Foundations of Cognitive Theory: A Concise Review

Cognitive-learning theories hold a unique place in history: they explore the depths of the mind from the perspective of process. This paper discusses the history of cognitive-learning theories and how they grew to shape the way one perceives, organizes, stores, and retrieves information. The paper, after providing a definition and synopsis of cognitive theory and its basic concepts, turns to the theories' philosophical foundations, beginning with Plato. The psychological foundations of the functions of the mind, and the pioneering efforts of the structuralists and Wilhelm Wundt are discussed. As psychology matured, practitioners like William James and John Dewey rejected structuralism, believing it to be too narrow to understand the mind. The mind's mechinisms then underwent numerous, pivotal shifts in interpretation moving from the Gestalt viewpoint and its variations, like those introduced by Edward Tolman, to the role of motivation in learning as expounded by Kurt Lewin, to Frederic C. Bartlett's concept of schemata, to Jean Piaget's explications of cognitive growth and development, and finally, to the refinement of Piaget's theory by Jerome S. Bruner. The paper concludes with a brief description of the contributions made by other disciplines to cognitive understandings such as those advances made by the linguist Noam Chomsky, and the powerful impact of the computer on cognitive psychology. (RJM) *******,..----****).************************************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the beet that can be made from the original document. Foundations of Cognitive Theory: A Concise Review Clint Grider How do we learn? Within psychological thought, cognitive learning theories have, perhaps, encompassed the broadest array of methodologies. From philosophical roots to evolving constructs and proponents, cognitive strategies provide a divergent yet distinct emphasis on the mental processes that enable individuals to learn and to use knowledge. Definin g Theory Definition The dominant aspects of cognitive theory involve the interaction between mental components and the information that is processed through this complex network (Neisser, 1967). As individuals learn, they actively create cognitive structures which determine their concepts of self and the environment (McEntire, 1992). Interestingly, the specific process of learning is not the primary area of concern in cognitive research; instead, learning is viewed as only one of the many processes comprised by the human mind (Anderson, 1980). Although all cognitive theorists examine these functions to discover more about human learning and behavior, they often differ regarding emphasis. Some approaches deal with detailed analyses of information-processing skills, while others focus on mental models or cognitive growth and development (Mayer, 1981). Thus, cognitive psychologists do not adhere to a particular set of rules or methodologies in their research.