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In Search of a Metatheory for Cognitive Development (or, Piaget Is Dead and I Don't Feel So Good Myself)
Author(s) -
Bjorklund David F.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1997.tb01932.x
Subject(s) - metatheory , cognitive development , psychology , cognition , constructivism (international relations) , perspective (graphical) , piaget's theory of cognitive development , cognitive science , set (abstract data type) , epistemology , cognitive psychology , computer science , philosophy , international relations , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , politics , political science , law , programming language
With the waning of influence of Piaget's theory and the shortcomings of information‐processing perspectives of cognitive growth, cognitive developmentalists lack a common set of broad, overarching principles and assumptions—a metatheory—to guide their research. Development biology is suggested as metatheory for cognitive development. Although it is important for developmentalists to understand proximal biological causes (e.g., brain development), most important for such a metatheory is an evolutionary perspective. Some basic principles of evolutionary psychology are introduced, and examples of contemporary research and theory consistent with these ideas are provided.