Social Cognition
Unlike other primary learning theories that focus on internal factors to determine learning, Social Cognition posits that it is culture or environment that is the principal determinant in an individual’s learning. In a sense, Social Cognition mirrors constructivism in that constructivism builds on prior knowledge. Social cognition, on the other hand, builds on prior experience, and theorizes that experience influences learning, not prior knowledge. Prior experience is considered an indicator of how a student will not only perform, but also learn.
Teachers everywhere have witnessed similar phenomenon to that of two students reacting quite differently to the same learning situation. For example, two students receive failing grades on a test. This motivates one to work harder to improve the grade, but has the opposite effect on the other student, and that student become disenchanted with the learning process. Social Cognition theory would explain this by pointing out that each child has a different background, or socialization, and that has caused each child to react differently to learning. In an everyday sense, this phenomenon makes sense; a child who was raised in a upper-class, suburban environment may learn quite differently than a child raised in a poor, rural environment. This difference would not be biological; it would be social.
Psychologists have a long tradition of looking at social influence on behavior, but it was not until relatively recently, specifically through the writing of Lev Vygotsky, that social influence began to be looked at in terms of its effect on learning. Vygotsky believed in and wrote about the social development theory of learning. He proposed that social interaction profoundly influences cognitive development. Central to his theory was his belief that biological and cultural development do not occur in isolation. His work dealt mainly with children, and believed that culture teaches children not only what to think, but also how to think.
Central to Vygotsky’s theory was the teacher or mentor. Because social environment is so critical to a child’s cognitive development, the role of teacher must be taken very seriously, and the way in which the teacher interacts with the student is of crucial importance. The teacher is a guide who leads the student through the learning process, not a formal authority who disseminates information in a non-interactive manner.
References
Funderstanding (2002). Vygotsky and social cognition. [WWW document]. Retrieved September 20, 2002 from http://www.funderstanding.com/vygotsky.cfm.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1962). Thought and language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. (Original work published 1934).
National Institute of Mental Health (2002). Chapter 5: social influence and social cognition [WWW document]. Retrieved September 20, 2002 from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/baschap5.cfm