with rules, classes and relations. Concrete operational people will have all concrete ideas. To a classroom of students in the concrete operational stage, it is like a rule to follow. We know that the definition is not the specific words, but the meaning of the word. Piaget argued that this abstract idea cold only be grasped when a child has 8. Piaget said that children entered the formal operations stage. But there may be flexibility. That was the first day that teacher is with the students.

Most of the researches in world are with advantages and disadvantages. Likewise the learning theories are also same in this instance. There are few limitation in almost all theories of learning in this part of the assignment will highlight the limitations of Paiget’s cognitive development theory and the behaviourist Skinner’s Operant conditioning theory.

When we first talk about the theory of Piaget. The theory talks about the fixed stages. Instead in the human nature there are lots of exceptional cases. There may be child who can achieve the objectives of concrete operational stage in the preoperational stage. So in this theory this is the first limitation to Piaget. Specifically many researchers believe that Piaget underestimated the timing of some children’s abilities and that sometimes children understand a concept before ther are able to demonstrate their understanding of it.

He does not emphasis on individual variations. He thinks or his theory says that there will be of same type and same level children in the world. The theorist didn’t think about the variation in the mental development of the child. That means a child may be concrete operational even if his age theoretically doesn’t match. For example some children finished reciting the holy Quran for the first time in the preoperational stage. But need to be in the concrete operational. From there they are good enough to recite the holy book. Therefore this will be a limitations and it doesn’t match with the theory.

Children in the preoperational stage are successful at taking another person’s perspective despite Piaget’s contrary prediction. An area of research concerned with children’s taking abilities engaged the field of cognitive development. Children have theories for way their mind works, as well as the way other people work. Piaget has very little emphasis on unconscious. And he does not describe developmental changes.

References

G. & C. Merriam Company (1979), Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary. (1979). Springfield: G. & C. Merriam Company.

Lexicon (1990), The New Lexicon Webster’s Encyclopedic Dictionary of the English Language. (1990). New York: Lexicon Publications.