Sociocultural or historical-cultural theory of Vygotsky, main ideas

Lev Semionovich Vygotsky is the author of the Sociocultural or historical-cultural theory of human development. He differentiates between a Natural line of development and a Cultural line development. Development in the natural line, determined by biological factors, results in elementary psychological functions, while development in the cultural line, governed by factors of a sociocultural nature, transforms those into superior psychological functions. While elementary psychological functions are common to animals and humans, superior psychological functions are specifically human. These functions are a product of the human sociocultural environment.

Content

• Elementary and superiors psychological functions according to Vygotsky
• Human activity and tools
• What is the next development zone or ZDP?
• Vygotsky's concept of scaffolding
• The Wood and Middleton experiment
  • Bibliography

Elementary and superiors psychological functions according to Vygotsky

We can illustrate this difference between Elementary and Higher Psychological Functions With the case of the human memory. There would be an elementary or "natural" memory, very close to perception, based on mnemic footprints, which are a simple retention of current experiences. There would also be a form of upper memory, which coexists with elementary memory and is based on the use of some type of tool or instrument (P. Eg. The use of sticks or stones such as signs, writing or mnemonic aids - to memorize better -).

He Higher psychological functioning, Unlike the elementary, it is controlled by the individual (self -regulation or self -control), it is conscious and voluntary.

From the Vygotskian perspective, social interaction is a determining factor to lead the individual to superior psychological functioning, or in other terms, social interaction plays a fundamental explanatory role in the genesis of higher psychological functions (language, intelligence. Intelligence, memory ...). Higher psychological functions are a sociocultural product And they are created in the individual within the framework of interpersonal relationships.

Finally, another difference between elementary and superior psychological functions is the use of signs such as mediators of higher psychological functions.

Human activity and tools

Vygotsky starts from a global conception of human activity as a mediated activity, that is, as an activity that always entails the use of some type of tool or instrument. The direct intervention activity on physical reality implies the use of tools, which is not exclusive to man (remember that chimpanzees use - depending on the area in which they inhabit - posts to introduce the termiter and take termites, leaves of tree to use them as a glass and drink water ...). Psychological (intrapersonal or internal activity), on the other hand, needs the resource to signs.

The signs would be the instruments of internal psychological activity.

Both the tools and the signs have a measurement function, are used as means, in an instrumental way (mediation). The tools allow directly modifying the external medium, that is, it mediates between man or animal and the external physical environment. On the other hand, the signs allow transformations in the other human beings, or in the material world through others (signs at the service of communication; interpsychological use the signs). Subsequently, the signs are internalized and become instruments of internal regulation of one's behavior and thought (signs at the service of the regulation and planning of one's behavior and at the service of thought; intrapsychological use the signs). The idea of ​​mediation of human activity applied to signs is what Vygotsky calls semiotic mediation.

Piaget learning theory: summary, what is, analysis and videos

An important characteristic of the signs is that they are organized in systems built throughout the sociocultural evolution. Sign systems are a sociocultural construction. Each individual appropriates sign systems (and in general of the tools or instruments of mediation of human activity) built throughout the history of culture. Vygotsky understands human development as a process of Enculturalization, of entry into a culture. A very important aspect of enculturalization is the appropriation of the mediation instruments of human activity in general and sign systems in particular. The development of the individual is not understandable by leaving aside the social, historical and cultural context in which it takes place. Each culture, and in each historical era, provides its individuals with certain mediation instruments.

Language is the most relevant sign system for man, But there are other systems such as the numerical system, maps, graphics, computer languages ​​..

Vygotsky formulated the Double formation law of higher psychological functions. The double formation law is a general genetic law that refers to the social (interpersonal) origin of higher psychological processes. It is only applicable to higher psychological functions, therefore being a general law of development in the cultural line. In accordance with this law, any higher psychological function or psychological process appears first in the interpsychological level (between people) and later in the intrapsychological level (inside the individual).

What is the next development zone or ZDP?

According to Vygotsky's approaches, there is a complex dialectical relationship between development and learning. Development is not a pre-requisite for learning, but learning promotes development. When Vygotsky speaks of learning, he refers both to him, who is the product of informal educational practices (such as most of those that occur in the family context) and the learning that results from formal educational practices (fundamentally those of teaching / school learning ).

To understand the Vygotskian vision of development / learning relationships, it must be sent to the concept of NEAR DEVELOPMENT AREA (ZDP) that he proposed.

Vygotsky differentiates two levels of development: the level of real development (determined from what the child can do on its own) and the level of potential development (determined from what the child can do with the help of an adult or of a more capable partner). The distance between the level of real development and the level of potential development is the near development zone (ZDP).

In the words of Vygotsky himself:

"The ZDP is nothing other than the distance between the real level of development, determined by the ability to solve a problem, and the level of potential development, determined through the resolution of a problem under the guidance of an adult or in collaboration, with another more capable partner.”(Vygotsky, 1979: 133)

At all times the child has a certain level of real competition against the task. The adult knows or makes an estimate of this level of competition, but does not raise the task at this level, but does it at an immediately higher level (over attribution of the child's competences) and offers the necessary and fair support aids and supports (adjustment of the level of aid) for the task to be successful at this level with the active participation of the child. Adult-child interactions that present these characteristics are, in terms of Vygotsky, interactions in the ZDP.

Vygotsky's concept of scaffolding

According to Vygotsky, Language (and in particular, speech) is essential for the cognitive development of children, Because language provides both a purpose and an intention for behaviors to be better understood.  Through the use of the word, children are able to communicate and learn from others, so it is An important tool in the ZDP.

The Wood and Middleton experiment

In 1975 the psychologists Wood and Middleton conducted an experiment with 4 -year -old children and their mothers.

Study procedure: 4 -year -old children had to use a set of blocks and pegs to build a 3D model that showed them in an image. The construction of the model was a task too difficult for a 4 -year -old boy to do it alone.

Wood and Middleton (1975) observed how mothers interacted with their children to build the model. The type of support they gave them was:

• General support stimulus: "You are doing well"
• Specific instructions for example, "four large blocks are left".
• Direct demonstration to the child of how to place one block with another.

The study results showed that there was no strategy that was better to help the child progress. Mothers whose assistance was more effective were those who varied their strategy according to how the child acted. When the child seemed to advance well, they were less specific to their aid. When the child began to get impatient and get nervous, they gave him increasingly specific instructions until the child advanced again.

This study illustrates the concept of Andamiaje and Vygotsky's ZDP. Scaffolding (that is, assistance) is more effective when the support is adapted to the students' needs. This helps them achieve success in an activity that has not previously been able to do alone.

According to Wood et al. (1976), there are certain processes that help the scaffolding be more effective:

• Obtain and maintain the student's interest in the task.
• Simple task.
• Emphasize certain aspects that help with the solution.
• Control the child's frustration level.
• Demonstrate how the homework is done.

Differences and similarities between the evolutionary theory of Piaget and Vygotsky

Bibliography

• Vygotsky, l. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Process. Harvard University Press.
• Vygotsky, l. S. (1934). Thought and Language. MIT Press.
• Vygotsky, l. S. (1986). The development of higher psychological processes. Criticism.
• Wertsch, j. V. (1991). Voices of the Mind: A Sociocultural Approach to Mediated Action. Harvard University Press.
• Cole, m. (1985). The Zone of Proximal Development: where culture and cognition create each other. In j. V. Wertsch (ed.), Culture, Communication, and Cognition: Vygotskian Perspectives (pp. 146-161). Cambridge University Press.
• Daniels, h., Cole, m., & Wertsch, J. V. (2007). The social development of the mind and brain. XXI century.