Vygotsky

Question 1

what is the main difference between Piaget and Vygotsky’s theories?

Answer 1

Piaget emphasized interactions with physical objects, while Vygotsky emphasized social and cultural factors

Question 2

what are the 2 types of mental functions Vygotsky distinguishes?

Answer 2

Elementary - innate functions like reflexes and sense perception
Higher - complex functions like language, reasoning etc

Question 3

what is meant by the cultural level?

Answer 3

when children benefit from the knowledge of previous generations (technological, psychological and values)

Question 4

what is the interpersonal level?

Answer 4

when culture and individuals meet, firstly on a social level through interactions (interpsychological) and then on an individual level with a child (intrapsychological)

Question 5

what’s the ZPD?

Answer 5

the zone of proximate development, the distance between what you know and what you could potentially know

Question 6

what phrase did Vygotsky use that counters Piaget’s ‘child as a scientist’?

Answer 6

child as an apprentice

Question 7

what is scaffolding? what are the 5 stages?

Answer 7

cognitive development being assisted with sensitive guidance.
1-ensuring a task is easy
2-gaining and maintaining a child’s interest
3-demonstrating a task
4-keeping frustration under control
5-stressing the elements that will help create a solution

Question 8

what is the timeline for language development?

Answer 8

1-(external) social speech (0-3y)
pre intellectual language used for social and emotional purposes
2-(external) self-speech/ egocentric speech (3-7y)
child thinks out loud
3-(internal) inner speech (7+)
self talk becomes internal, language is used for communication

Question 9

what are Vygotsky’s 4 stages of development?

Answer 9

1-vague syncretic (trial and error formation of concepts without comprehension)
2-complex (some use of strategies, but not really systematic)
3-potential concept (more systematic use of strategies, only one attribute is focused on at a time)
4-mature concept (several attributes used systematically)

Question 10

AO3 strengths of Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development

Answer 10

supporting evidence -
-wood + middleton 1975
-freund 1990
-berk 1994
-wertsch et al 1980
culture-fair
can be combined with Piaget
can explain the influence of the social environment
stimulated more research
has practical applications

Question 11

AO3 weaknesses of Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development

Answer 11

less research since it focuses on the processes rather than the outcomes
it ignores emotional factors such as joy or frustration that motivate learning (Schaffer)
was developed in a collectivist culture so is suited to such
overemphasizes the role of social factors at the expense of biological and individual ones