Vygotsky’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Voluntary Attention

When we deliberately focus attention on something, even though it may not be intrinsically attractive

Semantic Memory

Memory of meaningful material, such as your memory of the role of biological maturation in Piaget’s Theory

Conceptual Thinking

When you understand how factual material is related in underlying concepts and how concepts themselves are interconnected

Zone of Proximal Development

1. Zone of actual development

2. Zone of proximal development

3. Out-of-reach zone

Zone of actual development

What the child can do by themselves

Zone of proximal development

What the child can do with the help of an adult

Out-of-reach zone

What the child cannot do even with a helping adult

Leontyev Study

Aim: to investigate how higher-order cognitive functions are developed through the use of cultural tools

Procedure: participants of different ages were required to memorize a list of 15 simple words read out by the experimenter. There were two conditions: 1. Participants were given 30 cards with pictures they could use as a tool to help memorize words. The other condition had no cards and just had to hear the words and memorize them. 

Results: in preschool, memory wasn’t aided by the cards and performance was poor. In adults, performance was good.