Cognitive developmental theories

Theories of cognitive development are reviewed, beginning with pioneering theories by Piaget and Vygotsky. Neo-Piagetian theories which integrated Piagetian theory with other conceptions of cognition were developed by McLaughlin, Pascual-Leone, Case, Fischer, and Chapman. Complexity theories propose that children become capable of dealing with more complex relations as they develop. Information processing theories, neural net theories, dynamic systems theories, and theories of reasoning processes all provide models of the reasoning processes employed by children at different ages. Microgenetic analysis methods are used to study the processes of transition from one level of thinking to the next. Conceptual coherence is achieved by categorizing cognitive processes according to their core properties