Sociocultural Perspectives on Cognitive Development

1
Chapter 3

• Sociocultural Perspectives on Cognitive
  Development

2
Vygotskys Theory

• a general theory of cognitive development
• most of original work done in the context of
  language learning
• example of the Sociocultural Perspective of
  cognitive development

3
Vygotsky 4 Levels of Development

• 1. Microgenetic development cognitive changes
  that occur over a relatively short time
• -time period is rather short (weeks or months)
• 2. Ontogenetic development development over a
  persons lifetime
• -live a long time, and this can be rather long
• 3. Sociohistorical development changes in the
  culture
• -usually over a rather long time period
• -but, sometimes can happen over just one
  generation
• 4. Phylogentic development changes over
  evolutionary time
• -a very long time period, at least thousands of
  years

4
Vygotsky Elementary vs. Higher Mental Functions

• 1. 4 elementary mental functions that we are
  born with
• -attention, sensation, perception, and memory
• 2. these are transformed into higher mental
  functions
• -more complicated mental processes such as
  language
• highly debated
• development of function

5
Vygotsky Social Development Theory

• social interaction plays a fundamental role in
  cognitive development
• thus an example of the sociocultural perspective
• tools of intellectual adaptation
• tools provided children that allow them to use
  their basic mental functions in a more adaptive
  manner
• provided in social interactions between adults
  and children
• teach how to think
• teach what to think

6
Vygotsky General Genetic Law of Cultural
Development

• Vygotsky wrote "Every function in the child's
  cultural development appears twice first, on the
  social level, and later, on the individual level
  first, between people (interpsychological) and
  then inside the child (intrapsychological). This
  applies equally to voluntary attention, to
  logical memory, and to the formation of concepts.
  All the higher functions originate as actual
  relationships between individuals.

7
Vygotsky General Genetic Law of Cultural
Development

• 1. Social Plane
• -where development first takes place
• -child observes, listens, and tries to imitate
• -parent guides, makes corrections, provides
  challenges
• 2. Internal Plane
• -as the child becomes more competent,
  information becomes internalized
• Example learning language
• full cognitive development requires social
  interaction

8
Vygotsky The Zone

• the potential for cognitive development is
  limited to a certain time span
• Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) -- 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 a more capable peer
• full development during the ZPD depends upon
  social interaction
• Scaffolding -- the process of guiding the learner
  from what is presently known to what is to be
  known. This occurs in the ZPD. The more competent
  person supports the learner in their endeavor to
  reach the new level of development

9
Vygotsky The Zone

• the social plane ? the psychological plane
• task specific
• most fruitful experience in a child's education
• varies with culture, society, and experience
• the larger the zone, the better students will
  learn in school
• for a ZPD to be created, there must be a joint
  activity that creates a context for student and
  expert interaction
• computers

10
Vygotsky Cognitive Development and Language
Development

• before two years of age, the development of
  thought and speech are separate
• become connected at age 2
• changes in thought (verbal)
• changes in language (rational)
• connections with the importance of the social
  environment
• main point
• cognitive development and language development
  are 2 separate things
• but, they also influence each other a great deal

11
Implications

• assessment of achievement and cognitive
  development
• for education and instructional strategies