Psych review chapter 5 - Vygotsky

What is Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development?

He sustains that child actively construct their knowledge and that their mental functions have “social origins” that develop through interaction with “the other.”

He claims that cognitive development is a result of the interaction between the child and their social environment (the role of the more competent other is obligatory)

What does “interaction” mean, according to Vygotsky?

interaction is the relationship between the child and others that are more competent. The concept of “the other” transmits cultural and historical instruments necessary for cognitive growth/intellectual activity.

What are the biological and cultural matrices?

Biological matrix: the individual (child) that comes with inferior psychological functions: perception, spontaneous attention, primary emotions, memory

Cultural matrix: the environment (the competent other) that fosters superior psychological functions: complex thought, reasoning, voluntary attention, calculation. These are heavily influenced/ mediated by cultural and historical context in which one grows up.

What is the zone of proximal development?

This shows the difference in actual development and potential development. The three layers include:

• what the child can do on their own

• what the child can do with help

• what the child cannot do even with help

What is scaffolding according to Vygotsky?

the process of scaffolding is a method of instruction where the instructor inserts themself into the second layer of the zone of proximal development, providing support in order to facilitate the learning and development of new skills.

Assistance is modulated according to the child and the task.

what are the steps in the scaffolding method?

• dialogue- arousing interest in a topic/task

• division of the task into smaller parts

• providing concrete examples

• encouragement, praise and reinforcement

• implementation of tools

Tasks may vary in order and some may be removed depending on the task

What is Vygotsky’s development of thought and language?

Language is a critical tool for understanding culture and behavior.

Language is developed through social interaction in three steps:

0) speech independent of thought - vocalizations without meaning

1) social speech - learning words and communication through interaction and observation of the caregiver.

2) egocentric speech - overt language used by the child to narrate their action and verbalize their thoughts

3) inner speech - internalized language used for thinking, planning, and regulation

What are the educational implications of Vygotsky’s theory?

1) implement the use of an individual’s zone of proximal development. Instruction should begin at the highest threshold of ZPD

2) implement the use of instructors who are more competent in a task

3) encourage the use of language/speech by students (first egocentric and then inner)

4) abandon abstract materials in favor of tasks that are meaningful in the sociocultural context

5) transform the classroom in a setting that facilitates scaffolding processes