Developmental Semester 1 Week 3: Vygotsky

Question 1

Who was Vygotsky influenced by during his lifetime?

Answer 1

Karl Marx

Vygotsky lived during the Russian revolution and was influenced by Marxist ideas.

Question 2

What did Vygotsky and Piaget agree upon regarding children?

Answer 2

Children are active learners and interaction with the world is important for them

Both are considered constructivists.

Question 3

What is the main difference between Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s beliefs about learning?

Answer 3

Piaget believed children learn best by discovering things themselves, while Vygotsky emphasized the need for assistance.

Question 4

What is Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory about thinking?

Answer 4

How we think is a function of the social and cultural world we grow up in.

Question 5

What role does instruction play in Vygotsky’s theory?

Answer 5

Instruction is at the heart of learning; development occurs when guided by an adult.

Question 6

What is inner speech according to Vygotsky?

Answer 6

Inner speech plays a crucial role in cognitive development.

Question 7

How does socioculture impact a child’s development?

Answer 7

It influences social interactions, language, and cognitive development.

Question 8

In what way does play reflect sociocultural influences?

Answer 8

Socioculture determines the type of practical activities children engage in and learn from.

Question 9

What did Morelli et al. (2003) find about children’s play in different communities?

Answer 9

Children from Efe and San Pedro communities imitated adult work in play more than children from USA communities.

Question 10

How does socioculture affect problem-solving skills?

Answer 10

It influences familiarity with thinking and reasoning about certain problems.

Question 11

What was noted about the Kpelle people’s problem-solving skills in comparison to USA participants?

Answer 11

Kpelle people are better at estimating quantities of rice but not at estimating length.

Question 12

How does socioculture influence language?

Answer 12

It determines the languages we speak and can lead to differences in cognition.

Question 13

What example illustrates the influence of language on cognition?

Answer 13

Individuals in the Amazonian culture can solve problems with numbers <5, but struggle with >5 due to lack of vocabulary.

Question 14

What is the relationship between developing motor skills and other areas of development?

Answer 14

Developing motor skills impacts perception, exploration, and communication.

Question 15

What cultural differences were observed in motor skills development?

Answer 15

Infants in the Kokwet community sat and walked earlier than Western infants due to being carried differently.

Question 16

What was found about children’s performance on the marshmallow test?

Answer 16

It predicted academic and cognitive outcomes years later.

Question 17

What influences a child’s ability to delay gratification?

Answer 17

Socioeconomic status and culture play important roles.

Question 18

How did children from a rural Cameroonian community perform on the marshmallow task compared to German children?

Answer 18

Cameroonian children performed better and displayed more patience.

Question 19

What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?

Answer 19

The increase in development a child can reach with assistance from a more competent person.

Question 20

What is scaffolding in the context of learning?

Answer 20

A framework provided by more competent individuals to support a child’s learning.

Question 21

What are some techniques involved in scaffolding according to Wood et al. (1976)?

Answer 21

• Recruitment
• Reduction of degrees of freedom
• Direction maintenance
• Marking critical features
• Demonstration

Question 22

What evidence supports the effectiveness of scaffolding?

Answer 22

Supportive learning environments lead to more private speech and better outcomes.

Question 23

How does parental scaffolding impact preschoolers’ academic attainment?

Answer 23

It predicts better academic performance by supporting high-level cognitive skills.

Question 24

What characterizes a ‘Vygotskian’ classroom?

Answer 24

Activities structured with helpful hints tailored to the child’s abilities.

Question 25

Why does collaborative learning enhance motivation and learning?

Answer 25

Children explain ideas, resolve conflicts, and increase self-speech.

Question 26

What type of collaboration is necessary for effective peer learning?

Answer 26

Peers must be competent and modify behavior for less skilled peers.