Lev Vygotsky was a seminal Russian psychologist best known for his sociocultural theory. He believed that social interaction plays a critical role in children's learning—a continuous process that is profoundly influenced by culture. Imitation, guided learning, and collaborative learning feature prominently in his theory. Show
Lev Vygotsky's Early LifeLev Vygotsky was born November 17, 1896, in Orsha, a city in the western Russian Empire. In 1917, he earned a law degree at Moscow State University, where he studied a range of topics including sociology, linguistics, psychology, and philosophy. His formal work in psychology began in 1924 at Moscow's Institute of Psychology. He completed a dissertation in 1925 on the psychology of art but was awarded his degree in absentia due to an acute tuberculosis relapse that left him incapacitated for a year. Following his illness, Vygotsky began researching topics such as language, attention, and memory with the help of his students. Among these were Alexei Leontiev, the developmental psychologist and philosopher who developed activity theory, and neuropsychologist Alexander Luria, the author of "Higher Cortical Functions in Man." Lev Vygotsky's TheoriesVygotsky was a prolific writer, publishing six books on psychology in 10 years. His interests were diverse, but often centered on child development, education, the psychology of art, and language development. He developed several important theories about the way children learn and grow within culture and society. The Zone of Proximal DevelopmentOne of Vygotsky's well-known concepts was the zone of proximal development. He defined it as "[The] distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem-solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers." In other words, the zone is the gap between what a child knows and what they do not. Acquiring the missing information requires skills that a child does not yet possess or cannot use independently, but can with the help of a "more knowledgeable other." The More Knowledgeable OtherVygotsky's "more knowledgeable other" is a person who has greater knowledge and skills than the learner. Often, this is an adult such as a parent or teacher who provides educational opportunities, such as guided instruction, within a child's zone of proximal development. Vygotsky noticed that children also learn a great deal from peer interactions. In fact, children often pay more attention to what friends and classmates know and are doing than they do to adults. Teachers can leverage this tendency by pairing less skilled children with more knowledgeable classmates to observe and imitate. No matter who serves as the more knowledgeable other, the key is that they provide the needed social instruction within the zone of proximal development, when the learner is sensitive to guidance. Sociocultural TheoryLev Vygotsky also suggested that human development results from a dynamic interaction between individuals and society. Through this interaction, children learn gradually and continuously from parents and teachers. However, this learning varies from one culture to the next. It's important to note that Vygotsky's theory emphasizes the dynamic nature of this interaction. Society does not just impact people; people also affect their society. If you're interested in reading some of Vygotsky's works, many of his writings are available in full-text format at the Vygotsky Internet Archive. Vygotsky's Contributions to PsychologyVygotsky's died of tuberculosis on June 11, 1934, when he was just 37. Still, Vygotsky is considered a formative thinker in psychology, and much of his work is still being discovered and explored today. Although he was a contemporary of Skinner, Pavlov, Freud, and Piaget, Vygotsky never attained their level of eminence during his lifetime. The Russian Communist Party often criticized Vygotsky's work, making his writings largely inaccessible to the rest of the world. His premature death also contributed to his obscurity. Despite this, Vygotsky's work has continued to grow in influence since his death— particularly in the fields of developmental and educational psychology. Lev Vygotsky, "Mind in Society," 1978Learning is more than the acquisition of the ability to think; it is the acquisition of many specialised abilities for thinking about a variety of things. — Lev Vygotsky, "Mind in Society," 1978 It wasn't until the 1970s that Vygotsky's theories became known outside of Russia, as new concepts and ideas emerged in the fields of educational and developmental psychology. Since then, Vygotsky's works have been translated many times over and have gained international recognition, particularly in the area of education. In a ranking of eminent psychologists, Vygotsky was identified as the 83rd most influential psychologist during the 20th century. Piaget vs. VygotskyJean Piaget and Vygotsky were contemporaries, yet Vygotsky’s ideas did not become well known until long after his death. Although their theories on child development have some similarities, there are also significant differences. Vygotsky's Theory
Piaget's Theory
A Word From Verywell Although he was not well-known in
his lifetime, Lev Vygotsky made significant contributions to psychology. Vygotsky's theories on child development and learning influence how we think about education and development today. Frequently Asked Questions
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Thanks for your feedback! What did Vygotsky viewed as being crucial to children's development of language?Language: Vygotsky believed that language is the basis of thought and, consequently, that a child's cognitive development is dependent on their linguistic development. By about age seven, he noted, children have a good enough grasp on language to solve logical problems.
Which of the following would Lev Vygotsky have discussed?Which of the following would Lev Vygotsky have discussed as a limitation of the work of Piaget in regard to children's cognitive development? He did not take into consideration the impact of social environment on cognitive development. The Albertsons establish and enforce rules for their children to follow.
What is Vygotsky's theory of play?According to Vygotsky, in separating mental symbols from reality, children augment their internal capacity to regulate their actions; in engaging in rule-based play, they respond to external pressures to act in socially desirable ways.
What is the benefit of using private speech According to Vygotsky?According to Vygotsky, private speech is indicative of early cognitive processing and allows us to hear how children think about their own behavior and select courses of action.
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Which of the following describes Lev Vygotskys belief about the development of thought and language?
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