Vygotsky's Theory of Cognitive Development (Week 1; Lecture 2)

Cultural Influence on Cognitive Development

basic mental functions (attention, memory) → higher functions through culture (provide tools of adaptation):-

• language

• symbols

• strategies - remembering, problem-solving

More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)

person who provides guidance/support in learning/collaboration e.g. parent, teacher, peer. through collaboration, children internalise shared knowledge.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

the range of tasks child cannot do alone, but can with support. support provided by MKO. as skills develop, support gradually withdrawn.

Learning Through ZPD

social guidance:-

• scaffolding - temporary support at child’s level. support reduces as competence increases.

• guided participation - learning through shared activities e.g. cooking.

Thinking and Speech

early → thought and speech separate.

over time → speech = tool for thinking, self-regulation.

private speech = self-directed, guides behaviour. gradually becomes inner speech.

social speech → private speech → inner speech.

Social Speech (2+)

language used for external communication to interact with others e.g. asking for a toy.

Private Speech (3+)

transition between social and inner speech. directed to self, often spoken aloud. intellectual purpose = help child guide own thinking and actions.

Berk (1986) - empirical support finding private speech exhibited by children describes/guides child’s actions.

Inner Speech (7+)

private speech becomes internal and silent. transforms into inner monologue. used for planning, reasoning, abstract thinking.

Play

pretend play supports symbolic thinking.

helps develop self-regulation e.g. following rules, controlling behaviour/emotions.

help children practice social roles and norms.

Strengths

• importance of social interaction in learning

• explains how learning can guide development

• emphasises role of language in thinking

• supported by cross-cultural research:

  • Freund (1990) - evidence for ZPD - doll’s house; children in ZPD condition show greater improvement.

  • Brown & Palincsar (1989) - reciprocal teaching methods show significant gains to teaching reading strategies over instructional strategies.

Limitations

• lacks detail/precision

• Vygotsky died young/theory not fully developed

• less emphasis on independent discovery

• ZPD difficult to measure