The characterization of starting points of development and developmental change is differently addressed by different philosophical theories. According to Newcombe (2011), one such characterization is provided by nativism, which had become the dominant framework of thought about the origins of knowledge by the 1980s. Nativism states that starting points of development are those that cover all the basic knowledge needed to understand the world. Moreover, in accordance with the philosophy of nativism, the mind is organized into modules that are present from the start, are neurally specialized, and are not accepting of information from one another. Nativists argue that evolution could not have worked to design human intelligence without this modular organization, as there must have been something for evolution to select or eliminate. Developmental change, as per nativism, is caused by simple triggers leading children to choose parameters or fill slots with content. Later, nativists added to that the hypothesis that change happens when human language overcomes the gap between the modules of basic knowledge or when other basic knowledge elements are combined.
Neoconstructivism is an umbrella term that covers newer and more developed approaches to cognitive development. Newcombe (2011) notes that it appeared in the 1990s and considers the postulates of nativism in a new light, being somewhat an alternative to it. Neoconstructivism has expanded on nativism’s concept of starting points of development by stating that evolution, indeed, has had its hand in the building of knowledge. It must have selected neural abilities that automatically learn from their expected contribution what needs to be learned, and there is not necessarily some specific content inherently present in the mind. In terms of developmental change, neoconstructivism agrees that it occurs due to simple triggers caused by action. However, it is not only because action creates an opportunity for experimentation but because it also enables situations that provide more information than observation. In addition to that, developmental change is closely related to learning, although they are not the same concepts. Development is learning in the process of a learner changing, for instance, them acquiring a shape bias or recognizing that words are reliable reference points for categories.
Reference
Newcombe, N. S. (2011). What is neoconstructivism?Child Development Perspectives, 5(3), 157-160. Web.