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Related Concept Videos

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development from Childhood into Adulthood01:25

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development from Childhood into Adulthood

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development emphasizes the role of thinking in a child's learning process, suggesting that children are naturally curious about their environment. His approach to development is discontinuous, proposing that cognitive abilities progress through distinct stages, each with unique characteristics. Central to Piaget's theory is schemata—mental structures that allow individuals to understand and interpret the world.
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The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
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Structuralism, an early psychological theory developed by Wilhelm Wundt and his student Edward Bradford Titchener, sought to dissect the human mind into its most fundamental components. Wundt's groundbreaking work in his laboratory set the stage for Titchener to define structuralism's goal as cataloging the "atoms" of the mind—sensations, images, and feelings—akin to how chemists identify elements of matter.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2026

RBDT: A Computerized Task System based in Transposition for the Continuous Analysis of Relational Behavior Dynamics in Humans
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Developmental Systems Theory Formulated as a Claim about Inherited Representations*

Nicholas Shea

    Philosophy of Science
    |November 15, 2011
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Developmental systems theory (DST) proposes that some nongenetic factors play a special role in development, similar to genes. This reformulation offers an empirically testable hypothesis, moving beyond simple gene-environment interaction.

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    Last Updated: May 27, 2026

    RBDT: A Computerized Task System based in Transposition for the Continuous Analysis of Relational Behavior Dynamics in Humans
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    06:35

    Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

    Published on: April 28, 2016

    Area of Science:

    • Evolutionary Biology
    • Developmental Biology
    • Philosophy of Science

    Background:

    • Developmental systems theory (DST) faces criticism for its perceived lack of novelty regarding nongenetic factors.
    • The traditional view emphasizes the unique causal role of genes in development and evolution.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To reformulate Developmental systems theory (DST) with a more substantive and testable claim.
    • To identify and define the special role of nongenetic resources in development and evolution.
    • To address criticisms of DST as merely an interactionist perspective.

    Main Methods:

    • Conceptual analysis of DST and gene function.
    • Introduction of Shea's concept of 'inherited representation'.
    • Formulation of DST as a hypothesis about nongenetic inherited representations.

    Main Results:

    • DST can be reformulated as the claim that specific nongenetic resources function as inherited representations.
    • This reformulation presents a striking, empirically testable hypothesis.
    • The gene-environment dichotomy is rejected, but DST is not reduced to a vague interactionist soup.

    Conclusions:

    • The reformulated DST offers a precise and testable framework for understanding development.
    • Nongenetic factors can possess a special role analogous to genes through inherited representations.
    • This approach preserves DST's core tenets while providing empirical grounding.