History of Science and Cognitive Developmen

HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN RECENT PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES Introduction  Evolution of Developmental Psychology: Recent developmental psychology theories have increasingly drawn inspiration from history and philosophy of science, using scientific change as a model to describe cognitive development.  Piaget and Gruber: Gruber and Piaget's attempts to bridge developmental psychology and history of science laid the foundation for this trend. The Theory Theory: Gopnik and Meltzoff (1997)  Central Tenet: The "theory theory" posits that cognitive development in children is similar to scientific development. Children's cognitive processes mirror those of scientists.  Comparison to Scientists: Children's understanding is based on theoretical constructs, similar to scientific theories. Concepts like beliefs and desires are intertwined in coherent, explanatory, and predictive knowledge structures.  Scientific Theory as Model: The "theory theorists" adopt scientific theories as models for children's knowledge structures. They emphasize empirical evidence, theoretical constructs, and coherent interrelations among theoretical concepts.  Source of Inspiration: The "standard view" of scientific theories, influenced by logical positivism, and Quine's semantic holism are sources of inspiration for the "theory theory." Domain-Specific Development: Carey, Wellman, and Gelman  Incommensurability in Development: Carey applies Kuhn's concept of incommensurability to cognitive development. Children's theories of matter, weight, etc., are incommensurable with adult theories.  Framework Theories: Wellman and Gelman propose domain-specific foundational knowledge systems, akin to Kuhn's paradigms. These contentspecific systems provide ontological distinctions and explanatory principles.  Distinct from Piaget: Unlike Piaget, recent theories emphasize children's theoretical constructs and domain-specific development, aligning with scientific theories rather than universal cognitive structures. Epistemological Differences: Piaget vs. Theory Theorists  Piaget's Genetic Epistemology: Piaget's focus on equilibration, reflective abstraction, and common mechanisms in ontogenesis and historiogenesis sets his approach apart. His was a comprehensive study of growth in both history and individual development.  Theory Theorists' View: The theory theorists adopt a Quinean perspective on interconnected beliefs and a web of statements. They emphasize constraints on theory construction influenced by evolution.  Psychological vs. Epistemological: The criteria used by theory theorists to define theories, such as coherence and explanatory functions, oscillate between psychological understanding and normative epistemology. Challenges in Representational Mechanisms  Limitations of "Standard View": The "standard view" and Quine's web of belief primarily address epistemology and lack a psychological account of individual scientists' representational mechanisms and cognitive strategies.  Representation and Cognitive Strategies: Neither perspective adequately explains how individuals conceive the world or undergo changes in their conceptions. They don't address the cognitive strategies used in problem-solving. Conclusion  Recent developmental psychology theories, inspired by history and philosophy of science, adopt the "theory theory" framework. They liken cognitive development to scientific theory dynamics, but this approach faces challenges in bridging psychological understanding with epistemological concepts.