vygotsky's theory of cognitive development Flashcards
what was Vygotsky’s view on cognitive development?
he believed that it was a social process of learning from more experienced others (‘experts’)
what did vygotsky view as having an important part in cognitive development?
language, which is a crucial cognitive skill that develops at a time and rate compared to other cognitive skills. CONTRAST to piaget who said that language developed at the same time as all other cognitive skills.
what is intermental knowledge?
this is the first stage of knowledge, where the knowledge is between the minds of the expert and non expert individual.
what is intramental knowledge?
this is where the knowledge is in the mind of the non expert individual.
what could cause the cultural differences in cognitive abilities?
it is thought that children acquire the reasoning abilities of the more experienced individuals that they are exposed to in their life. this means that there may be cultural differences in cognitive development, as children pick up mental tools that are the most important for life within their particular physical, social and work environment.
what is the zone of proximal development (ZPD)?
The gap between a child’s current level of development (defined by the cognitive tasks they can perform unaided), and what they can potentially do with the right help from a more expert person (could be an adult or a more ‘expert’ child.
