At the Origins of Knowledge. The Constructivism/Nativism Debate in Infancy
Type de matériel :
19
A methodological revolution in infant studies in the 1950s and ’60s has greatly advanced our ability to investigate early cognitive skills. This revolution introduced many changes in the theories on early development, particularly the Piagetian theory. This paper presents and discusses two concurrently elaborated approaches. Firstly, some authors have attempted to expand Piaget’s perspectives. Secondly, other authors have instead developed a radically novel theoretical trend that has dominated this area of research (nativism). However, the fact that fetuses can perceive and learn has mitigated nativism, and fetal learning will be discussed accordingly. If learning is engaged so early, it seems that the knowledge of rules does not develop before the age of two to three months. This may obviously be considered as a failure of nativism. In the present period, it seems possible and necessary to come back to a constructivist perspective, emphasizing development in the infant’s everyday social environment. This paper presents this perspective while proposing a system of representation levels that account for capabilities, which are equivalent and present in a same-age group.
Réseaux sociaux