Developmental Semester 1 Week 3: Vygotsky Flashcards
Who was Vygotsky influenced by during his lifetime?
Karl Marx
Vygotsky lived during the Russian revolution and was influenced by Marxist ideas.
What did Vygotsky and Piaget agree upon regarding children?
Children are active learners and interaction with the world is important for them
Both are considered constructivists.
What is the main difference between Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s beliefs about learning?
Piaget believed children learn best by discovering things themselves, while Vygotsky emphasized the need for assistance.
What is Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory about thinking?
How we think is a function of the social and cultural world we grow up in.
What role does instruction play in Vygotsky’s theory?
Instruction is at the heart of learning; development occurs when guided by an adult.
What is inner speech according to Vygotsky?
Inner speech plays a crucial role in cognitive development.
How does socioculture impact a child’s development?
It influences social interactions, language, and cognitive development.
In what way does play reflect sociocultural influences?
Socioculture determines the type of practical activities children engage in and learn from.
What did Morelli et al. (2003) find about children’s play in different communities?
Children from Efe and San Pedro communities imitated adult work in play more than children from USA communities.
How does socioculture affect problem-solving skills?
It influences familiarity with thinking and reasoning about certain problems.
What was noted about the Kpelle people’s problem-solving skills in comparison to USA participants?
Kpelle people are better at estimating quantities of rice but not at estimating length.
How does socioculture influence language?
It determines the languages we speak and can lead to differences in cognition.
What example illustrates the influence of language on cognition?
Individuals in the Amazonian culture can solve problems with numbers <5, but struggle with >5 due to lack of vocabulary.
What is the relationship between developing motor skills and other areas of development?
Developing motor skills impacts perception, exploration, and communication.
What cultural differences were observed in motor skills development?
Infants in the Kokwet community sat and walked earlier than Western infants due to being carried differently.
What was found about children’s performance on the marshmallow test?
It predicted academic and cognitive outcomes years later.
What influences a child’s ability to delay gratification?
Socioeconomic status and culture play important roles.
How did children from a rural Cameroonian community perform on the marshmallow task compared to German children?
Cameroonian children performed better and displayed more patience.
What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?
The increase in development a child can reach with assistance from a more competent person.
What is scaffolding in the context of learning?
A framework provided by more competent individuals to support a child’s learning.
What are some techniques involved in scaffolding according to Wood et al. (1976)?
- Recruitment
- Reduction of degrees of freedom
- Direction maintenance
- Marking critical features
- Demonstration
What evidence supports the effectiveness of scaffolding?
Supportive learning environments lead to more private speech and better outcomes.
How does parental scaffolding impact preschoolers’ academic attainment?
It predicts better academic performance by supporting high-level cognitive skills.
What characterizes a ‘Vygotskian’ classroom?
Activities structured with helpful hints tailored to the child’s abilities.
Why does collaborative learning enhance motivation and learning?
Children explain ideas, resolve conflicts, and increase self-speech.
What type of collaboration is necessary for effective peer learning?
Peers must be competent and modify behavior for less skilled peers.
