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Theory of cognitive development
Although there is no general theory of cognitive development, the most historically influential theory was developed by Jean Piaget, a Swiss Psychologist (1896-1980). His theory provided many central concepts in the field of developmental psychology and concerned the growth of intelligence, which for Piaget, meant the ability to more accurately represent the world, and perform logical operations on representations of concepts grounded in the world. The theory concerns the emergence and acquisition of schemata - schemes of how one perceives the world - in "developmental stages", times when children are acquiring new ways of mentally representing information. The theory is considered "constructivist", meaning that, unlike nativist theories (which describe cognitive development as the unfolding of innate knowledge and abilities) or empiricist theories (which describe cognitive development as the gradual acquisition of knowledge through experience), it asserts that we construct our cognitive abilities through self-motivated action in the world.
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March 18, 2026
Mar. 18, 2026 Your morning coffee or tea could be quietly supporting your brain health. A long-term study found that moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee or tea was linked to an 18% lower risk of dementia and better cognitive performance over time. The ...
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Mar. 8, 2026 A massive UK study of more than 165,000 dementia patients has uncovered troubling new evidence about risperidone, a commonly used drug for severe agitation. Researchers found the antipsychotic ...
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