Deferendum and Piaget: Building Consensus and Promoting Cognitive Development Through Collaborative Decision-Making
Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, is known for his groundbreaking theories on cognitive development in children. However, his ideas are not limited to just child psychology. They can also be applied to adult learning, and more specifically, to the process of collaborative decision-making. In this article, we will explore how Deferendum, a collaborative decision-making platform, can help build consensus and promote cognitive development through the lens of Piaget’s theories.
Piaget believed that cognitive development is an active process that occurs through interaction with the environment. According to him, humans construct knowledge through their experiences, and as they grow and develop, their understanding of the world becomes more complex. He also proposed that cognitive development occurs in stages, with each stage building on the previous one.
Deferendum’s platform is designed to facilitate interaction and collaboration between individuals, providing an environment where cognitive development can occur. The app’s preliminary stage, for example, encourages users to present new problems and solutions, and vote on the seriousness of the problems presented by other members. Through this process, individuals are exposed to new ideas and perspectives, which can help expand their understanding of the problem at hand.
In the main scene of Deferendum, the editor publishes a Deferendum question presenting the proposed solution to the problems discovered in the preliminary stage that have been ranked with the highest urgency. This is where Piaget’s theory of consensus building comes into play. According to Piaget, when individuals collaborate, they are able to reach a consensus that is greater than any one person’s individual understanding. This consensus-building process can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the problem, as well as a more effective solution.
In addition to promoting cognitive development and consensus building, Deferendum also promotes democratic decision-making. Piaget believed that democracy and education were inextricably linked, and that education should prepare individuals for active participation in democratic societies. Deferendum’s platform aligns with this principle, providing a structured and democratic platform for groups to make decisions collaboratively.
As Piaget famously said, “The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things.” In the context of Deferendum, this idea can be extended to the process of collaborative decision-making. Through collaboration, individuals are not only able to come up with new solutions but also to actively participate in the creation of those solutions.
In conclusion, Deferendum’s platform aligns with Piaget’s theories on cognitive development, consensus building, and democracy. Through the app’s collaborative decision-making process, individuals can expand their understanding of a problem, build consensus, and actively participate in the creation of solutions. As more and more individuals use Deferendum, we can hope to see a positive impact on both the individuals and the communities they serve.
