Vygotsky's Theory of Cognitive Development

Question 1

Why is Vygotsky’s theory also known as the social-interactionist theory?

Answer 1

This is because the theory argues that the culture someone is raised in and the variety of social experiences they go through facilitates cogdev. The child internalises any understanding provided by “experts” around them e.g family and teachers. This understanding facilitates cogdev.

Question 2

Role of culture and language:

Answer 2

Social interaction with people from our culture allows us to see their problem solving skills and then internalise it. These skills include language and how to reason. Such skills help us better understand the world and therefore shapes cogdev, based on the nature of these skills

Question 3

Language that we learn allows us to

Answer 3

shift from only being able to do basic mental functions to being able to execute higher mental functions. At first, language allows for external monologue (child speaking outloud all their thoughts), eventually this leads to internalised thought. Therefore, culture and language facilitate cogdev.

Question 4

Zone of proximal development

Answer 4

• Vygotsky argues that learning takes place between what a child currently understands by themselves and what a child can understand with an expert’s help.
• This gap in understanding is known as the ZPD. This gap is crossed via expert assistance and scaffolding, helping the child achieve a higher level of understanding (cogdev).
• Vygotsky argues that higher mental functions (e.g. formal reasoning) can only be acquired through interacting with experts.

Question 5

Scaffolding

Answer 5

• Refers to any support framework an expert provides to a child to enable them to cross the ZPD.
• Vygotsky argues that scaffolding allows a child to learn, but it should then be gradually withdrawn to help child perform independently and facilitate cogdev.

Question 6

Five aspects of scaffolding that help a child to understand expert knowledge (Bruner, Wood and Ross)

Answer 6

1. Get a child to focus on the task to start solving it
2. Engage and retain a child’s attention on the task
3. Encourage the child to maintain effort and focus
4. Highlight the most critical features of the task clearly for the child
5. Demonstrate for the child how to perform the task

Question 7

Strength of Vygotsky’s theory: supporting evidence for the role of culture

Answer 7

Gredler stated that culture does have an effect on cognitive development. Gredler found that people in Papua New Guinea had a primitive counting system where people could only count up to 29. The participants had real difficulties adding large numbers beyond 29 showing how culture can restrict cogdev. SB: shows that Vygtosky is correct in asserting that culture heavily influences the level of cogdev people experience. Increase validity of Vygtosky’s theory.

Question 8

Strength of Vygotsky’s theory is that concepts like ‘scaffolding’ and the role of experts within learning have had practical applications in education.

Answer 8

For example, teachers can implement peer tutoring programs such as “reading buddies” which will enable cogdev. RB involves pairing an older student (expert) with a younger student to help coach them in reading and literacy skills through scaffolding. Furthermore, Van Keer et al found that 7-year-olds who were tutored by 10-year-olds progressed further in reading than those taught in a standard class setting. SB: shows that the theory is not purely theoretical, but can improve the lives of students helping them better access cogdev. Theory increases in validity and utility.

Question 9

Strength of Vygotsky’s theory= supporting evidence for the role of experts and scaffolding in facilitating cogdev.

Answer 9

Roazzi and Bryant had 4-5 year old child estimate the number of sweets in a box. Children worked alone in one condition and in another condition, they worked with the help of an older child. Most children failed to give a good estimate when working alone. However, most 4-5 year olds were successful at the task when receiving help from the older child (expert) as the older child would provide prompts and point them in the right direction to make an accurate estimate. SB: shows that Vygotsky is correct in asserting that experts in our social environment and the scaffolding they facilitate/enable helps individuals develop cognitively through gaining reasoning skills. increase validity of V’s theoru

Question 10

A weakness of V’s explanation: Can be considered an incomplete explanation of cogdev.

Answer 10

Vygotsky is overly focused on the role of others in facilitating cogdev, and therefore ignores the role of internal mental processes like assimilation. For example, V simply argues that cognitive skills like reasoning are gained by internalising the understanding of others. But he doesnt explain the actual mechanism through which info is internalised. Whereas Piaget claims that cogdev occurs via processes like assimilation/accomodation. As v doesnt account for this mechanism, his theory is incomplete. Therefore, theory decreases in validity.