Cognitive Ability: 100% Innate or Learned? - Free Essay Example

Introduction

The question of 100% innateness of cognitive ability can be traced to aspects of cognitive architecture. Generally, cognitive architecture is perceived as theories that define the innate capabilities of the human cognitive system. In most events, the knowledge that is not regarded as innate is mostly stored in the architectural memory system. The encoding can occur based on the trigger of a modeler or learned by the architecture in person. Divergent opinions suggest that part of human intelligence behavior may, however, be innate, thereby refuting the probability of 100% innateness. Cognitive development gets defined from both the aspect of psychology and neuroscience. It entails the development of a child based on how the child conceptualizes and comprehends language, conceptual resources, and perceptual skills, to mention but a few.

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The leading idea of cognitive abilities being 100% innate is often associated with the genes. Still, genes only play a critical role in the production of every trait that an individual portrays. As such, the issue of innateness can only get addressed and distinguished when there is the inclusion of hereditary and must take into account the scientific sense. The leading argument that hereditary also measures the extent to which a characteristic is innate is an equally vulgar fallacy. The paper is, therefore, concerned with the discussion of whether any cognitive ability is 100% innate. The achievement of the analysis will particularly explore primary research evidence and reflect of an entire discussion. The reflection will cover critical events, feelings, evaluations, and how the event link to my future ambition and the chosen pathway.

Brief Discussion on Innateness of Cognitive Capabilities and Hereditary

Innateness can get viewed from three dimensions. The dimensions include those of universality, adaptation, and canalization. Universality opines that all species share the 100% acquisition of capabilities, be it humans or other creatures who are involved in the genome analysis. On the part of adaptation, the focus is pegged on how species learn to survive by becoming used to the conditions and the environment which they exist. Canalization, on its part, looks at the entire collection and interaction of genes in producing a phenotype (Stanovich & West, 1998). The dimensions may, however, not directly answer the question of whether cognitive abilities (whichever kind) can be 100% innate, considering how innateness is equally tied to other issues like hereditary to make a case.

Cognitive ability is closely interlinked to the development of human intelligence. Jean Piaget came up with a theory on cognitive development, which deals with the development and nature of human intelligence. Besides, the theory deals with the way humans come to acquire knowledge, construct, and use it. Piaget was intrigued by the fact that children of different ages made different mistakes when solving problems. More so, children are not more of little adults who know less because they think and act differently when compared to adults (Huitt & Hummel, 2003). Therefore, based on Piaget's thinking that kids had different cognitive abilities, he came up with several stages of development, which clearly show that cognitive ability is not innate. Piaget grouped four stages of development into ages, and in each stage, he described how children developed their cognitive skills. For instance, Piaget argued that children experienced the world through actions, thinking logically, using reasoning, and representing things with words. As such, cognitive development was a reorganization of mental processes, mainly resulting from environmental experience and biological maturation.

Analysis of Primary Evidence

The primary evidence herein presents the opinion of different researchers with the view of the 100% innateness of cognitive capabilities. The works are original and from their perspective, as such, not quoted from any secondary source or evidence. Those that may have citations only act as proof that the researchers rad through other works in ensuring that they build a concise, accurate, and convincing argument; however, the originality hold.

There are researchers who associate cognitive abilities with innateness and heritability. This fact goes along with the popular discussion of whether behavioral and psychosocial traits are heritable. However, the reality is that heritability scores for behavioral traits are in the range of 49%, and they are reported for mental disorders of schizophrenia. Therefore, even in the case of cognitive ability, the scores that cognitive ability cannot hold. This assumption is true because even in a population of genetically identical individuals, the chances of heritability are zero. However, it seems odd that the IQ levels of individuals would change from innate to acquire if the population of normal humans is mixed with other clones. Furthermore, the genetic difference in a trait can be influenced by the environment. Thus, change of environment can eliminate the difference caused by a gene, which means that a lot of factors influence the cognitive ability and it is not 100% innate. Additionally, cognitive ability is measured based on attention, long term memory, short term memory, logic reasoning, visual processing, auditory processing, and processing speed. These skills of cognitive ability can be explained through the information processing model. This model asserts that short term memory, long term memory, and attention develop in the ages of 2-5 years. Besides, auditory processing, which is effective for reading skills, develops in the age bracket of 5-7 years.

Logic reasoning becomes established after 5 years of age because children start to connect ideas. It is also worth noting that the strengths of the kids vary since some children have exceptional memories, while others have better logical reasoning (Girault et al., 2019). The same case applies to weaknesses since there are a lot of individuals who struggle with attention and memory. These strengths and weaknesses have a lot of impacts on whether one will be successful, or one will struggle when it comes to learning and thinking, but there is a solution for someone who struggles. The weak skills can be turned into strengths through cognitive brain training. Brain training involves the use of challenging mental exercises and fun to improve cognitive skills, which act as proof that cognitive ability is not innate since it can be influenced by brain training, challenges faced, as well as the environmental surroundings.

Taatgen (2017) asserts that only a few behaviors are innate. This statement on its means that cognitive ability is not 100 % innate. Taatgen introduces the concept of cognitive architectures, which are considered as theories of innate capabilities of the human cognitive system. Any knowledge that is not part of the innate system is either encoded in the architectural memory systems or learned through the architecture itself. For example, the case of human babies who are born helpless The Dissenter (2018). However, due to developmental psychology, new babies develop cognitive abilities at different stages in life.

Therefore, it is true that cognitive ability is not 100% innate, experiences of humans influence it. The primary sources reveal that people or any creature may only be born with cognitive abilities, which qualifies the innateness. Still, they have to be developed over time as such disqualifying the 100% argument. The environment under which a child, for example, is born, may boost his cognitive abilities. Other issues like brain training, as noted herein, also becomes primary in ensuring that talents are nurtured and constant training administered for the involved to be at the peak of their best.

A case to support the analysis is a child who is regarded as intelligent. In most cases, the child is expected to grow and take up challenging careers that require a high level of intelligence. For example, medicine, engineering, or those that are IT related, to mention but a few. The child must first be taken to school so that the ability is nurtured, and that is where the 100% innateness is refuted. Some people also start as weak students in school, but through proper coaching, they become the best in their areas of specialization, similarly refuting the 100% innateness.

Reflective Part (Feelings and Evaluation, and the Impact to Future Career Choice)

100% innateness of cognitive abilities acquisition is quite a challenging topic and an interesting area of psychology. The need for primary sources is equally engaging because a considerable time has to be taken on the analysis of sources for surety of primary evidence that supports the issue of the discussion. I agree with the analysis provided and the evidence given that there is no cognitive ability that is 100% innate. However, people are born with certain talents and abilities which must be natured over time. As such, my critical event pertains to a child who is regarded as intelligent and one who is coached to become the best in their area of specialization. The event is linked to my future career choice because it proves that every ability can be nurtured, and through proper coaching, one can become the best of the best.

Conclusion

In summary, it is explicit that no cognitive capability is 100% innate. A child, for example, is born helpless and must be nurtured through different stages of life. A person may also appear weak in education, but through proper coaching, they become the best in their areas of specialization, as noted herein. As such, cognitive abilities are impacted by different things like the environment and experiences of life and brain coaching that is acquired through different life stages, to mention but a few.

References

Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development. Educational Psychology Interactive, 3(2), 1-5. https://intranet.newriver.edu/images/stories/library/stennett_psychology_articles/Piagets%20Theory%20of%20Cognitive%20Development.pdf

Girault, J. B., Cornea, E., Goldman, B. D., Knickmeyer, R. C., Styner, M., & Gilmore, J. H. (2019). White Matter Microstructural Development and Cognitive Ability in the First 2 Years of Life. Human Brain Mapping, 40(4), 1195-1210. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hbm.24439

Stanovich, K., & West, R. F. (1998). Cognitive Ability and Variation in Selection Task Performance. Thinking & Reasoning, 4(3), 193-230. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Keith_Stanovich/publication/228580834_Cognitive_Ability_and_Variation_in_Selection_Task_Performance/links/0deec5268138eeb619000000.pdf

Taatgen, N. A. (2017). Cognitive Architectures: Innate or Learned? In the 2017 AAAI Fall Symposium Series. https://www.aaai.org/ocs/index.php/FSS/FSS17/paper/download/15950/15361

The Dissenter, (2018). 69 Peter Carruthers: Innate Human Cognition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf-Z_RRbh2Q