Nowadays the idea that knowing or learning something consists of a process in which we receive information from the outside, process it and finally interpret it in such a way that we end up having knowledge of the element in question may seem logical and commonplace.

This idea indicates that the individual who knows participates in the process of knowing, shaping and interpreting reality in a direct way. However, this consideration has not always existed, there being multiple theories and ways of conceptualizing reality that link the fact of knowing with the exact transfer of objective reality to our consciousness, the person being a passive element between reality and cognition, or that although there is an intermediate step this is an indecipherable element.

The theories that assert that knowledge and learning are mediated by a series of internal cognitive processes, manipulating the symbolic elements that we perceive in order to give a meaning to reality are the so-called cognitive theories , one of the first being the cognitive theory of Jerome Bruner .

Bruner’s cognitive theory: active subject and categorization theory

For Jerome Bruner and for the rest of the cognitive theories, one of the main elements when it comes to knowledge is the active participation of the learning subject. That is to say, it is not that the individual takes the information from the outside just like that, but that in order to transform it into knowledge it must be processed , worked on and given meaning by the subject.

According to Bruner’s cognitive theory, in the process of knowing and learning the human being tries to categorize the events and elements of reality into equivalent sets of items. Thus, we experience the experiences and the perceived reality creating concepts from the discrimination of the different stimuli.

In this process, called categorization, the information received from the outside is actively worked on, being coded and classified with a series of labels or categories in order to make it possible to understand reality. This categorization allows the formation of concepts and the ability to make predictions and decisions. It is an explanatory model highly influenced by computer science , which was based on the operation of computers at the time.

From Bruner’s cognitive perspective , from categorization we are able to generate knowledge . These categorizations will not always remain stable and closed, but will vary from life experience, modifying and expanding. When facing a reality that needs to be categorized, the individual can establish two types of processes, Concept Formation or the one known as Concept Attainment.

Concept Formation

This process is typical of the early stages of development. The subject proceeds to learn a concept or category, generating for him/herself the information to be classified in the category he/she created. Common patterns are recognized in various units of information and are unified in certain concepts.

Concept Attainment

The second type of process that can be performed is the identification of properties that allow the recording of the stimulus in an existing category, created by others. The subject infers the main attributes of the category that has been formed , comparing and contrasting examples that contain the main attributes of the category with other elements that do not have them. In other words, this process allows the creation of inclusion and exclusion criteria within a category.

Modes of representation of reality according to Bruner’s cognitive theory

Based on what has been commented so far, it is deductible that for Bruner learning is active , having the individual a cognitive structure based on the association with previous knowledge that allows him to build knowledge and make inferences.

The representation of reality through cognition can be acquired in three ways or modes, used at different evolutionary stages of development due to the need for sufficient cognitive resources as they become more complicated. These modes of representation are not mutually exclusive, and several can be applied at the same time to facilitate learning.

Active representation

In this mode, knowledge is acquired through action and direct interaction with the element to be known . This mode for representing reality is typical of the initial stages of development, that is, in the first years of life. It is the type of representation obtained with procedural learning, such as learning to ride a car or bicycle, or to use cutlery to eat.

Iconic representation

It is known through the iconic mode when recognizable and unsymbolic visual elements are used , such as a photograph or drawing. It is from the age of three onwards that most children are able to use this type of representation, due to their higher level of development.

Symbolic representation

Knowing in a symbolic way implies that information is obtained through symbols, such as words, concepts, abstractions and written language. The level of intellectual development necessary for this type of representation is much higher than the previous ones , as it requires having the capacity for abstraction and recognition of symbols and their meaning. It is considered that this type of representation has emerged around the age of six in most children.

Applications of cognitive theory in education

Learning is the means by which human beings and other organisms acquire information and knowledge of the environment. For this reason , Bruner’s cognitive theory has served and in fact has largely focused on promoting the processes of learning and development from childhood, although its perspective becomes constructivist.

For Bruner, education consists of the inculcation of skills and knowledge through the representation of what is already known and what is intended to be known, seeking to enable the individual to generalize knowledge while taking into account the particularities of each knowledge.

The concept of scaffolding

Another of the fundamental concepts in Bruner’s theory, in this case from a constructivist conception, is the concept of scaffolding. For Bruner, the learning or process by which we obtain knowledge has to be facilitated by the provision of external aids . The individual is not the only source of learning, but from outside, facilities can be created so that these “fit” in with the other person’s level of learning and, thus, improve the quality and speed of education.

These aids have to be granted in a graduated manner, providing a great level of help at the beginning or in the presence of great difficulties so that over time and with the progressive mastery by the apprentice, these are withdrawn, giving the individual more and more autonomy.

The metaphor of a scaffold used to construct a building is evident, referring to this process of adaptation and transience of the aids as scaffolding.

Importance of values, needs and expectations

Knowledge and even perception of phenomena have been shown to be largely dependent on needs , beliefs and expectations. Seeing how the results do not fit with too high expectations can stop learning due to frustration, while too low expectations can hinder it and prevent potential progress.

An example of the importance of expectations is visible in some experiments, in which for example subjects with little economic level are able to perceive coins as bigger due to the higher value they give them.

Giving meaning: working with what is already known

It is also essential to know that the new knowledge is based on the old, on what the person already knows, in order to be able to build and modify the new information based on it.

This allows the subject to give a meaning to the new information , being able to know not only a decontextualized information but also other cognitions that he can use in his daily life.

In Search of Learning by Discovery

As stipulated in his cognitive theory, for Bruner the subject is an active entity in the learning and knowledge process , which is not limited to recording information from the outside but has to operate with it in order to convert it into knowledge. In this sense, he considers that traditional learning in schools has been based too much on a process of acquiring decontextualized information.

In opposition to this, it proposes a learning by discovery, in which the subject learns and is stimulated to know through curiosity, motivation and self-learning, being the teacher a guide for this.

Bibliographic references:

  • Bruner, J. S. (Ed.). (1980). Research on cognitive development. Madrid: Pablo del Río.
  • Bruner, J. S. (1981). Mental reality and possible worlds. Madrid: Gedisa.
  • Bruner, J. S., Goodnaw, J. J. and Austin, G. A. (1978). The mental process in learning. Madrid: Nancea.
  • Guilar, M.E. (2009). Bruner’s ideas: from the cognitive revolution to the cultural revolution. Educere, 13; 44, 235-241. University of the Andes, Venezuela.
  • Mendez, Z. (2003). Learning and Cognition. San José, Costa Rica. Editorial: EUNED, sixth reprint.