Candace Wilkinson
ECH 320
Professor: Dr. Short
Date: April 24, 2008
Concept Map
“Wisdom was created before all things, and prudent understanding from
eternity.” Ecclesiastics 1:4
Cognitive development is about thought processes; with thought processes comes
wisdom and understanding. The picture that I have made represents the theories and theorists of
cognitive development. The title of my concept map is Theories’ Ark. Noah was the builder of
the great ark, as Piaget was the builder of the grand theory of cognitive development. Piaget’s
staff represents the periods of development and the grasp that Piaget has on cognitive
development. Vygotsky’s theories of sociocultural perspective and zone of proximal
development make the two elephants. The information processing theory by Atkinson and
Shiffrin is represented by the two monkeys. The memory stores are in the ark’s storage. Pavlov,
Watson, Bandura, and Skinner are to be credited with the learning theory and are inside the
Learning Theory Corral. Bandura is represented by a parrot because he came up with the idea
that children learn by association. Parrots learn to speak when they are spoken to. Pavlov
represents the dog because of his classical conditioning theory and experimentation with dogs.
Watson experimented to make a child fear a white rat after being paired with a loud noise. This
was classical conditioning with a fear response; Watson is represented by a large white rat.
Skinner’s theory of Operant Conditioning means learning is based on consequences, the pig
represents Skinner. The Seven Cognitive Truths of Development only comes after the rains have
stopped and the clouds are parting, the truths came about after the theorist hypothesized and
provided their conclusions.