Written by Meghan Sellman
Office Manager
Jumpseat Research
To understand how we learn, we must start at childhood, when we are first introduced to language. Language acquisition is a key aspect of human development, influencing how we think, communicate, and interact with the world. From birth, children are surrounded by sounds, gestures, and interactions that help them make sense of their environment. Early childhood is a time of rapid growth, where the brain is highly adaptable, absorbing new information and laying the foundation for critical thinking, emotional understanding, and social skills. By exploring how children learn language and develop cognitive abilities, we gain valuable insights into the broader process of human learning.
Founding Fathers of Learning
One of the most influential figures in the study of cognitive development is Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist who, in 1936, introduced a groundbreaking theory about how children’s intelligence evolves. Piaget proposed that children are active participants in their learning, acquiring knowledge through their interactions with the environment. His theory outlined several stages of cognitive development, each linked to a specific age range, and laid the foundation for modern child psychology.
Another key figure is Lev Vygotsky, a Russian-Soviet psychologist who, in the late 1920s and early 1930s, emphasized the role of social interactions in cognitive development. Vygotsky argued that children’s learning is profoundly shaped by their social experiences, with these interactions playing a critical role in how they process and retain information throughout their lives. His theory can be broken down into three main steps: input (the acquisition of information), storage (where the information is either committed to short-term or long-term memory), and output (the retrieval of that information when needed).
During this time of discovery, a heated debate emerged over the nature of cognition, particularly in relation to language acquisition. Two major theories—those of Noam Chomsky and B.F. Skinner—stood at the center of this discussion. Skinner argued that language acquisition is learned entirely through conditioning, while Chomsky proposed the theory of the Language Acquisition Device (LAD), suggesting that humans are born with an inherent ability to understand language and that all languages share a universal set of grammatical principles. Over time, Chomsky’s theory gained broader acceptance within the field of linguistics and became more widely adopted.
Areas of the Brain
Neuroscience offers critical insights into how children learn by examining the development of key brain regions. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for higher-order functions like decision-making, attention, and impulse control, is not fully developed until early adulthood, typically around the age of 25. In childhood, this area is still maturing, which is why young learners often struggle with tasks requiring long-term planning or self-regulation. The hippocampus, which plays a central role in memory formation, is active from a very early age and helps children process and store new information. While its ability to consolidate long-term memories strengthens over time, the hippocampus is fully functional in supporting memory by early childhood, around the age of three or four. The occipital lobe, responsible for visual processing, is also active early in life, helping children interpret visual stimuli like shapes, colors, and motion. By the time they reach three or four years old, the occipital lobe is fully engaged in helping them make sense of the world through sight. These regions of the brain collaborate throughout childhood, gradually becoming more efficient and interconnected as the child grows, laying the foundation for more complex cognitive abilities and learning experiences.
Real World Applications of Language and Cognition
Today, the insights from neuroscience and early cognitive development have real-world applications across various fields, including education, health, and marketing.
Education: Understanding how people learn and remember has led to the development of strategies tailored to different types of retention. For instance, when students need to retain information long-term, spaced-out repetition is used to strengthen memory. For short-term retention, techniques like memory dumping—also known as cramming—are often employed. These strategies vary depending on the individual’s needs and the timeframe for retaining information.
Health: In the realm of mental health, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is widely used to treat disorders by helping individuals reframe negative thought patterns with language. CBT is grounded in the principles of cognitive development, encouraging individuals to challenge their thinking and internal dialogue to improve emotional regulation. By focusing on changing thought processes and the words they use, it helps people cope with anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.
Marketing: Businesses also leverage cognitive principles in marketing by using knowledge of cognitive biases and mental shortcuts to craft persuasive messages. For example, marketers may use scarcity or social proof to influence consumer behavior, tapping into unconscious thought processes to drive purchasing decisions. These strategies help create compelling advertisements and promotional materials that resonate with consumers’ automatic reactions.
These applications demonstrate how our growing understanding of learning and cognition is influencing various industries and technologies, making them more effective and adaptive in responding to human needs.
Conclusion
Understanding how we learn involves exploring the complex interplay between cognitive development, brain function, and social interactions. From early language acquisition to the growth of key brain regions, each stage of development plays a crucial role in shaping our ability to think, communicate, and adapt. The theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, and the debates over language acquisition have paved the way for advancements in education, mental health, and marketing. By applying these insights, we can better tailor strategies and technologies to enhance learning and human potential across various fields, fostering a deeper understanding of the learning process itself.